Cast of the MCU's 2025 film, "The Fantastic Four", revealed

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has revealed the cast for its version of The Fantastic Four, with a release date slated for 2025. 

The superhero quartet known as the Fantastic Four were, “the first characters created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.”

The superhero quartet is composed of four scientists who after being exposed to cosmic rays during a scientific mission in space, gained unique superpowers. 

Reed Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic, is the leader of the group and can stretch and morph his body into incredible strengths and shapes.

His girlfriend (then wife) Sue Storm becomes the Invisible Woman, being able to turn invisible and project force fields.

Sue’s younger brother is Johnny Storm, who becomes known as the Human Torch, being given the ability to create flames, surround himself with fire, and fly.

Finally, there’s Ben Grimm, a monstrous rock-looking character who may be grumpy but has a big heart. 

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has featured films that have storylines that connect, featuring such heroes as Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Black Panther, the Fantastic Four has been one of the biggest omissions from the MCU. 

This is because the movie rights to the quartet belonged to 20th Century Fox as opposed to Disney and Marvel Studios. Under 20th Century Fox, two films were made in 2005 and 2007, with Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, respectively. 

The films starred Ioan Gruffud as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm (a Marvel character he portrayed before donning the shield as the MCU’s Captain America), and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm. 

20th Century Fox looked to do a reboot of the franchise in 2015, with a new Fantastic Four starring Miles Teller, Kata Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell as Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben respectively. 

In 2019, Disney acquired the now-named 21st Century Fox, allowing for more Marvel characters to join the MCU, including the X-Men, and Wolverine and Deadpool, as seen in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine slated to be released this summer. 

Along with those characters, one of the biggest ones fans looked forward to seeing was the Fantastic Four after the acquisition of their rights under the Disney banner.

While there was a tease to how the Fantastic Four would look in the MCU, with John Krasinski playing a cameo role as a multiverse variant of Mr. Fantastic in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, "a nod to an online fan campaign to cast him in the role," the official cast announcement for the feature-length film following the quartet was announced on February 14.

In a Valentine’s Day post on social media, Disney announced the cast for the new MCU Fantastic Four film featuring the four actors in a drawing dressed in costume in their respective roles celebrating Valentine’s Day. 

Pedro Pascal will portray Reed Richards, likely after shooting the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. From Game of Thrones to The Mandalorian, Pascal is, "one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood.“ 

Vanessa Kirby who rose to prominence with her portrayal of Princess Margarett in The Crown, is an Academy Award-nominated actress for Pieces of a Woman and will make her wish a reality by playing Sue Storm. At the premiere of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One in 2023, Kirby told Variety, “It would be an honor to play Sue Storm…she’s amazing."

Joseph Quinn caught many eyes after his incredible performance as Eddie Munson in the 4th season of Stranger Things, and Quinn’s next journey will take him to the role of Johnny Storm in The Fantastic Four.

Finally, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who recently won an Emmy for his performance as Richard “Richie” Jerimovich on the FX series, The Bear, will play Ben Grimm.

According to Variety, filming is expected to begin this summer. 

After Marvel’s sole 2024 release of Deadpool & Wolverine this summer, 2025 and 2026 look to be even bigger years for Marvel, with Captain America: Brave New World scheduled for a February 2025 release, Thunderbolts coming out May 2, 2025, The Fantastic Four on July 25, 2025, and Blade in November. 

2026 looks to feature the releases of four films for Marvel, including Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. 

With Fantastic Four films featuring new actors bringing the team to life coming out every 10 years, with one being released in 2005 and another in 2015, 2025 can’t come soon enough for those who have been anxiously awaiting the next era in film for the famed superhero quartet.