It has been almost 20 years since the first Fantastic Four movie, and almost 10 years since the rebooted Fantastic Four movie, so why not try it again, but this time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney on its side?
The Fantastic Four comic follows a group of scientists who venture to space and develop superpowers that alter their entire existence. The popular comic series has been adapted into various forms of media, but now Disney is ready to dig its Mickey Mouse claws into the IP.
The 2005 adaptation stars Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis, who also returned for the 2007 sequel, Rise Of The Silver Surfer. After disappointing box office numbers, the third installment was canceled. But wait! There’s more: Fox then opted to reboot the story in with Miles Teller, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan in 2015, which was also met with disappointing box office numbers.
Following Disney’s acquisition of Fox Studios, The Fantastic Four was mentioned in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness when John Krasinski briefly appeared as an iteration of Reed Richards a.k.a Mr. Fantastic before being brutally murdered by Wanda Maximoff. These guys have not had a very good time.
Finally, The MCU is ready to properly take on the foursome with The Fantastic Four, slated to hit theaters next year. WandaVision director Matt Shakman is set to direct. Clearly, the legacy of a giant rock man cannot be destroyed. Here is everything we know about the highly anticipated reboot. Hopefully this one sticks!
Plot
As with most MCU/Disney endeavors, the plot is largely unknown, but we can piece together some clues. The upcoming installment will lead the sixth phase of the MCU. Kevin Feige promises a fresh take on the very familiar story, “A lot of people know this origin story. A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before?” Feige explained in 2022.
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' #TheFantasticFour, in theaters July 25, 2025. pic.twitter.com/dOmLG0m7ie
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) February 14, 2024
There has been major speculation from fans that the flick will take place in the ’60s, thanks to clues from the announcement image, but that has not been confirmed. All we know is that the film will bring together the infamous Fantastic Four and alter the MCU timelines forever.
We also know that Julia Garner is set to play an iteration of the Silver Surfer known as Shalla-Bal, who was also featured in the 2007 sequel as the mysterious antagonist.
Cast
Contrary to what you might think, there are more than four people in this movie. The cast was announced in February, with Pedro Pascal leading the pack as Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards. Vanessa Kirby will play Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn will play Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play Ben Grimm/The Thing. Beyond our fearsome foursome will be Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, plus Natasha Lyonne, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson. While John Krasinski played a version of Richards, he is not expected to appear in the film.
Meanwhile, Howard Stern might have accidentally let it slip that he was in talks to portray Dr. Doom but everyone sort of forgot, so just keep that in mind.
Release Date
The film is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
Trailer
Filming is set to begin this summer in London, so there is not a trailer just yet, but you can get a gist of the story by watching Fantastic Four (2005). Or just skip to all the clobbering scenes. That’s cinema.
