The logical, if frustrating, reason for the ‘Fantastic Four’ casting delay may have been revealed

Where the heck is the Fantastic Four cast? With only months to go before the start of production, that is the question on the minds of Marvel fans everywhere. It looks like pay disputes and the looming possibility of an actors’ strike have been delaying the negotiations.

Paul Mescal. Mila Kunis. Margot Robbie. Adam Driver. Daveed Diggs. Vanessa Kirby. All these names have been thrown in the ring for the upcoming Fantastic Four film, and yet there hasn’t been a single official announcement. The last we heard, the costs of the cast alone were reportedly too heavy for Marvel to support, leading the studios to backtrack on their official plans. Other sources say Mescal and Robbie dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Now, insiders are saying Adam Driver is still very much a possibility for the role of team leader Reed Richards. Caiden Reed hinted on Twitter that the Star Wars actor was still in conversations with Marvel, while KC Walsh clarified the reasons why the two sides can’t reach an agreement. In fairness, the SAG strike is not yet a reality — members of the guild have approved a strike if a deal can’t be reached by July 12.

Fantastic Four is scheduled to begin filming in early 2024, with a release date of May 2, 2025. WandaVision director Matt Shakman is directing, with Avatar: The Way of Water and Snowpiercer‘s Josh Friedman replacing initial scribes Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer in the writer’s chair. As it stands, Adam Driver and Vanessa Kirby’s attachments to the roles of Richards and Sue Storm are heavily rumored, but nothing has been confirmed.