Marvel's ‘Fantastic Four’ Cast and New Release Date Revealed

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At last: We have a new Fantastic Four. After what feels like years of prognostication, speculation, and seemingly every name in Hollywood being considered, the official cast of WandaVision director Matt Shakman’s MCU reboot of Marvel’s first family has been unveiled. The Fantastic Four will star Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm.

It’s a cast composed of both heavy hitters and rising stars. Shows like Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us have made Pascal a household name; Kirby had a massive breakout with her scene-stealing turn as Princess Margaret in The Crown before earning an Oscar nomination for Pieces of a Woman; Moss-Bachrach is everyone’s current favorite cousin in The Bear (although I’d like to give a special shoutout to his work in Andor); Quinn’s arc in the fourth season of Stranger Things made him a beloved character in a series full of fan favorites and will soon star alongside Paul Mescal in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel.

The announcement arrived with Valentine's Day-themed art and a logo from Marvel Studios concept artist Wesley Burt that plays up the vintage vibes of the group—Marvel’s very first superhero team, introduced in 1961— through a retro-future tone. And online sleuths have already ID'd the magazine Ben Grimm's reading in the image as the December 1963 issue of of Life, with President Lyndon Johnson on the cover.

Could this version be a period piece, like Captain America: The First Avenger or the early episodes of Shakman’s WandaVision, linked to the present-day by flash-forwards or Multiversal shenanigans? Time will tell—but the specific, Jetsons-like tone of the Valentine’s Day poster is worth mentioning. Also note the inclusion, for the real heads, of H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics), the group’s helper robot, a la Robot from Lost in Space.

If you’re keeping track, this is the third reboot of the FF as a big-screen property this century, but it’s the first since Disney absorbed 21st Century Fox, clearing the way for the Richards clan to join the MCU. If the reaction to today’s announcement feels a little muted, it may be because so far this is the exact cast fans were expecting; some corners of Reddit had either guessed or deduced that these actors were playing the new FF as far back as November.

Deadline broke Pascal’s involvement last fall, but there was some concern about the actor’s exceedingly full dance card, which now includes a dedicated Mandalorian film installment in addition to a second season of The Last of Us and the rom-com Materialists from Past Lives writer/director Celine Song. Shakman appeared to jump the gun last week, posting Pascal’s casting to his Instagram after a SAG-AFTRA panel for the actor confirmed his involvement.

Fantastic Four was initially announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 but wasn’t formally dated until 2022, and has shifted dates a few times; along with the cast list, Marvel also announced today that the FF movie will now open on July 25, 2025. (It's swapping release dates with Thunderbolts, which will now open on the previously-announced FF date, May 2.)

The new film’s place in the overall Multiverse Saga remains to be seen, but if long-time Four foe Doctor Doom is indeed coming to the MCU, possibly stepping into the next-phase Big Bad position previously earmarked for Jonathan Majors’ Kang, it could be significant. Let’s just hope Disney already has a call in to Ben Mendelsohn, who just told GQ he’d “...almost give my eyes and teeth to play” the role.

Fantastic Four will arrive on July 25, 2025.

Originally Appeared on GQ