"The Fantastic Four are having another go at a movie adventure - but this time everything is set to be different. The debut of the four heroes in the MCU not only makes a big journey into the past, but also comes with a whole new cast and makes major changes to one of the most well-known characters. Find out all the details now - in this new Original!

Cast

Mr. Fantastic

After countless speculations, the cast for the "Fantastic Four: First Steps" has finally been confirmed. The makers have managed to pull off a real coup with Mr. Fantastic in particular: Reed Richards, the leader of the superheroes, will be played by none other than Hollywood's number one daddy, Pedro Pascal. He made his big breakthrough at the latest with the leading role in "The Mandalorian" and has been one of the most sought-after actors ever since. Most recently, he was particularly successful in the HBO series "The Last of Us".

The Invisible Woman

Richard's friend Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, also has a new face: in the new part, she is played by British actress Vanessa Kirby. She last had major roles in "Mission Impossible" and "Fast and Furious".

Human Torch

Where Sue is, her brother Johnny must not be missing, of course. The Human Torch is known for his hot temper and brings a certain amount of humor to the group. In the new film, this role is reserved for a Hollywood rookie: Joseph Quinn is the name of the actor, who some of you might know as Eddie Munson from the Netflix series "Stranger Things".

The Thing

Last but not least is Ben Grimm, better known as the Thing. He is super strong, but also looks like a huge stone colossus. He is played by "The Bear" star Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Having only had small movie roles in recent years, "The Fantastic Four" is his first major production in a long time.

Silver Surfer

However, the biggest buzz was probably about the casting of a character who already made an appearance in the older movies: the Silver Surfer. This role will be played by "Ozark" actress Julia Garner. This naturally prompted some displeasure online, as so-called "gender-swapping" is more than hated - meaning changing the gender of well-known characters, usually from male to female.

In this case, however, the cast is actually quite appropriate given the comic book original. This is because the "Silver Surfer" is actually more of a title than a specific person. Julia Garner is not supposed to portray the character Norrin Radd, but his wife Shalla-Bal, who also becomes the Silver Surfer in the original. Both originally come from another world and fall into the clutches of the planet-eater Galactus. In the comics, Norrin first joins Galactus out of necessity and becomes the Silver Surfer, while his wife later tries to save him.

We are looking forward to seeing which interpretation of the story awaits us in the new film - nothing is known about the casting of the character Norrin so far, although initial rumors suggest that he will also appear in the film.

Galactus

Recently, it was also confirmed that supervillain Galactus will indeed make his debut in the MCU in "The Fantastic Four". At the same time, his cast was likewise announced: British actor Ralph Ineson will embody the planet-eater. He is known from "The VVitch" and "Game of Thrones", for example. We are excited to find out whether the character's performance will be more convincing than the cosmic cloud seen in 2007's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer".

No Familiar MCU Characters

Further information on the cast is limited. Most recently, it was confirmed that Hollywood star John Malkovich and Paul Walter Hauser have been cast in unknown roles. There are certainly a few open positions still to be filled. However, familiar faces from the MCU are unlikely to appear. This is mainly due to the unusual setting of the plot.

Plot

With "The Fantastic Four", the creators want to return to the roots of the franchise, and these lie in the comics from the 1960s. The movie is set in precisely this period. The Fantastic Four are originally scientists who want to explore the vastness of space. In the process, they are exposed to alien radiation and thus gain their superpowers. Whether they come into contact with Galactus or the Silver Surfer will probably only become clear in the movie.

In general, it is still somewhat unclear who will oppose the heroes. While the Silver Surfer or Silver Surfers are not evil as such, they could still be the main antagonists for the time being. Galactus is obviously part of the film, but it is not known whether he will play a major role. An absolute favorite would definitely be Dr. Doom: The prime villain of "The Fantastic Four" is repeatedly brought up as a potential new enemy of the Avengers following the departure of Jonathan Majors from the MCU. An introduction in this movie would thus be entirely possible.

Production

The new movie will be directed by "WandaVision" director Matt Shakman, so he's already experienced with MCU stories in old settings. The screenplay was written by Josh Friedman, who also worked on the highly acclaimed science fiction series "Foundation".

Until we see a first trailer, it will probably take some time: The theatrical release for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is currently scheduled for July 25, 2025. However, we hope to see more images at Disney's D23 event in August 2024.