After multiple failed attempts to bringThe Fantastic Fourto the big screen, fans are excited as Marvel’s First Family will finally appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced a Fantastic Four film reboot at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 titledThe Fantastic Four. Since then, fans have eagerly been awaiting news on the upcoming reboot, which has now become one of the most anticipated films in the entire MCU.
While The Fantastic Four may be beloved in the world of comics, their cinematic counterpartshave not received the same amount of love. The poor reception and financial performance ofFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer(2007) played a factor in the series' cancellation. It also led to the disaster that is the 2015Fantastic Four. With Marvel Studios reinterpreting The Fantastic Four, fans hope that the iconic Marvel characters will finally be done justice.
WithWandaVisiondirector Matt Shakman at the helm and now the official casting having been unveiled on Valentine’s Day 2024 that includes Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as The Human Torch, and Ebon Ross-Bachrach (The Bear) as The Thing, fans cannot wait to see the characters that launched the age of Marvel Comics back in the 1960s finally join the beloved franchise. For general audiences who might have been burned by the past cinematic outings, here is why we are excited about Marvel Studios' upcomingFantastic Fourmovie.
Updated July 13, 2025: WithThe Fantastic Four’s cast finally being announced, this article has been updated with additional information.
Fantastic Four
A Star-Studded Cast
It only took four years since the film’s initial announcement, but Marvel Studios has finally confirmed who their Fantastic Four will be, and they’re all great choices. Pedro Pascal is one of the most popular actors working today, and with a range like his, there’s no doubt that he’ll be able to pull off Reed Richards. He can balance the wholesome nerd aspect of the character with the unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and if they ever want to introduce their children, there’s nobody better suited to play a father.
His better half, Sue Storm, is being brought to life by the talented Vanessa Kirby, who has been making quite a name for herself recently. She’s the picture-perfect image of the Invisible Woman from the comics and also has a background in action from films likeMission: Impossible - FalloutandHobbs & Shawwhile also being a critically acclaimed actress for her roles in prestige drama series likeThe Crown. An incredibly versatile actress whofans have been castingas the character for years, there’s no doubt that she will be able to make the character shine.
Related:Deadpool & Wolverine: Why Fans Are Hyped for the MCU Film
Her brother, the Human Torch, will be played by Joseph Quinn ofStranger Thingsfame. After his charismatic performance as Eddie Munson on the popular Netflix series, Quinn has been getting even bigger roles in upcoming films likeGladiator 2andA Quiet Place: Day One. He’s already proven that he can pull off Johnny’s charm and now gets the opportunity of a lifetime with this film.Quinn is certainly a rising star and is just what the Fantastic Four franchise needs. Yet he does have some big shoes to fill as the previous two Human Torch actors, Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan, have since gone on to become big stars and even joined the MCU in other roles.
Last but certainly not least is the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach. No stranger to the MCU, having played Micro in season one ofThe Punisher, Ebon has broken out into the mainstream after starring as Richie inThe Bear. When it comes to playing The Thing, there isn’t anyone on the planet more suited for the character than him. Not only is he a talented actor who can effortlessly pull off comedy and drama, but he has the gravelly voice you’d want for a man made of rocks. Most importantly, he’s the first Jewish actor to play arguably Marvel’s most prominent Jewish hero, which is great for representation and does the character justice.
WandaVisionDirector Matt Shakman
Despite being Marvel Studios' first television series,WandaVisionwas by far its most ambitious. Exploring grief through the lens of old sitcoms was an extremely unique idea, and proved to be a smart one. The series set the world on fire, with each episode providing more mystery and thrilling suspense. Shakman directed all nine episodes of the series, and with each one inspired by a completely different time period, there was a lot of care and effort put into the series on his part to make sure it all came together. If that wasn’t enough to qualify him for this position, he most recently directed the first two episodes ofMonarch: Legacy of Monsters,showing that he knows how to handle scale, which is especially important ifGalactus is going to be involved.
IfThe Fantastic Fouris to beset in 1963like the teaser poster suggests, then there’s no better director to handle the iconic group. He’s familiar with that style and era and could create a truly authentic movie set in that time period. Most importantly, though, Shakman is a lifelong fan of the characters and truly cares about getting things done right. In aninterview with Collider, he said:
“I have loved these characters since I was a kid so it is a huge joy to be able to work with them, spend time with them every day. To bring them into the MCU is also a huge joy. So it’s that. It’s just the excitement of being the kid who found them when I was six, seven, eight, and now being able to work with them on the big screen. It’s amazing.”
When it comes to properly adapting the Fantastic Four, it helps a lot when the person doing it is a massive fan of the characters. Shakman is clearly very passionate about the team and has spent years of his life admiring them, and now it’s up to him to bring them into the MCU after years of anticipation. The team is in safe hands with Shakman, as his track record proves, and him being a fan only makes that more evident.
A Period Piece
As mentioned, it appears, based on the teaser image announcing the cast ofThe Fantastic Four, that the movie will be set in the 1960s, which is appropriate as that was the year the characters were introduced and also at the height of their popularity. The MCU has done period piece movies before, notably withCaptain America: The First Avengersbeing set in the 1940s and thenCaptain Marvelbeing set in the 1990s. Yet there is alarge gap in the MCU timelinethat is unexplored and the 1960s provides an interesting era for the MCU to explore. So far, the only 1960s superhero movie is a non-MCU film,X-Men: First Class, and that is seen by many as one of the best X-Men movies ever because it tapped into the period in which the characters were created.
While it is doubtful the characters will have been fully active in the 1960s, as a group of public superheroes like The Fantastic Four certainly would have been mentioned by now, it does mean the character’s origins can be tied to the 1960s. This certainly allows for a lot of cool, fun needle drops and costume choices while also grounding the characters in the optimistic space age era that they were originally conceived in. That means if they arrive from the 1960s and land in the present-day MCU, there can be a lot of contrast between the past and present worldviews. Fun fact: In the 2000s, future Ant-Man directorPeyton Reed pitched a 1960s setFantastic Fourmovie to 20th Century Foxbefore they decided to make the Tim Story film, so the idea has finally come around.
Marvel’s First Family
Fans of superhero films may viewBlade, X-Men, and Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manas pioneers of the modern superhero genre. Additionally, it isIron Manthat successfully launched the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. But in Marvel Comics, The Fantastic Four effectively marked the first superhero team from artist Jack Kirby and editor Stan Lee. Consequently, The Fantastic Four are referred to as Marvel’s “First Family.”
Originally appearing inThe Fantastic Four#1, a comic published in 1961, The Fantastic Four predates characters such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, and the X-Men. More than the Avengers, The Fantastic Four are and behave more like a family. They are a smaller team of four composed of a couple in Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) and Susan Storm (the Invisible Woman), Sue’s brother Johnny (the Human Torch), and Reed’s best friend Ben Grimm (The Thing). Moreover, Grimm often feels like a surrogate brother or uncle in the family.
The family dynamic of The Fantastic Four will bring something new to the MCU. The Guardians of the Galaxy also have a strong family dynamic, but they are many different characters with very different energy. Many of the Avengers in Phase 4 have not yet established strong bonds with each other. On the other hand, The Fantastic Four always experience the crazy world of Marvel together. This might have beenwhy the casting process for the movie was so long; the filmmakers wanted to find the right actors who had the best chemistry together, as that will be the key to making this movie work.
The Villains
Doctor Doom is one of the best supervillains of all time. Unfortunately, Doom has yet to be featured in a live-action film that showcases the true potential of the character. In the world of comics, Doom’s presence is comparable to the likes of iconic characters such as Darth Vader; he is a powerhouse not just in terms of physical prowess, but he is also a genius. Indeed, Doom is a mastermind who is unafraid to challenge anyone, constantly picking fights with the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe. Victor von Doom’s intelligence rivals that of Tony Stark and perhaps even surpasses it. The powers of both technology and mystic energy make Doom one of the most formidable foes in all of Marvel.
Related:The Fantastic Four: Actors Who Should Play Doctor Doom in the MCU
Galactus is a name that’s been thrown around a lot when it comes to the Fantastic Four’s first MCU film. A cosmic being with an insatiable hunger for life energy, the massive purple villain is best known for effortlessly devouring planets as if they were apples. While nothing is confirmed, Academy Award-winning actorJavier Bardem is apparently Marvel’s top choicefor the character. Galactus is one of the most feared villains in the entire universe, and his introduction makes a ton of sense forThe Fantastic Four. There’s a common misconception that Galctus is a Thanos-level threat and that Marvel should save him for an Avengers movie, but he’s much more of a Fantastic Four-specific villain. The battles with the characters are more mental than physical and highlight the scientific side of Marvel’s first family more. This would also mean there’s a possibility of seeing the Silver Surfer join the MCU as well, which would be very exciting.
Interactions with MCU Heroes
Part of what makes the Fantastic Four so fun to read about is how many different heroes they have a relationship with. New York City is a hot spot for heroic activity, and with the team working out of the city’s center in the Baxter Building, they’re always running into other characters. Most famously, Spider-Man and the Human Torch are superhero best friends who’re always interacting with each other. This has led to the wallcrawler becoming very close with the team and even joining the group on occasion. Reed Richards was even the first to discover that the black suit Peter donned during Secret Wars was an alien, and helped him remove it. WithSpider-Man: No Way Homeintroducing the symbiote to the MCU, it’s possible that this iconic comic moment can be recreated in life action.
She-Hulk has also been an important character for the group before, as she even became an official member of the team at one point. After the originalSecret Warsevent, the Thing retired on Battleworld when he learned that he was able to maintain his human form there. Looking for a replacement, She-Hulk joined the team and stayed a member for three years for readers. It’s unlikely that the MCU will adapt this anytime soon, but just seeingShe-Hulk work alongside the teamor help them out with any legal troubles would be an exciting possibility. The MCU is overflowing with characters, new and old, and seeing any of them run into the Fantastic Four would be surreal after the group has been locked away for decades.
A Proper Adaptation
It’s safe to say that theFantastic Fourmovies that have been released up to this point haven’t been very well received. The 2005 film features a cast that perfectly embodied their roles but were stuck in a movie that fundamentally misunderstood what makes the team so important. At their core, the Fantastic Four are scientists and explorers more than crime fighters. They’ll, of course, join in the fight when needed, but their priorities are always discovering uncharted territories. This original film barely had them do what they’re best at and focused more on stopping Doctor Doom, who, for some reason, was an evil CEO in the movie and not the dictator of a country and a powerful sorcerer. This isn’t even taking into account the 2007 sequel which turned Galactus into an angry cloud. Where they succeeded in character dynamics, they failed in making the team do what they’re best at.
2015’sFantastic Fourreboot went throughso many changes in its developmentthat the result is unrecognizable from the original pitch. The version released in theaters is widely considered one of the worst superhero movies of all time. It’s a Frankenstein-together mess of a film being steered by director Josh Trank and Fox executives directly toward an oncoming iceberg. Perhaps if Trank’s original vision was able to be seen through, things would’ve ended up differently. Unfortunately for the audience, the released film is more of a collection of every overused superhero trope, turning Marvel’s most hopeful team into a gloomy nightmare.
Now that Marvel has the rights to the characters again, it’s likely that we’ll finally get aFantastic Fourmovie that does the characters justice. Obviously, it’s a low bar to clear in comparison to the others, but the Fantastic Four were, at one point, Marvel’s most popular superhero team. Their family dynamic felt real and authentic, and seeing that in live action is an exciting prospect for fans.
Marvel has been taking their time with this movie for a reason, as it’s incredibly important that they get this right. The Fantastic Four can’t withstand another bad adaptation, and if done right, they should be the new faces of the MCU. They’ve deserved better for decades, and this is a fresh start with a reliable studio for them to actually be done in a faithful way. Marvel Studios has proven that they learn from their own successes and failures while simultaneously learning from other studios. This will allow them to avoid repeating the previous mistakes of 20th Century Fox withFantastic Four.
