Yesterday, Marvel Studios released a new promo poster for The Fantastic Four. The artwork gave us a first look at Johnny Storm in full "flame on" mode as the Human Torch, but it may have also provided a big hint about the movie's setting.
A recent rumor claimed that the MCU reboot would actually take place in an alternate universe, and the city's skyline featured on the poster would seem to confirm that this story will not be playing out in any recognizable timeline. Now, thanks to Can We Get Some Toast, we may have a little more to go on.
According to the scooper, The Fantastic Four takes place in a retro-futuristic universe. It's not clear if this world is simply inspired by the '60s or the movie is actually set in the past, but the Space Race is said to be a big "inspiration," so it may end up being the former.
Another recent report claimed that Reed and Sue's children will be introduced in the film, and CWGST believes Sue will be pregnant when we meet her, and will later give birth to Franklin Richards... in space!
This seems like a very deliberate alteration of the character's origin, and may have something to do with the news that Julia Garner will play the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer, who existed in a timeline where Franklin Richards was Galactus (long story).
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.
The movie stars 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.
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.