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I'm a tried-and-true Marvel stan — even as a kid, the idea of superheroes existing in the regular world and fighting evil always made me feel so powerful. And with WandaVision, Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts*, that feeling has only evolved as I've become an adult. But as the MCU has grown, adding countless TV shows, characters, and universes, some of the original, classic nostalgia has faded. And that's where The Fantastic Four: First Steps comes in!
Flying into theaters July 11, 2025, The Fantastic Four takes place in an alternate 1960s — so when I say the movie is making me feel nostalgic, I mean it quite literally. And thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have a brand new look at the movie!
Keep reading for the newest images of Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Vanessa Kirby, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in The Fantastic Four, coming to theaters July 11, 2025.
Who are the main 4 in Fantastic Four?
Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
The Fantastic Four revolves around Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Entertainment Weekly just dropped a bunch of new pictures from the film — like this shot of Ben securing his helmet for space exploration.
When is The Fantastic Four?
Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
Marvel's Fantastic Four takes place in the 1960s...in a different universe. Because with Marvel's multiverse, anything is possible.
"We knew that we'd be on another Earth, so we had a chance to reinvent what the '60s looked like," director Matt Shakman (who also directed WandaVision!!) tells EW. "I was really interested in imagining the Fantastic Four being astronauts. Instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin going to the moon, what if it was Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben who were really the first to go into outer space, the first to push those boundaries?"
Who's in The Fantastic Four cast?
Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
The Fantastic Four cast was, without a doubt, the most important part of the movie to get right. "It wasn't just a search for who was the best Ben and who was the best Johnny, but also who was the best family?" Matt Shakman says. "Who was the best married couple? Who were the best siblings and honorary uncle? So it's been very gratifying to see the incredible chemistry that the four of them have had since the beginning."
The cast includes:
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic: the leader of the Fantastic Four with the power to stretch his limbs.
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman: Reed's wife who can turn invisible and create force fields.
- Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch: Sue's brother who can ignite into flame and fly.
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing: Reed's best friend who basically appears as a mass of rocks.
Are Sue Storm and Reed Richards married?
Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
Yes, Sue Storm and Reed Richards are married — and they make a perfect team.
"If he is the most scientifically intelligent person, then she is the most emotionally intelligent person on the planet," Matt Shakman tells EW. "Between the two of them, they're building an idealistic society."
"If you played an exact '60s Sue today, everyone would think she was a bit of a doormat," Vanessa Kirby adds. "So figuring out how to capture the essence of what she represented to each generation, where the gender politics were different, and embody that today, was one of the greatest joys of this."
Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
But they're also quickly going to become a family of three because Marvel confirmed during CinemaCon that the theory about Sue being pregnant is correct!
"One of the things I love most from Sue's history is when she becomes Malice, and all her dark stuff comes out," Vanessa Kirby says. "I wanted to make sure that there were tones of Malice in there with her, that she wasn't just the stereotype of a goody, sweet mother."
"I've always been really interested in the mess of femininity," she continues. "Not just the tough, invincible, powerful woman, but also a mother who gives birth, which is itself a superhero act. I love that these characters are real humans in a messy family who argue and try to work it out and get things wrong."
With this cast and WandaVision's Matt Shakman at the head, I know The Fantastic Four: First Steps is going to be a Marvel movie that goes down in history. Read up on 5 New Marvel Movies Worth Watching.
