Last month, we learned that The Last of Us and The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal is being lined up to play Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot.
As far as we're aware, Vanessa Kirby remains the frontrunner to play Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), who is said to be the movie's lead, with Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach eyed for the Human Torch and The Thing, respectively.
However, if this latest claim is correct, Pascal is the only member of the team who has been signed to the project.
According to scooper KC Walsh, "[It] sounds like Pascal is the only one who is set, and other castings will center around him meaning chemistry tests [and] more so it may be some time before anyone else gets confirmed."
That big casting announcement may not be as close as we thought then.
There have also been rumblings lately that Marvel Studios is planning to give Galactus a female Herald in Fantastic Four, with some going so far as to suggest the plan is for Silver Surfer to be gender-swapped.
Recently, it was reported that Furiosa and The New Mutants star Anya Taylor-Joy is being eyed for that villain, though most believe she'll star as Frankie Raye, a Silver Surfer-like Herald who went by the name "Nova" (not to be confused with Richard Rider of the Nova Corps).
The Fantastic Four, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, debuted in 1961. The team is comprised of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ben Grimm (The Thing). They gained superpowers during a space mission, becoming Marvel's first family of superheroes.
Reed is the brilliant stretchy strategist, Sue has invisibility and force field powers, Johnny controls fire, and while Ben possesses super strength, he's also covered by rock. The team confronts cosmic threats, explores alternate dimensions, and battles iconic foes like Doctor Doom. Their groundbreaking stories revolutionized superhero comics, emphasizing family dynamics and sci-fi adventures.
Director Matt Shakman has worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on the latest draft of Fantastic Four's screenplay. The movie is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.