We've all been anxiously awaiting a casting announcement for the Fantastic Four reboot, and Marvel Studios has chosen Valentine's Day to officially reveal who will be suiting-up as the main heroes!
Confirming rumors that have been doing the rounds for quite some time, the movie - which has been retitled The Fantastic Four - will star Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing.
The poster doesn't feature the characters in live-action, but it should give us some idea of how they'll look in the movie, while also revealing the costume designs - and H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot!
The overall aesthetic would also seem to confirm reports that the movie will have a period setting (we'd say early '60s based on this artwork).
Marvel has also announced that The Fantastic Four's release date has been pushed from May 5, 2025, to July 25, 2025.
As for the supporting players, there are rumors that both Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One) are top picks to play Doctor Doom, but other actors are sure to be in contention.
The team's most prolific foe is not expected to have a significant role in the reboot (in fact, he may only show up in the post-credits scene), but the villain could well emerge as the new big bad of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - especially after the recent news that Marvel has decided to part ways with Kang actor Jonathan Majors.
Several well-placed sources have claimed that Doom will be one of the main villains of Avengers: Secret Wars.
Javier Bardem is said to be the top choice for Galactus, but his schedule may prevent him from signing on. The Eater of Worlds' herald is believed to be Silver Surfer, but a female take on the character. A recent rumor claimed that Anya Taylor-Joy is being eyed for that role.
Matt Shakman will direct FF. Plot details are still a mystery, but Kevin Feige has confirmed that this will not be another origin story for the super-team.
“A lot of people know this origin story. A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before?” he said in a 2022 interview, comparing this new take on the heroes to Marvel Studios' pact with Sony to bring Spider-Man into the MCU. “We’ve set a very high bar for ourselves with bringing that to the screen.”