Recently Marvel released the starring actors of their upcoming reboot of the Fantastic Four. It’s based on the same-named superhero team from Marvel Comics. It is the first part of Phase Six the 36th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a relaunch of the Fantastic Four movies. July 25, 2025, is the planned release date for the movie. It is based on the superhero squad from comic books. A superhero team known as The Fantastic Four can be found in Marvel Comics comic books. The group made its debut in The Fantastic Four #1 (1961), contributing to the introduction of a more realistic tone to the genre. It was the first superhero team that editor/co-writer Stan Lee and artist/plotter Jack Kirby established, and it was via this series that the “Marvel method” of production came to be.
Who are the Fantastic Four in Marvel?
The Fantastic Four (FF) are a group of intrepid travelers who, while traveling across space on the Marvel-1, unintentionally acquired abilities from cosmic radiation. They are Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), Susan Storm’s brother Sue Storm (the Invisible Girl, later Woman), Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), and their close friend Ben Grimm (the Thing). The FF has changed over the years as a result of Reed and Sue being married, having Franklin and Valeria, and having other members join and go, but the core four remain.
Who is the cast of the new Fantastic Four movie?
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic
Fast Facts: Pedro Pascal
Known For: The Mandalorian
Also Known As: Jose Pedro Balmaceda Pascal
Born: April 2, 1975, in Santiago, Chile
Parents: José Balmaceda Riera, Verónica Pascal
Education: New York University (BFA)
Spouse: None (as of 2024)
Children: None (as of 2024)
Notable Quote: “Being Latino and being an actor has been a unique struggle and opportunity. When you don’t fit into what may be a more stereotypical vision of somebody whose name is Pedro, it can be a little bit harder to navigate.”
Pedro Pascal, a Latino actor, won the 2023 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in The Last of Us, setting a record for the most Emmy nominations by a Latino actor. In November, the first rumors of Pascal’s Mister Fantastic casting began to circulate.
Pascal will be playing Reed Richards, also known as “Mr. Fantastic”. He’s a brilliant scientist who develops a rocket ship the four travel in. The ship is accidentally hit by “cosmic radiation” and they develop superpowers. After the accident, he can stretch and change his body shape. Richards has been played by several actors in live-action and animation. Mister Fantastic appears in various Marvel films, including The Fantastic Four (2005), Doctor Strange 2, and Fantastic Four (2015), portrayed in live actìon by Alex Hyde-White, Ioan Gruffudd, Miles Teller, and John Krasinski. This is the first time the “smartest man in the Marvel universe” has been played by a person of color.
Pascal, a Chilean American actor, gained fame for his role as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. That led to other projects like Narcos, The Mandalorian, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Last of Us, which earned him his first Primetime Emmy nomination. José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile on April 2, 1975. His parents José and Verónica were a child psychologist and fertility doctor respectively. They fled Chile with 9-month-old Pascal and his sibling in the 1970s due to their opposition to Augusto Pinochet, eventually settling in Denmark and later San Antonio Texas.
Pascal grew up loving movies, and his father would frequently take the family to the cinema. Immersed in Indiana Jones for so long that Pascal broke his arm twice while assuming the role of the character. Following his fifth-grade graduation, Pascal relocated to California with his family. There, he was bullied, but after he enrolled at the Orange County School of the Arts, things improved. He told The New York Times, “I was obsessed with drama and classic movies and reading plays.” Pascal began acting in 1993 at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he met Sarah Paulson. He auditioned for Primal Fear but was unemployed for 10 years. After his mother’s death by suicide in 1999, he changed his stage name to Pascal in her honor. He appeared in TV shows like Buffy, The Good Wife, Homeland, Nurse Jackie, and Law & Order. Pascal even appeared in the 2011 Wonder Woman reboot but it never got picked up. Pascal, a renowned actor, gained fame through his roles in various theatrical productions, including Orphans. He and fellow MCU actor Oscar Isaacs worked on an off-broadway play together in 2005 and another in 2019. The two became fast friends. Pascal also wrote a play called Flaca Loves Bones, directed by comedian Sarah Silverman. Oberyn Martell, introduced in Game of Thrones season 4, gained popularity due to his cunning and anger towards the Lannister family. Despite his brief screen time, Martell’s character’s death in the eighth season was a significant event, as the series is known for killing off beloved characters.
Pascal gained additional fame in 2015 for his role in Netflix’s Narcos, portraying Javier Peña, a real-life DEA agent. The series, which aired from 2015 to 2017, showcased Pascal’s charisma and expanded the scope of his acting. Pascal, a Game of Thrones fan, auditioned for Oberyn Martell’s role by having a friend record him along with longtime friend actress Amanda Peet. The showrunners were impressed, and Pascal landed the role. Since 2019, actor Pascal has portrayed the title character in the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian, a soft-spoken bounty hunter wearing Boba Fett-like armor. The character’s helmet-wearing appearance often conceals his face, but this was helpful as stunt actors stood in for him during the first season. Pascal aimed to make the character relatable and accessible, describing the Mandalorian as more morally ambiguous than most Star Wars protagonists. The fourth season script is being written by show creator Jon Favreau.
Pascal starred in the video game adaptation The Last of Us in 2023, portraying Joel, a hardened survivor in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies. He tries to smuggle a girl named Ellie out of a quarantine zone and across America. The role was offered to Matthew McConaughey and Mahershala Ali before Pascal. Pascal and Ramsey received critical praise for their performances in the show with critic Valerie Ettenhofer praising Pascal’s “best work of his career” and Ramsey’s chemistry with Pascal, despite not having met even though they both worked on Game of Thrones.
Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman
Fast Facts: Vanessa Kirby
Known For: The Crown
Also Known As: Noola Noo
Born: April 18, 1988, London, United Kingdom
Parents: Roger Sinclair Kirby, Jane Kirby
Education: University of Exeter (BA)
Spouse: None
Children: None
Notable Quote: “Acting is a very weird job. But if you know you’re an actor, you just have to do it. You can’t do anything else.”
The well-known English performer has starred in the Fast & Furious and Mission: Impossible film franchises and was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Pieces of a Woman.
Dr. Susan “Sue” Richards, also known as The Invisible Woman, is a superpowered explorer from the United States. Before being exposed to high doses of cosmic radiation, she was a college student. Her boyfriend, Dr. Reed Richards, was a scientist who joined her in space along with her younger brother Johnny Storm and pilot Ben Grimm. She and her companions were altered by the radiation, and she can become invisible and possess the ability to build forcefields.
Vanessa Kirby, an Academy Award nominee, returns to the big screen with the release of Napoleon, Ridley Scott’s biopic about the French military leader. Kirby plays Empress Josephine Bonaparte, the first wife of Napoleon, whom he married while rising to power. The film has received praise for Kirby’s performance, with critic Jake Coyle describing her as “rivals Phoenix for most potent presence in Napoleon” and The Los Angeles Times stating she commands the heart of the movie. Kirby, who received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown, has also appeared in theater, television, and movies, including supporting roles in Mission: Impossible and Fast & Furious.
Vanessa Nuala Kirby, born in 1988, is an actress and model from Wimbledon, London. Kirby was the middle child among three siblings and grew up in Wimbledon, London. Her middle name, “Nu,” is how her friends and family refer to her; Kirby finds the name Vanessa “way too formal and mumsy.” She began her acting career at age 11 after watching Corin and Vanessa Redgrave in The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre. Despite being bullied and suffering from the intestinal disorder giardia, Kirby found solace in drama and local theater. She attended Lady Eleanor Holles school and applied to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, but was rejected due to her youth. Kirby later attended the University of Exeter.
Vanessa Kirby, a British actress, began her career in the music video for McFly’s 2007 song “The Heart Never Lies.” She was offered a place at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art but turned it down after meeting theater director David Thacker. Kirby’s theater debut was in leading roles at the Octagon Theatre in Manchester, including productions of Arthur Miller, Ghosts, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She won the BIZA Rising Star Award at the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards in 2009. She joins several other Marvel Cinematic Universe actors who performed in theater. That includes Anthony Hopkins, Bradley Cooper, and Elizabeth Olsen.
Kirby made her television debut in 2011 in The Hour and portrayed Estella Havisham in the BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations. She also appeared in Benedict Andrews’ Three Sisters, The Rise, Edward II, and A Streetcar Named Desire.
The renowned actress gained fame in the 2010s for her roles in Queen & Country, Jupiter Ascending, and Kill Command. Her most notable role was as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown, where she portrayed the princess as a young version of her adult self. Kirby was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2018 and received two BAFTA Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In Mission: Impossible–Fallout (2018), she played Alanna Mitsopolis, a philanthropist involved in illegal arms dealing and money laundering. The new Fantastic Four actress praised the character’s strength and ability to fight without falling into tropes.
She joins other MCU actors who appear in Mission: Impossible films like Hayley Atwell, Angela Basset, and Laurence Fishbourne. The future Invisible Woman also appeared in theatrical productions, such as Julie in 2018 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw in 2019. Kirby’s performance as Hattie Shaw, an MI6 agent and the younger sister of protagonist Deckard Shaw, was praised for its strength and resilience.
Kirby, known for her roles in films like Pieces of a Woman and Nomadland, has received critical acclaim for her performances in the series. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival and received numerous nominations, including a Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Academy Award. The release of Pieces of a Woman was partially marred by allegations of sexual battery, assault, and emotional abuse against co-star Shia LaBeouf. Kirby has continued to appear in other movies, including The World to Come, Italian Studies, and The Son.
In the first part of Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning, she again played the White Widow. She remarked, “I find the White Widow to be a very complex and unique character to play, and it has such a history.” Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning, Part Two, the upcoming movie in the series, will include Kirby’s return and is slated for release on May 23, 2025.
Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
Fast Facts: Joseph Quinn
Known For: Stranger Things
Also Known As: Joe Quinn
Born: January 26, 1994, in London, United Kingdom
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Quinn (Unknown)
Education: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)
Spouse: None
Children: None
Notable Quote: “You can either be a Big Part of Something Small or Small Part of Something Big, but either way you cannot be nothing at all”.
Nowadays, it’s nearly hard to think about Stranger Things without immediately picturing Eddie Munson, the fourth season’s breakout fan favorite. Eddie, the head of Hawkins High’s Hellfire Club and a genuine hero in our hearts had a profound impact on the popular Netflix series. Joseph Quinn brought the character to life.
In the 2005 live-action Fantastic Four and the 2007 follow-up Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Chris Evans played Johnny Storm. Evans perfectly captured Johnny’s exuberance and youthful vitality by bringing a charming and brazen charm to the role. He eventually went on to portray Captain America/Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is another legendary Marvel character.
Superpowered adventurer Jonathan “Johnny” Storm, also known as The Human Torch. The stolen rocket Marvel-1 was piloted into space by Ben Grimm alongside Johnny’s older sister Sue Storm and her boyfriend, scientist Dr. Reed Richards. The gang was altered by cosmic radiation, and Johnny’s whole body turned into a plasma-like, flaming state.
Quinn was born and raised in South London. He attended Emanuel, a private school, from 2007 to 2012; he was able to attend on a bursary from their drama scholar program. He subsequently went to drama school at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), graduating in 2015.
He played a teenage bank clerk named Leonard Bast opposite Hayley Atwell in the 2017 four-part television series Howards End. In the same year, he starred in the short film KIN and made an appearance as the Stark soldier Koner in an HBO season 7 episode of Game of Thrones.
Quinn is well-known for his theatrical performances, having made appearances at the National Theatre and Off West End in London. For his role in Wish List, he won Best Actor in a Studio Production at the 2017 Manchester Theatre Awards. He received the title of “Screen International Star of Tomorrow” for 2018.
British actor Joe received widespread recognition for his breakthrough performance in the Duffer Brothers-led series. He has also made appearances as a guest on a few high-profile dramas, including HBO’s Game of Thrones and Catherine the Great.
In A Quiet Place: Day One, the actor will also feature opposite Lupita Nyong’o, a fellow MCU star. Curiously, John Krasinski, who appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022 as a version of Reed Richards before being brutally murdered by Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, is directing the upcoming apocalyptic horror prequel.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
Fast Facts: Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Known For: The Bear
Also Known As: Ebon Che Moss-Bachrach
Born: March 19, 1977, in Amherst, Massachusetts
Parents: Eric Bachrach, Renee Moss
Education: Columbia University (BA)
Spouse: Yelena Yemchuck
Children: Sasha, Mirabelle
Notable Quote: “I can’t see how I’d learn to be a better actor from reading reviews.”
Ben Grimm, also known as the Thing, is a Marvel Comics superhero and founding member of the Fantastic Four. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he is known for his rocky appearance, superhuman strength, humor, and battle cry “It’s Clobbering Time!” His speech patterns are loosely based on Jimmy Durante. Throughout his character arc, he struggles to accept his newfound powers, often returning to his old self before going back to his mutated form. The Thing has been portrayed by various actors, including Michael Bailey Smith, Carl Ciarfalio, Michael Chiklis, and Jamie Bell.
Renee Moss and Eric Bachrach, welcomed Ebon Che Moss-Bachrach into the world on March 19, 1977, in Amherst, Massachusetts. His father was born to Jewish-American parents in Germany. The Girls actor graduated from Columbia University and attended Amherst Regional High School in Massachusetts. Moss-Bachrach has two kids with Yelena Yemchuk, a photojournalist from Ukraine, with whom he is now in a relationship. His most well-known parts are from The Last Ship on TNT, and Girls on HBO. He also plays David Linus “Microchip” Lieberman on the Marvel Netflix show The Punisher. Since that show is now in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that means he now plays two characters in the MCU.
He has won several awards for his work in The Bear, including the Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for “Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series”. Moss-Bachrach’s The Bear character Richie is described as “abrasive yet undeniably charming”. So he knows how to play a loveable hothead like The Thing.
Ben Grimm is one of a small number of superheroes who are Jewish. Plus, the Thing is Marvel’s most popular Jewish superhero. So it makes sense the studio cast Moss-Bachrach for the role. But on top of that, one of Thing’s nicknames is the “Ever Lovin’ Blue Eyed Thing”. Disney could have just given him contacts. Instead, they hired an actor who is blue-eyed and Jewish. Impressive.
The Fantastic Four is opening in theaters on July 25, 2025, . Filming is set to start in the summer, according to Variety.
What did you learn about the cast of the Fantastic Four? Do you think they’ll do a good job?
