After years of anticipation and speculation, Disney’s star-studded The Fantastic Four cast is official. Marvel’s First Family are some of the most popular characters in the entire enterprise, and MCU casting director Sarah Finn has selected the perfect group to represent the characters in live action. This has been the longest-awaited announcement in MCU history, and now the era of F4 fan casts is over.
During the SAG-AFTRA strike in October, director Matt Shakman provided an update, saying the film will be “unlike anything at Marvel you’ve seen.” Granted, people attached to Marvel projects have shared similar sentiments in the past, but it has the potential to be true here, with the rumors swirling of the film being a period piece, and the announcement seemingly confirming that. If there’s one thing everyone can collectively agree on, it’s that this announcement is long overdue, and it feels good to put this era of guesswork and rumors in the rearview mirror.
Star Wars and Mission: Impossible Stars Join ‘The Fantastic Four’ Cast
Marvel officially announced Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Each of these actors comes from vastly popular and critically acclaimed projects such as The Mandalorian, Stranger Things, Mission Impossible, and The Bear, and they all have the experience and talent required to bring these characters to life.
It’s not uncommon for Marvel to bring in lesser-known actors and directors and give them a platform to launch their careers, but that isn’t the case here. Each of these performers is well-respected and capable of carrying the weight of the MCU, like Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. before them. The Fantastic Four cast in any movie would bring significant pull to the box office and conversation on social media. This time, the project won’t be making the stars, it’ll be the stars making the project.
Recent MCU Controversies Have the Future of the Franchise Up in the Air
Marvel recently released former Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors from his contract after being found guilty of misdemeanor third-degree assault and second-degree harassment. Following his appearances in Quantumania and Loki Season 2, he was a shoo-in to be the next Thanos-level villain. Kang is still a compelling character, and Marvel has been rumored to pursue another actor such as Oscar-nominee Colman Domingo to take over the role and proceed as planned.
With only one scheduled release in 2024 — Deadpool 3 on July 26 — an announcement as big as the Fantastic Four cast is a satisfying placeholder. The fallout of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes is in full effect, with many Marvel projects such as Captain America 4, and Daredevil: Born Again delayed until 2025 to finish production, while Thunderbolts was moved forward to May 2025 to accommodate The Fantastic Four‘s July 2025 release date. Fortunately, uncertainty and excitement don’t exist exclusively, and there’s plenty of both present for the future of the MCU.
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