2024 might not be a banner year for superhero movies — Deadpool 3 aside — but 2025 promises to be another ball game entirely. We’ve got the launch of the DCU with Superman: Legacy, a new Captain America movie… but it’s Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot that might just take the cake as the most-anticipated and, hopefully, the best of the year’s roster. It could’ve gone either way, but the studio’s glut of announcements about the film have raised our hopes higher than Reed Richards can stretch. Here’s everything we just learned about the Fantastic Four’s return to cinemas.
Meet your Fantastic Four
1. Pedro Pascal is Reed Richards
Everyone, pretend to be shocked! Yes, Pedro Pascal is officially our Reed Richards. From the quaint and quirky artwork that accompanied the casting announcement, we can also confirm that Pedro’s Reed will sport the character’s classic white streaks at his temples.
2. Vanessa Kirby is Sue Storm
Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman? Yes, please! Vanessa Kirby as Pedro Pascal’s love interest, despite the 13-year age difference between them? Well, we’ll have to see about that, but let’s give Marvel the benefit of the doubt for now. At least they look cute together in art form.
3. Joseph Quinn is Johnny Storm
Eddie Munson nation, we won! As per the rumors, Joseph Quinn is indeed Human Torch, and most will agree that a more perfect casting could not be found. Certainly, he makes for a more believable brother for Kirby than Jason Statham did. Still not over that, Hobbs & Shaw.
4. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is Ben Grimm
I hope y’all are ready to shout “Cousin!” at the screen anytime the Thing appears. Proving that the Defenders Saga really isn’t canon despite what they tell us, former The Punisher star Ebon Moss-Bachrach is Ben Grimm, and the artwork confirms his character will begin as a Neil Armstrong-like astronaut.
5. New title
We’ve had Fantastic Four (2005), we’ve had Fant4stic (2015)… Now get ready for The Fantastic Four! Yes, that is the new official title for the film. A tried and tested way for a reboot to distinguish itself from what’s come before — see also The Wolverine, The Suicide Squad, and The Batman — The Fantastic Four has the handy double meaning of suggesting this will be the truly definitive adaptation of these heroes.
6. New release date
When we reached February and (The) Fantastic Four hadn’t started shooting yet, we knew that it wasn’t going to make its planned May release date. Sure enough, the casting and title announcements came with the confirmation that the movie is releasing two months later than intended. It will now be coming in July 25, 2025, a date that was previously occupied by Thunderbolts, which is now being moved forward to fill FF‘s shoes on May 2.
7. Herbie’s in the House
Wondering who that little cassette player with a face is in that promo art? That’s H.E.R.B.I.E., the team’s faithful robot sidekick who first debuted in 1978’s The New Fantastic Four animated series. Since then, he’s become an on/off-again fixture of the comics. No word yet on who could be voicing him, but my vote is Bill Hader!
8. It’s probably set in the 1960s
There’s no question that there’s a distinct 1960s vibe going on in that artwork, which may tell us all we need to know about how Marvel Studios will distance itself from all the previous FF films. The team being reset to factory settings, as it were, and being put back in the decade that spawned them originally should be a stroke of genius. Especially given the obvious MCU callback…
9. The biggest MCU influence
Another thing the artwork teaches us? That Matt Shakman was brought on as director for one very specific reason: to sprinkle some of that WandaVision magic on The Fantastic Four. The parody of a traditional nuclear family is highly reminiscent of the way Wanda and Vision parody classic sitcom couples. If it turns out that the villain was Agatha all along, we will lose it.
10. Comic book fans will love it
This shouldn’t feel like a revelation, but after two disastrous adaptations of Doctor Doom, a Thing who doesn’t wear any pants, and Kate Mara’s terrible Sue Storm wig, it is an announcement worth making note of that The Fantastic Four has all the indications of pleasing the fandom. With a ’60s setting that harks back to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s original stories, there’s surely no question now that this will be the most widely beloved FF film of the lot. The Fantastic Four, indeed.
