Months after announcing the film, Marvel on Wednesday, dropped a Valentine’s Day special post, announcing that Pedro Pascal has been cast as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing).
The iconic quartet, originally created by the legendary duo Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, will be brought to life by the four acclaimed actors who have worked on shows like ‘The Last of Us’, ‘The Crown’, ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘The Bear’.
This is Marvel’s fourth go at ‘The Fantastic Four’ franchise. Back in 2005, ‘Fantastic Four’ released with a cast comprising of Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon. The film was a hit and the team went on to make a sequel ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’ which was released in 2007.
The franchise was rebooted in 2015, with the release of ‘Fantastic Four’, starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell and Toby Kebbell. Interestingly, the film bombed at the box office.
While this new film will be releasing almost a decade after the box office disaster, the character of Reed Richards made an appearance in the 2022 film ‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness’. The character was played by actor John Krasinski, who was also tipped to be a front-runner in the new film franchise.
According to popular fan theories, ‘The Fantastic Four’ will be set in the 60’s. The theory went viral after the Valentine’s Day card featured The Thing engrossed in a copy of Life Magazine. A swift zoom-in on the magazine reveals a striking detail – the issue is dated December 13, 1963, showcasing President Lyndon B. Johnson. This revelation not only solidifies the movie’s setting in the 1960s but also places the film within a pivotal era of American and Marvel history.
Disney, in a strategic move, has also reshuffled the release dates of two of its highly anticipated films. ‘The Fantastic Four’ is now slated for a July 25, 2025 release, while ‘Thunderbolts’ has been pushed to May 2, 2025, according to a report by Variety.
The decision to move the release to July from its original May slot was likely influenced by the finalization of the cast. However, Marvel remains committed to the coveted May weekend release, often seen as the kickoff to the summer box office season. The release dates for Marvel’s other 2025 projects, ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ (Feb. 14) and ‘Blade’ (Nov. 7), remain unchanged.
Directed by Matt Shakman of ‘WandaVision’ fame, with a script by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, and further revisions by Josh Friedman of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ the film promises to be a thrilling addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Fantastic Four- Rise of the Silver Surfer: Movie clip
