The MCU’s The Fantastic Four has been a long time coming, with their first official solo movie confirmed in December 2020. Since then, it’s been shrouded in mystery, whether it be the production team, the story, or — more than anything — the cast.
Following Tim Story‘s two Fantastic Four films from 2005 and 2007 and the especially ill-fated Fan4stic from 2015, fans are rightfully eager to see the treatment this reboot will get. And under Marvel Studios’ watch, fans are hopeful they will finally get the ultimate F4 solo film before the team joins Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Without further ado, here is everything we know thus far about Marvel Studios’ solo Fantastic Four movie.
MCU Veteran Matt Shakman Will Direct ‘The Fantastic Four’
When Fantastic Four was initially announced in 2020, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Jon Watts would direct the film. MCU fans were familiar with Watts for his work on all three movies in the Spider-Man trilogy, but in April 2022, a Deadline report confirmed he had exited the film after needing a break from superhero movies.
Thankfully, that issue was resolved as multiple outlets revealed in August 2022 that Matt Shakman would take Watts’ place in the director’s chair. Along with his work on Game of Thrones and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Shakman is already part of the Marvel Studios family after directing all nine episodes of Phase 4’s WandaVision.
‘The Fantastic Four’ Script Rewrites Indicate a Change in Tone
Initially, news confirmed Disaster Wedding’s Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer as the writers for the MCU reboot in September 2022. However, Marvel Studios moved in a new direction a few months later.
In March 2023, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Josh Friedman was brought on to change the script, with Friedman known for his work on James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water.
Reportedly, this move was made to change the tone of the film. Kaplan and Springer were known for their comedy chops while Friedman comes in as a veteran of sci-fi films such as War of the Worlds and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach Lead ‘The Fantastic Four’ Cast
Arguably the biggest question fans asked about this new MCU reboot was who exactly would play the titular characters, with the film seeing millions of fan casts from diehard MCU fanatics. Out of nowhere on Valentine’s Day 2024, Marvel finally confirmed that cast after months of rumors and speculation.
Pedro Pascal will fill the stretchy shoes of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, following efforts by Ioan Gruffudd, Miles Teller, and John Krasinski (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). Pascal is best known for his role as the titular hero in The Mandalorian, and this will be his second dip into comic book movies after playing Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman: 1984.
After Jessica Alba and Kate Mara disappeared into the role of Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Marvel Studios will now feature Vanessa Kirby in the blue suit. Kirby portrayed the mysterious White Widow in the Mission: Impossible franchise and MI6 agent Hattie Shaw in Hobbs & Shaw.
Following in Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan’s footsteps, Joseph Quinn will flame on as Johnny Storm, better known as the Human Torch. Best known for playing Eddie Munson in Stranger Things Season 4, Quinn also has roles in Game of Thrones and the upcoming Gladiator 2.
Lastly, Ben Grimm/the Thing will be brought to life by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who takes on the rocky character after Michael Chiklis and Jamie Bell. Moss-Bachrach made a name for himself as Richie Jerimovich in The Bear. He also previously appeared in the MCU as David Lieberman/Microchip in The Punisher Season 1.
Also set to appear in the film is the robot known as H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics). But for now, the character does not have an actor attached to voice him.
Additionally, the film is expected to introduce the MCU’s take on Doctor Doom, who has not been cast yet ahead of the film’s release. Doom is expected to play a minor role in the film before being built up into a larger player in the MCU.
“Fantastic Four…Didn’t You Guys Chart in the ‘60s?”
MCU fans may remember one specific line of dialogue from Doctor Strange’s first encounter with John Krasinski’s Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Specifically, Strange asks Reed if he and the rest of his quartet “[charted] in the ’60s.” After this first tease for the ’60s, the casting announcement further teased a trip back to the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights movement.
While nothing is confirmed yet, it’s highly expected that Marvel Studios will put forth its third true period piece after 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger (1940s) and 2019’s Captain Marvel (1990s).
After all, the costumes seen in the concept art revealing the cast are taken almost directly from the pages in Marvel Comics detailing their origins. There is also a sneaky picture of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, which was taken from a Life Magazine cover from 1963.
The Fantastic Four are quite intrinsically tied to the 1960s due to their connection to the cosmos and the space race, making it almost an easy choice for Marvel Studios to pick this time period for the film. Additionally, their run in Marvel Comics started in 1961, with many of their early stories naturally coming in that decade.
This would also be the first-ever live-action period piece for the team, and with plenty of ways to get them to the present-day MCU before the next two Avengers films, why not give them as fresh of a start as possible?
When Is ‘The Fantastic Four’s Release Date?
Along with the announcement revealing the Fantastic Four cast, Marvel Studios also announced a change in the film’s title, officially dubbing it The Fantastic Four. Furthermore, this came with a change in release date for the MCU, although it was not all bad news for this eagerly-awaited outing.
Initially meant to debut in the MCU on November 8, 2024, the film was later pushed back into Marvel’s prime Spring slot on May 2, 2025, before another new change.
This new announcement listed a July 25, 2025 release for the MCU’s first movie for Marvel’s First Family, pushing its debut back a little further. Thankfully, this came with a bump for another MCU film as Thunderbolts took the May 2, 2025 slot, now releasing nearly three months earlier.
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