Pedro Pascal's "First Mission" With 'Fantastic 4' Costars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vanessa Kirby, & Joseph Quinn
I have always had a deep-rooted love for The Fantastic 4. Whether it be because The Incredibles (which also features an invisible woman) was my favorite childhood film or I just love Chris Evans' casting in the original 2005 movie, the tight-knit family bond between this Marvel team gets me every time. And, in my opinion, it's what the MCU has been missing! Fans want a team that feels like a family!
So, needless to say, when we heard that Marvel Studios was finally bringing them into the MCU, I was overjoyed – and I've spent the last two years anxiously awaiting news on The Fantastic 4 2025. Well, on February 14, in honor of Valentine's Day, we finally got word on The Fantastic 4 cast! Here's everything we know about the new Marvel movie and don't forget to check out this year's Summer Movies and Fall Movies while you wait for this superhero flick to hit theaters.
When is the Fantastic 4 release date?
The Fantastic 4 will hit theaters July 25, 2025. However, the movie is now filming! Pedro Pascal just shared a selfie with fellow cast members Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn with the caption "Our first mission 💙." Actress Nico Parker (who played Pedro's onscreen daughter Sarah in The Last of Us) told me Pedro loves offscreen quality time, and it looks like The Fantastic 4 cast is getting plenty!
We're only getting one Marvel movie (Deadpool 3) in 2024, so Fantastic 4 will be a welcome addition to next year's summer movies! Until then, feel free to stream the 2005 Fantastic Four on Disney+ :).
Who is the cast of Fantastic 4 2025?
Marvel Studios announced on February 14th, via an Instagram Valentine, that the new Fantastic 4 cast will be Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. 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. This is a very compelling cast because not only are all of these actors hilarious on their own, but they also have the empathy and open-hearted approach to dramatic roles that mean we could definitely be laughing one minute and crying the next.
I'm super excited to see Pedro Pascal join the MCU, especially after seeing his real-life friend Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight. Both actors are also in Star Wars (Pedro as The Mandalorian and Oscar as Poe Dameron), so it's like they're sci-fi franchise hopping!
Deadline confirmed on April 3 that Ozark and Inventing Anna star Julia Garner will join the cast, reportedly playing a version of the Silver Surfer from The Fantastic 4 comics named Shalla-Bal.
When does the new Fantastic 4 movie take place?
While we know when The Fantastic 4 2025 comes out, we don't exactly know when the movie is set. Drew Parker on TikTok makes the fantastic point that, based on the LIFE Magazine Ben is holding in the Instagram Valentine, our best guess is that the film will open on or around December 13, 1963. This is a huge date for space exploration because it's the day the UN approved the Outer Space Treaty (formally called The Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space), approving the free exploration of space.
One theory suggests The Fantastic 4 could take place in an alternate reality — based on the fact Julia Garner's Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer is from Earth-9997 in the comics instead of our Earth-616. And as ScreenRant's Kai Young points out, this new character poster of Joseph Quinn's Johnny is set against a city different than anything on our earth.
Needless to say, I have LOTS of questions about how it will tie into the rest of the MCU. Will it be a WandaVision-esque illusion that The Fantastic 4 snap out of by the end of the movie? Will they meet a 1960s Howard Stark? Will they embark on their journey in the 60s, get sent to an alternate reality when they receive their powers, then reappear in 2025? (That does sound very similar to a certain Captain America plot point).
Whatever happens, after theories that Reed Richards will be "the new Tony Stark" (a mantle Pedro Pascal could totally pull off, IMO), it would make sense that the team winds up in 2025 to help Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, and the rest of the Avengers moving forward.
What is the Fantastic 4 2025 about?
Marvel Studios
When Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, and her younger brother Johnny Storm agree to take part in an experimental space flight, they don't know they're signing up to change their lives forever. Exposure to cosmic rays gives each of them their own super powers (including Reed becoming elastic, Sue turning invisible, Johnny basically turning into fire, and Ben becoming a living rock-like formation) and they decide to form The Fantastic 4 to keep the earth safe.
Will John Krasinski be Mr. Fantastic?
Marvel Studios
No, John Krasinski is not going to play Mr. Fantastic. After the internet was calling for John Krasinski and Emily Blunt to play Reed Richards and Sue Storm, John showed up as a multiverse variant of Mr. Fantastic in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness! However, a fight with Scarlet Witch led to his demise which means we probably won't see him again...
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Lead image via Marvel Studios
This post has been updated.