“Russian Doll” and “Poker Face” star Natasha Lyonne has reportedly joined the growing cast of Marvel Studios’ reboot of the “Fantastic Four” that is expected to begin shooting this summer at Pinewood Studios UK. The comedic actress is one of a handful of recent additions to the latest MCU project alongside Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, John Malkovich, and Paul Walter Hauser, with the former playing the planet-eating supervillain, Galactus.
While Deadline announced the news first, their report fails to mention who exactly Lyonne is playing in “Fantastic Four” and how large the role actually will be.
Previously confirmed by Marvel back on Valentine’s Day, the main cast consists of Pedro Pascal as Dr. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
“Fantastic Four” is tentatively set for release in theaters on July 25, 2025, and I’m sure we’ll keep getting neato casting updates throughout the next couple of weeks as we get closer to the film’s production start.
We have our Galactus! Marvel Studios has reportedly landed on veteran character actor Ralph Ineson to play the iconic planet-eating bad guy in their upcoming “Fantastic Four” reboot that is gearing up to start filming this summer at Pinewood Studios UK in England. Making this the actor’s second MCU role after appearing in James Gunn’s “Guardians of The Galaxy” as a Ravager pilot.
This casting update comes to us from The Hollywood Reporter, as they’ve also added John Malkovich in another undisclosed part. You might remember that Malkovich was once in the mix to play The Vulture in Sam Raimi’s never-made “Spider-Man 4.”
The two new additions to the “Fantastic Four” cast will join Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, and Paul Walter Hauser. Matt Shakman directs after tackling the Disney+ series, “WandaVision,” which also played with period production design.
Ineson is likely known for roles in genre projects like “Game of Thrones,” “The Witch,” “The Creator,” “The Green Knight,” and will be part of Robert Eggers’ remake of “Nosferatu.”
While the reboot is expected to take place in the 1960s, some retro-futuristic skyline in promo artwork might have telegraphed that the movie is set in another universe, outside of Earth-616. “Fantastic Four” has a release date of July 25, 2025, and with casting in full swing, we’ll likely keep hearing new names being added over the coming days/weeks. So, stay tuned for those updates.
Marvel Studios is still casting roles for their upcoming reboot of “The Fantastic Four” and has added actor Paul Walter Hauser (“Cruella”) in a mystery part, according to both Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. Who exactly Hauser is playing is unknown; we could theorize it is anything from a random supporting role to a villain like Mole Man or the voice of our heroes’ loyal robot, H.E.R.B.I.E., the latter being confirmed by official teaser artwork released by Marvel Studios back on Valentine’s Day.
After delivering “WandaVision,” Matt Shakman has been selected to direct the latest incarnation of “Fantastic Four” with a cast that consists of Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) as Dr. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (“Mission: Impossible” and “Fast & Furious” franchises) as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (“The Bear,” “Andor”) as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”) as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
This update comes after Julia Garner (“Wolf Man,” “Ozark”) was tapped by the studio to play the Earth-X version of Silver Surfer with Norrin Radd’s love, Shalla-Bal, playing the herald of cosmic villain Galactus. From the teaser artwork, there are elements of our version of the 1960s (a Time Magazine from the era) but also a cityscape teasing a retro-futuristic setting that may hint the film won’t take place within the main MCU, Earth-616.
The budding comedic actor made a curious pivot into dramatic roles thanks to Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” and “Da 5 Bloods,” Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewel,” and the prison drama “Black Bird.” There is a bit of a connection between Hauser and Shakman, as one of the first roles Hauser had was playing a teenage Juggalo on “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia,” which was a comedic series that Shakman directed and he did work on that episode from 2010.
“Fantastic Four” has a script from Eric Pearson (tackling the latest draft) with an expectation that shooting will start later this summer at Pinewood Studios UK and has a tentative release date of July 25, 2025 (be prepared for more MCU slate shifts between now and then).
Another interesting casting addition has been announced for Marvel’s upcoming production happening this summer, “Fantastic Four,” as we also have some character confirmations beyond the four superheroes (after their casting was finally confirmed back on Valentine’s Day, including the inclusion of the team’s robot pal H.E.R.B.I.E.). A new report from Deadline has revealed that actress Julia Garner has been tapped to play Shalla-Bal, a female incarnation of Galactus‘ cosmic herald, Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd being the version most known).
As everyone would suspect, Galactus will be the reboot’s villain. Although, we’re still waiting on who exactly is going to be playing the planet-eating being.
Shalla-Bal is an immortal Empress of Zenn-La and the lover of Norrin Radd in the comics. Radd accepts Galactus’ offer to become his herald (find planets without sentient life for him to destroy and consume) to save his own planet, including his love, Shalla-Bal. One of the more heartbreaking aspects of the Silver Surfer mythos is the two lovers being separated across the stars. This could be a sign that Marvel is looking to dig deeper than previous incarnations.
Garner, of course, isn’t a stranger to genre work after previously working on the acclaimed Netflix crime series “Ozark,” the Aussie-set thriller “The Royal Hotel,” the Robert Rodriguez sequel “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For,” a yet-to-be-released A24 horror thriller “Apartment 7A,” and is currently shooting Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man” remake at Universal Pictures as the studio attempts to expand their Universal Monsters franchise.
Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”) directs a cast that consists of Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) as Dr. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (“Mission: Impossible” and “Fast & Furious” franchises) as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (“The Bear,” “Andor”) as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”) as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
The current script was penned script by a collection of writers that include Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, Eric Pearson, and Ian Springer.
We’re still curious about who is going to voice H.E.R.B.I.E., the team’s robot assistant that was previously announced by the studio. Many have assumed that we’ll be seeing Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom, in the new film. However, trades have yet to back up those claims, and the studio hasn’t selected an actor for that part, which could mean they’ll be aiming for a cosmic setting, allowing the characters to lean into the more cosmic stuff.
“Fantastic Four” is set to begin shooting later this year at Pinewood Studios UK and has a tentative release date of July 25, 2025 (prepare yourselves for a few more delays).
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Marvel Studios has made it official by announcing the three main leads of their “Fantastic Four” reboot from director Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”) and seemingly have also confirmed a 1960s-setting (1963?) alongside their robotic companion H.E.R.B.I.E. (Something I’ve been teasing on social media for years).
The lineup so far is Pedro Pascal as Dr. Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (“The Thing”). Journalist Jeff Sneider was the first to report the subsequent names of the cast with industry insider Daniel Richtman being the first to mention that Pascal was in talks to play Richards.
Marvel made the announcement via their social media accounts and even posted a fun promo poster revealing that aforementioned 60s-setting. “Fantastic Four” is set to be released on July 25, 2025, and will begin shooting at the Pinewood Studios stages in the United Kingdom in the not-too-distant future.
We’re still waiting for the reveal of a villain and who will play them. Rumors have suggested that we could end up seeing a new incarnation of Doctor Doom, but that has yet to be made official by Marvel.
Check out that awesome teaser poster artwork below.
Happy Valentine’s Day from Marvel’s First Family! Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four.
One of the more disappointing aspects of recent Marvel Studios projects was the deaths of Cobie Smulders‘ Maria Hill and Ben Mendelsohn‘s Talos (strained leader of The Skrulls on Earth) in the critical disaster “Secret Invasion.” The uneven Disney+ series seemingly ended Mendelsohn’s MCU run and is now giving hints about who he’d like to play if given a second Marvel role in the future.
While speaking with GQ Magazine (via The Playlist) the Aussie actor revealed he’d really like a shot at playing Victor Von Doom, aka, Doctor Doom if allowed to nab a secondary part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A traditional “Fantastic Four” villain that also rules over the fictional country of Latveria and has become a rogue more on the level of a major Marvel supervillain such as Loki or Thanos.
“I would almost give my eyes and teeth to play Doctor Doom,” said Mendelsohn as his dream Marvel role. “I think Doctor Doom is the great unread Marvel character that could and should be done. But it is what it is. I got to work with Spielberg, and I got to work with Terrence Malick, and I got to work with Ridley Scott. It’s been incredible. I didn’t think this ship was coming.”
There is also an expectation that Doom could end up potentially playing a pivotal role in future MCU installments even beyond “Avengers: Secret Wars” and would be a villain role that could give an actor multiple chances to return, not unlike Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. Mendelsohn isn’t a stranger to villain roles having played baddies in Christopher Nolan‘s “The Dark Knight Rises” and Krennic in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” one of the more memorable villains from the modern era of “Star Wars.”
It wouldn’t be unheard of for Mendelsohn to play another character in the MCU as we’ve seen actors such as Gemma Chan and Benedict Cumberbatch come to mind who have played both MCU heroes and villains. Doom wearing a mask as part of his operatic costume could also obscure his face for most if not all of his screen time and make it even easier for Mendelsohn to not be recognized as appearing in “Captain Marvel” and “Secret Invasion” previously.
When it comes to “Fantastic Four” we really only have one actor set for the MCU reboot as fellow “Star Wars” alumn Pedro Pascal is all but confirmed to play Dr. Reed Richards, aka, Mister Fantastic. It doesn’t hurt that Pascal and Mendelsohn recently worked together on the film “Freaky Tales,” helmed by “Captain Marvel” directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. We’re still waiting on some trade reports or announcements from Marvel Studios to give an idea of who will actually round out the cast of director Matt Shakman‘s reboot of Marvel’s first family after endless rumors/speculation on who else will join the film.
Last month, the internet was buzzing when Daniel Richtman revealed that Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian,” “The Last of Us”) was in talks to take on the role of Dr. Reed Richards in Marvel’s reboot of the “Fantastic Four” with trades backing up that claim. However, we’re still waiting on Marvel Studios to comment on that front but in the meantime, there seems to be a confirmation of sorts coming from the major actors’ union as SAG-AFTRA (via our longtime pal PJ Campbell) has revealed the actor is indeed part of the cast without naming his specific role.
The union’s website has a profile of the actor and revealed that he’s not only wrapped “Gladiator 2” (A sign of the recency of the posting) but he’s also expected to be shooting “Fantastic Four” soon. However, since the spotting, the line about “Fantastic Four” has been removed from the site (likely at the request of Marvel/Disney), but you can see the unaltered version of the paragraph below.
Matt Shakman, who helmed the popular DIsney+ series “WandaVision,” is set to direct with a script that has undergone a multitude of rewrites and polishes.
While there have been promises of the full cast being announced, it’s been weeks since that and we’re likely just going to have to be patient for trades/Marvel to reveal who is playing the other three members. “Fantastic Four” has a tentative release date of May 2, 2025, but that date could easily move up or get pushed back considering how often Disney changes their tentpole lineup.
SAG-AFTRA seemingly confirms that Pedro Pascal has signed on to star in Marvel’s Fantastic Four. pic.twitter.com/q0cnOoOOrA
Today, it was revealed in a report from Deadline that “Star Wars” franchise actor Pedro Pascal is now in talks with Marvel Studios to play Dr. Reed Richards, aka, Mister Fantastic in their upcoming reboot of “The Fantastic Four,” which is being directed by Matt Shakman (“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” “WandaVision”).
However, they’re quick to mention Pascal hasn’t closed a deal for the part. That’s not hard to believe with a shoot at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom looming and a very busy Pascal has a multitude of projects to complete including his role in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator 2,” the second season of “The Last of Us,” a lead role in Zach Cregger’s next film “Weapons,” and not to mention a potential return for the fourth season of “The Mandalorian.”
Daniel Richtman, who is known for getting a leg-up on casting intel, was the first to post about the potential casting selection.
Although, SlashFilm has chimed in with a claim that Pascal has signed on. It’s maybe worth mentioning we haven’t had much in the way of scoops from the outlet in a very long time, yet, then again, they tend to only make claims they can back up.
Richards is considered the “smartest man in the world” and when the group is exposed to cosmic energy while in outer space end up developing super-human abilities with the good doctor becoming rubbery and able to stretch his body/limbs to extreme levels without injury.
The next big step ahead is finding the other actors to fill out the roles of Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. “Fantastic Four” has a tentative release date of May 2, 2025, but that date could easily move up or get pushed back considering how often Marvel changes their release dates.
Yesterday, it was announced by Marvel/Disney that they would be shifting around their release dates for upcoming films. The main tidbits from these updates see “Deadpool 3” (only completed 50% of filming and resuming later this month) moving to July 26 taking a spot originally meant for “Captain America: Brave New World” (wrapped before the strike). Both “Captain America 4” and “Thunderbolts” would be moving out of 2024 entirely with new dates in 2025. This would make “Deadpool 3” the only feature film coming in 2024 and would overload audiences in 2025 with four releases.
These are the new dates for the upcoming slate of Marvel Studios feature film releases:
DEADPOOL 3 – July 26, 2024
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD – February 14, 2025
FANTASTIC FOUR – May 2, 2025
THUNDERBOLTS – July 25, 2025
BLADE – November 7, 2025
AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY – May 1, 2026
AVENGERS: SECRET WARS – May 7, 2027
ARMOR WARS – TBA
SHANG-CH 2 – TBA
X-MEN REBOOT – TBA
“Thunderbolts,” “Fantastic Four,” and “Blade” have yet to start filming and we should be expecting some big casting news coming soon as the actors’ strike is resolved (pending membership ratification) and the casting process can now resume.
However, even with that July date for “Deadpool 3” now officially etched-in they have two fallback dates just in case the film needs more time to be completed given that normally films of this scale tend to take longer to be completed. Those include the film’s original date of September 6, 2024, and the former “Thunderbolts” date of December 20, 2024. The hope here is that Marvel Studios and director Shawn Levy won’t be rushing things as the film has only finished 50% of production (also would likely need reshoots/pickups after a round of editing).
This won’t be the last time Marvel shifts around these upcoming dates and we should be prepared for more shuffles in the future.
“Fantastic Four” is one of the next big feature film productions for Marvel Studios. Director Matt Shakman recently spoke with Collider giving us a few minor updates on their plans for the reboot of Marvel’s “First Family.” While Shakman kept mum on any specific castings, he was able to confirm they’ll be shooting in the London area on the Pinewood Studios stages. Also, they’re hoping to get cameras rolling in the Spring, that’s if the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved in the near future.
Yes, we are definitely gonna go in front of cameras next year. Probably the spring,” Shakman said of the looming production start on “Fantastic Four.”
Also, the filmmaker promises it to be a lot “different” than the other MCU films we’ve seen.
“It’s different in so many ways. I wish I could be specific. 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. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”
Screenwriter Josh Friedman, who had been hired to tackle rewrites on the film’s script is expected to resume writing very soon as the WGA strike has been resolved after a tentative deal was reached with the AMPTP. His previous credits include James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels, Apple’s sci-fi series “Foundation,” Steven Spielberg’s “War of The Worlds,” “Terminator: Dark Fate,” and the fourth installment of 20th Century’s modern “Planet of The Apes” franchise with “Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes” from filmmaker Wes Ball.
Of course, Pinewood (used more often these days) is a stage facility used by Marvel Studios for productions such as “Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania,” “Guardians of The Galaxy,” “Doctor Strange,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Eternals,” “Black Widow,” and the yet-to-be-completed “Deadpool 3.” The latter is Marvel’s big attempt at an “X-Men” adjacent project since securing the rights to use mutants in their films and will bring Hugh Jackman back the Wolverine role after retiring it for James Mangold’s “Logan.” A film that gave the grizzled character a fitting end and death.
I have to assume once “Deadpool 3” wraps up production it’ll be time for “Fantastic Four” to move in as Shawn Levy has stated they only got 50% of filming completed before the SAG-AFTRA strike paused filming. Which why a spring start for Marvel’s other reboot would make logical sense.
However, we’re still in the dark about the casting of the film, and despite rampant rumors online of who exactly has been cast or has been in the mix, no official announcements have been made. The four main roles of Reed Richards (previously played by John Krasinski in Earth-838), Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm are sure to be over-analyzed by fans given the last two attempts at the live-action franchise didn’t really impress folks. Although, Shakman seems to indicate that the casting announcement isn’t too far off once the strike is resolved.
THE RONIN 