It's been quite a week for MCU news, with Marvel Studios finally announcing the cast of The Fantastic Four: Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing).
Now we have Marvel's First Family, all eyes have shifted to who will play the reboot's big bad. We've been hearing for some time that Galactus will take centre stage in the movie, a refreshing change of pace after Doctor Doom was heavily featured in all three previous efforts.
According to The Insneider, Javier Bardem remains the top choice to play Galactus but that's dependent on whether he can make time for The Fantastic Four after last year's strikes delayed work on Apple TV+'s Brad Pitt-led Formula 1 movie.
Meetings have already started taking place between Marvel Studios and actors they'd like to see transform into Silver Surfer, so it seems those rumours about Anya Taylor-Joy playing a gender-swapped version of the hero were incorrect.
The site also reiterates reports that Doctor Doom will appear in The Fantastic Four, but not until the very end of the movie with casting figured out down the line (in other words, it will likely be a body double on set with the voice added during post-production).
Elsewhere in the report, it's mentioned that returning Disney CEO Bob Iger has allowed Marvel Studios more time to focus on individual projects than Bob Chapek did. However, the studio doesn't want four MCU movies to drop in a single year, suggesting Blade will slip into 2026.
The Fantastic Four, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, debuted in 1961. The team is comprised of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ben Grimm (The Thing). They gained superpowers during a space mission, becoming Marvel's first family of superheroes.
Reed is the brilliant stretchy strategist, Sue has invisibility and force field powers, Johnny controls fire, and while Ben possesses super strength, he's also covered by rock. The team confronts cosmic threats, explores alternate dimensions, and battles iconic foes like Doctor Doom. Their groundbreaking stories revolutionized superhero comics, emphasizing family dynamics and sci-fi adventures.
Director Matt Shakman has worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on the latest draft of The Fantastic Four's screenplay. The movie is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.