Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Reboot: Release Date, Cast, Filming, News, and More

Since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, along came the rights to Fox’s Marvel properties as well. This includes the Fantastic Four, which has already had its share of movies over the last two decades, though none were particularly loved by the fans or critics. 

Now that the Fantastic Four is under the MCU umbrella, fans are eagerly waiting to see their reintroduction into the franchise. So, what do we know about the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot? We’ve got it all below!

Fantastic Four‘s Cinematic Journey & the Rocky Road to a Reboot

The Fantastic Four received its first film adaptation in 1994. However, that film was never released. This led to the team’s big-screen debut in 2005, Fantastic Four, directed by Tim Story. Following that was a sequel in 2007, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

The team got another reboot in 2015, directed by Josh Trank, also titled Fantastic Four, which was seen as a commercial and critical failure. But almost 10 years later, The Fantastic Four is returning to the big screens yet again. This time, the team will be reintroducing themselves to audiences as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as a part of  Phase 6).

During a Marvel panel at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, the news was confirmed that The Fantastic Four would be joining the MCU. Then, in December 2020, Jon Watts was announced as the director of the upcoming film. However, in April 2022, Watts stepped down to take a break from directing superhero films following the Spider-Man trilogy. Matt Shakman was confirmed to replace Watts as the new director of the Fantastic Four reboot during the 2022 D23 event.

Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer wrote the script for the reboot, with rewrites done by Josh Friedman.

Who Will Star in the Reboot? 

Rumors have circulated about the casting of the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. John Krasinski appeared in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. Naturally, fans hoped he’d be part of the reboot, even after Scarlet Witch killed his variant. However, recent rumors suggest someone else will play the role of Mr. Fantastic instead.

Krasinski revealed that he hasn’t had any discussions with Marvel about returning to the role. However, it’s still possible that could change. 

According to Deadline, Pedro Pascal is considered the major contender to play Reed Richards. This will most likely depend on his schedule, but the report said that negotiations are going in the right direction for Pascal to play the character. The three-time Emmy nominee has quite a busy schedule with other projects, including Gladiator 2 and The Last of Us.

Vanessa Kirby is also rumored to play Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman. Joseph Quinn has been speculated to portray Johnny Storm/Human Torch, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach is thought to play Ben Grimm/The Thing. It’s also worth mentioning that both Kirby and Quinn were popular fan castings for the characters.

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask them. I would be very honored to join,” said Kirby when pressed about possibly being part of the Fantastic Four reboot.

Anya Taylor-Joy is rumored to play the Silver Surfer, while Javier Bardem is speculated to play Galactus. If Anya Taylor-Joy’s casting is confirmed, this would be her second time playing a Marvel character. She previously played Ilyana Rasputin/Magik in the New Mutants movie.

The Fantastic Four Reboot Storyline

Compared to the previous adaptations, the Fantastic Four reboot will skip the team’s origin story. Instead, they would be making their MCU debut as an active team already. They are expected to set up a big multiverse presence ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars. Not only will the reboot kick off Phase 6 of the MCU, but it also marks the beginning of the end of the multiverse arc.

But aside from the fact that the upcoming reboot will not be another origin story of the team, plot details remain scarce. Noting when the movie will be released and how it fits into the MCU timeline, it may involve a Kang variant. This would make sense if the reboot will come before The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars. Some theories suggest that the Rama-Tut variant may be the villain the team faces off against.

Still, other theories suggest that the MCU’s version of Doctor Doom may be the main antagonist instead. Marvel usually keeps the plots of their upcoming projects secret until the very last minute, so fans will have to wait and see.

In an interview with Collider, Shakman teased how the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot will be “different in so many ways.”

“I wish I could be specific,” said Shakman. “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.”

What to Expect

As said earlier, where the Fantastic Four reboot fits into the MCU timeline is said to make sense. In the comics, the foursome is known for frequently going on multiversal adventures. This includes locations like the Negative Zone and the Microverse – also known as the Quantum Realm.

But aside from that, fans can probably expect influences of a popular series in the upcoming reboot. Shakman is known for his work on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and he revealed in an interview with ComicBook that the reboot will take some inspiration from the show.

“I’ve learned so much from working on It’s Always Sunny over the years,” said Shakman. “Those guys bring a unique combination of playfulness and precision. And I think you have to have both of those things in everything you make. You have to still be a kid in the sandbox playing and inventing. But you also have to be rigorous about what you’re doing, and comedy is even more rigorous than anything else.”

Shakman went on to say that compared to the Avengers or the X-Men, the Fantastic Four is not a chosen family. “But a true family with all the messiness of a family,” said the director. Drawing comparisons with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Fantastic Four approach things with an “optimistic and scientific approach that is very different from these other Marvel characters.”

Fantastic Four Reboot Release Date

The Fantastic Four reboot is set to premiere on May 2, 2025. Production is slated to begin in London and Montreal in May 2024.

As with all other Marvel releases, the movie will eventually make it to Disney+ after a theatrical run. Phase 5 of the MCU is set to end with Captain America: Brave New World earlier in 2025.