'The Fantastic Four': Cast, characters, their superpowers, release date
On Wednesday, the Marvel Cinematic Universe unveiled the cast of The Fantastic Four. The movie will be headlined by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn and will hit theaters on July 25, 2025. Labeled "Marvel's First Family," it's the story of a team of astronauts who gain superpowers after their spaceship is hit by cosmic radiation. Here's more about the characters.
Reed Richards
Pascal will be playing Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic. The leader of the family, he has been bestowed with elasticity that allows him to stretch his body and reshape it however he wants. Also respected for his gray matter, he's married to Sue Storm. TFF has become yet another famous project in Pascal's kitty, in addition to The Last of Us and Gladiator 2.
Sue Storm
Kirby has been roped in to essay Storm's role, also known as The Invisible Woman. As her name suggests, she can leverage light waves to become invisible, in addition to forming force fields. Interestingly, she was pursuing an acting career when she met Richards and fell for him. Hollywood actor Kirby is known for Napoleon and Mission: Impossible - Fallout, among others.
Johnny Storm
Stranger Things and Les Misérables star Quinn will be seen stepping into the shoes of Johnny Storm, also known as The Human Torch. Extremely useful around fire, he can use it to the optimum advantage whenever he wants. Not only is he safe from fire, but he is also emboldened by flying capacities. His catchphrase, in accordance with his personality, is, "Flame-on!"
Ben Grimm
Moss-Bachrach (Lying and Stealing) will be essaying Ben Grimm alias The Thing. Easily distinguishable from the rest of the group due to his rocky face, he represents brute strength and is blessed with protection from brutal injuries. However, he is also critical and anxious about his appearance and blames his best friend Richards for it. "It's clobberin' time!," he often says.
Know more about its creation and significance
Created by MCU's founding father Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the Fantastic Four are reported to have first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1961. The Hulk, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man have all been members of it at some point. Marvel Studios's head Kevin Feige told EW, "Fantastic Four is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics."
Other films built around the same theme
There have been several cinematic iterations of the Fantastic Four story over the years. These include Tim Story's Fantastic Four (2005), Story's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and Josh Trank's Fantastic Four (2015) MCU has not yet revealed the supporting cast for The Fantastic Four, but like all MCU films, expect some big names to come aboard soon.
