The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics’ first superhero team. Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing first appeared on the scene in 1961, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. But even though other iconic superhero teams have gotten their due from the MCU—the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Eternals among them—the Fantastic Four have yet to appear in the franchise.
That all changed with the announcement of “Fantastic Four,” a 2025 film directed by Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”) and written by Josh Friedman (“Avatar: The Way of Water”) and Jeff Kaplan (“The Last of the Great Romantics”).
Up until now, the team’s history on the silver screen has been rocky at best. A 1994 adaptation from Oley Sassone was never released. In 2005, Tim Story took a crack with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Chris Evans starring, followed by a 2007 sequel, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”; both were widely panned by critics and audiences alike. Next came Josh Trank’s ill-fated 2015 reboot, featuring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell. (Interestingly, both Evans and Jordan went on to play major roles in the MCU as Captain America and Killmonger, respectively.)
With Shakman’s “Fantastic Four” slated to head into production in 2024, here’s everything you need to know about the details of the film, production dates, and the rumored star-studded cast.
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Marvel infamously keeps details about its film and TV projects close to the vest, and “Fantastic Four” is no exception. But considering the characters have been around for more than 60 years, we’re not lacking information about the basics.
The story will reintroduce the titular crime-fighting team: four astronauts who get superpowers after they’re bombarded with cosmic rays during an experimental mission to outer space. There’s Dr. Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic; Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch; and Ben Grimm, aka the Thing. Unlike most superhero teams, they’re a family: Reed and Sue are married, Johnny is Sue’s little brother, and Ben is Reed’s longtime best friend.
While nothing concrete about the film’s plot has been revealed, MCU head Kevin Feige has made one thing clear: This will not be another retelling of the team’s beginnings.
“A lot of people know this origin story,” Feige told crowds at San Diego’s Comic-Con International in 2022. “A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before?” He went on to liken the studio’s plans to how it brought Spider-Man into the MCU.
Jon Watts, who helmed the “Spider-Man” trilogy, was originally attached to direct “Fantastic Four”; but he stepped away from the project in 2022 to take a break from superhero movies. Shakman officially took over the role a few months later.
DFree/Kathy Hutchins/Loredana Sangiuliano/Shutterstock/Marvel Comics
On Valentine’s Day 2024, Variety officially revealed the cast for the upcoming “Fantastic Four” reboot. “The Last of Us” star Pedro Pascal is playing Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Academy Award nominee Vanessa Kirby is playing Sue Storm (the Invisible Woman), “Stranger Things” star Joseph Quinn is taking on Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), and “The Bear” Emmy nominee Ebon Moss-Bachrach will be playing Ben Grimm (The Thing).
Happy Valentine’s Day from Marvel’s First Family! Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four.
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) February 14, 2024
Marvel Studios' #TheFantasticFour, in theaters July 25, 2025. pic.twitter.com/dOmLG0m7ie
As for the film’s villain, word on the street (and from the actor himself) is that Antonio Banderas is playing the planet-devouring cosmic entity Galactus. Comics fans expect that the film will also introduce the Fantastic Four’s greatest nemesis, Doctor Doom. (According to one social media sleuth, Mads Mikkelsen has been approached for the role.) Other baddies like Mole Man, Terrax, and Annihilus are also on the table. However, these reports haven’t been confirmed, yet.
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In a recent interview with Collider, Shakman said that shooting will likely begin in spring 2024. (An original January start date was pushed back due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.) Longtime MCU hub Pinewood Studios, located in London, is set to be the base of operations.
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Longtime MCU casting director Sarah Finn hardly needs an introduction at this point. She’s put together the ensembles of every project in the franchise since 2008’s “Iron Man,” from the films to TV series for Disney+ and ABC.
Don’t go into Finn’s audition room unprepared; find out what the veteran CD looks for and what to expect when auditioning for a Marvel project with these interviews about what she looks for in the audition room and how the interconnectedness of the MCU impacts her casting process.
Along with the highly-anticipated casting announcement, Disney also revealed the film’s new release date, July 25, 2025. According to Variety, Disney switched the reboot’s release date with the upcoming “Thunderbolts” film (now set for May 2, 2025).
“Fantastic Four” will be one of the first installments in Phase Six of the MCU, which marks the projects created following the 2019 merger of Disney and 21st Century Fox. It will be one of the final chapters of the Multiverse Saga, which began with 2021’s “Black Widow” and will wrap with “Avengers: Secret Wars” in 2027.