The Latest 'Fantastic Four' Casting Rumors
Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four is finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although there have been many attempts to turn the fan-favorite comic series into a hit movie—starting with a 1994 effort that didn't even make it to theaters—none of them have taken off. Tim Story's 2005 adaptation by 20th Century Fox was critically panned, and although it made enough money to warrant a 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the follow-up turned out to be a box-office bomb.
The series subsequently remained in developmental hell for nearly a decade before 20th Century rebooted it in 2015 with Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell. But that version turned out to be an even bigger flop than its predecessors, hardly making its own budget back and scoring an embarrassing 9% from critics and 15% from fans on Rotten Tomatoes.
Will Marvel Studio's upcoming reboot break the curse? From release date to casting rumors, here’s everything we know about the latest Fantastic Four movie.
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What is the Fantastic Four’s release date?
Fantastic Four is expected out on May 2, 2025. Kevin Feige, the mastermind behind the MCU, announced at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022 that Fantastic Four will be the first movie released as part of Marvel's Phase Six.
Although certain aspects of the film's production were obviously delayed due to the now resolved actors' strike, director Matt Shakman told Collider in October that its production wasn't ever at a total standstill, because his team was able to work on effects and production design. Presumably (or hopefully) that means the movie is on track for its intended premiere.
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Who is the director of Fantastic Four?
Deadline reported in August 2022 that Matt Shakman, who helmed the very successful WandaVision for Disney+, would direct Fantastic Four. Shakman has also worked on shows like The Great, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Fargo and Game of Thrones. But Fantastic Four will be his first major film-directing role, not including his 2014 indie-thriller Cut Bank.
Originally, Kevin Feige tapped Jon Watts of Spider-Man fame to direct; however, Watts decided to take a break and step down, leaving Shakman to take his spot.
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Who is in the Fantastic Four cast?
Marvel hasn't made any official casting announcements for Fantastic Four, but now that the SAG-AFTRA strike is over, we can expect to hear more soon. There have certainly been casting rumors since the movie was confirmed. Many fans speculated that John Krasinski was a lock for playing Reed Richard a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, for example, because of his brief appearance as the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022. But as of December 2022, the Jack Ryan actor confirmed that there weren't "any discussions at all" for him to return to the role.
The remarkably reliable MCU internet-insider MyTimetoShineHello claimed that Adam Driver was a lock for the role back in May, but on Nov. 12 he tweeted, "Who would you like to see as Reed Richards," suggesting that his position may have changed. Another recently floated name for the role was Jake Gyllenhaal.
The rumor mill has also spit out Margot Robbie and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm; and Daveed Diggs as Ben Grimm. But until we hear news from on high, let's take all this speculation as just that: speculation.
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What will happen in Fantastic Four?
Marvel is keeping plot details tightly under wraps right along with casting information, but Feige has confirmed that the Fantastic Four reboot will not be an origin story.
Shakman has also teased in an interview with Collider that the movie will be "different in so many ways."
"I wish I could be specific," he said. "I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material ... it's going to be unlike anything you've seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you've seen before."
Shakman also pointed out in an interview with Screenrant that the Fantastic Four is "a true family."
"Not a family you find along the way like the X-Men or the Avengers, but true family with all the messiness of a family ... With all the love, the hurt, and the complexity of that." Perhaps, then, the Fantastic Four's family dynamic will be at the heart of the story.
Has Fantastic Four started filming?
Not yet. But shooting is likely to begin in spring 2024, according to Shakman, and it will take place at the Legendary Pinewood Studios in London.
Is there a trailer for Fantastic Four?
Marvel has not released a trailer for the movie yet, as the film has not even begun shooting. The studio did, however, release a promotional teaser poster with the patented glowing blue “4” symbol at its center. Excited yet?