Flame on!
We didn't think Marvel Studios would let the fourth of April 2024 go by without promoting the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, and artist Ryan Meinerding has now unveiled a new poster for the movie, giving us a first official look at Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) fully flamed-on as the Human Torch.
As you can see, this take on the hot-headed hero is about as comic-accurate as you can get. It remains to be seen how these characters are depicted in the actual movie, but we can't imagine too many FF fans taking issue with these designs.
Also, if you look closely at that skyline, it doesn't appear to be any recognizable city. This could suggest those rumors that the movie is set in an alternate universe were on the level.
In addition, the website's QR code redirects to five free issues of the Fantastic Four comic on Marvel Unlimited, which might just give us a better idea of what to expect from the movie.
Last night, the news broke that Julia Garner (Ozark) had been cast as a female take on the Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal). She joins Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, The Last of Us) 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.
Plot details are still a mystery, but a recent rumor claimed that The Fantastic Four will actually be set in an alternate universe. If accurate, this would obviously suggest that the characters will be Variants from some other part of the Multiverse that will eventually find their way to the main MCU timeline (possibly due to the interdimensional rift Dar-Benn caused at the end of The Marvels).
Galactus has been confirmed as the main villain, but no actor is currently in talks for the part. Last we heard, Javier Bardem was said to be the "top choice" to play the Eater of Worlds, but it was noted that scheduling conflicts may prevent him from signing on. Antonio Banderas was also a rumoured
Kevin Feige has also 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.”
Matt Shakman will direct the movie. Production is expected to get underway this summer, and the film is set to bow on July 25, 2025.