Marvel's First Family hasn't had much luck on screen. There was the infamous 1994 Fantastic Four movie produced by the late Roger Corman which never officially saw the light of day and then the big budget 2005 and 2007 movies starring Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Chiklis.
Those weren't great and were a product of their time; so, when a reboot from Chronicle director Josh Trank rolled around in 2015, there was a fair bit of excitement among fans.
The trailers promised a body-horror tale but studio-mandated reshoots turned it into a mess.
The team has sat on the shelf ever since, though that will finally change next year with Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four. Filmmaker Matt Shakman has assembled an impressive A-List cast, including Black Bird and Cruella star Paul Walter Hauser.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor admitted that those awful past efforts made him think twice about starring in this latest reboot.
"Don’t think that didn’t weigh in as I was deciding whether or not to take the job," Hauser said. "That movie has not fully been nailed just yet."
"But I really do think the combination of the screenplay, and the department heads that are working on the film, and that classy cast of really exciting actors - some of them known for a long time, and some of them having a moment right now - [make me feel that] this movie is special, and it was something I wanted to be a part of."
"Matt Shakman directed me years ago in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia," he continued. "To come back together and collaborate on this movie in some capacity, it’s really exciting. I’m excited to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
Like the rest of The Fantastic Four's cast, it appears the script and Shakman's vision for these characters was enough to sell him on the idea of joining the MCU and giving them another chance.
Marvel Studios has announced that 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) will lead The Fantastic Four cast. Julia Garner has also joined the reboot as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer.
Recent additions to the cast include Paul Walter Hauser and John Malkovich in mystery roles, along with Ralph Ineson as the villainous Galactus.
Director Matt Shakman worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on The Fantastic Four's screenplay, with Eric Pearson (Black Widow) recently coming on board for a final polish.
The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.