The Fantastic Four | Marvel’s First Family is Coming to Save The MCU. But is it a Gamble?
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Phil Roberts 
Marvel’s first family has been announced and will become the new anchor of the MCU. THE FANTASTIC FOUR are coming!
At long last, the cast of Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR has been announced. The studio took to social media on Valentine’s Day to announce Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing).
The cast is no surprise given that the actors have been heavily touted for the roles for months. But after what has seemed like an eternity, Marvel officially rubber-stamped the rumors and solidified its most celebrated family.
MARVEL’S FIRST FAMILY
On the surface, this casting looks like a masterstroke by Marvel. Vanessa Kirby has expressed her fondness for Sue Storm and pinned her colors to the mast back on the promotional campaign for MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING by expressing her desire to play her in the MCU. Joseph Quinn has been on a whirlwind rise to stardom since his breakout performance in STRANGER THINGS and is perfect casting. Ebon Moss-Bachrach has delivered masterful performances in his recent spells in ANDOR and THE BEAR. And finally, Pedro Pascal has cemented his legendary status in literally everything!!
But, is Pascal’s casting a risk for Marvel Studios? The actor is one of Hollywood’s hottest commodities at the moment. And with him already attached to multiple movies, a second season of THE LAST OF US, and another season of THE MANDALORIAN and THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU movie; the star’s calendar is packed. So what does that mean for Marvel Studios? Can the studio rely on Pascal for multiple movies over ten years?
PEDRO FANTASTIC
It stands within reason that Marvel will follow up on THE FANTASTIC FOUR with appearances for the first family in both upcoming AVENGERS movies. Plus, fans will be expecting at least one F4 sequel over the next decade. But can Pascal’s schedule truly allow for that kind of commitment? It seems like a tough ask. Pascal will likely first shoot Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us before stretching into shape to play Richards. But with The Mandalorian & Grogu expected to begin filming before the year’s out, could this mean that Din Djarin will spend the majority of the movie without revealing his chiseled good looks?
The previous season of Jon Favreau’s Star Wars series cemented Mando’s return to the fold. In fact, his quest reaffirmed his commitment to the covert that mandated he never remove his helmet. So could his big screen outing follow suit and only feature Pascal’s vocal lines? It looks as if this will be the case. But what is bad news for Star Wars is good news for Marvel. Having Pascal limited to just vocal commitments, his time in the studio will be vastly reduced. This is a shoo-in to free up time for him to slip into the blue tights as Mr. Fantastic. But it will be a tough ask to maintain this workload given his other commitments.
A NEW ERA OF MARVEL
Of course, these are headaches for the studios to overcome. After all, both Marvel and Lucasfilm operate from beneath Disney’s umbrella. So, both will have to trade off to find a happy medium. But Pascal’s other commitments will undoubtedly throw a spanner in the works. But the possibility of having Pascal’s star power in the MCU has forced Disney’s hand. And now, fans can finally look forward to welcoming Marvel’s most important family back into their beloved universe. And the timing couldn’t be better.
After the death of Tony Stark/Iron Man and the retirement of Steve Rogers/Captain America, the MCU has been lacking a true leader. An influential character or team who will rise to prominence and lead the Avengers to victory over their next foe. And it is here that The Fantastic Four will come in. Kevin Feige has earmarked the first characters created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as the new anchor for the next phase of the MCU. And with the X-Men waiting in the wings to change the landscape of the multiverse forever, the next chapter in Marvel will be its most significant to date. And that is damn exciting.
RELEASE
Marvel Studios’s THE FANTASTIC FOUR will bring their superhero feats to cinemas on July 25, 2025. The date was initially earmarked for THE THUNDERBOLTS – but this is Marvel we’re talking about and the slate has shifted again.
Who the superhero quartet will be facing off against in their debut movie remains to be seen. Traditionally, their arch nemesis is Victor Von Doom – one of the most influential villains in the entire Marvel Universe. And his arrival has been rumored for some time. But until word reaches us from the hallowed halls at Marvel, all we can do is hope. But that is more than enough to have us licking our lips in anticipation and speculating for months to come.
Let’s go!
Do you think Marvel is taking a chance by casting Pedro Pascal? Or are you just happy to have an actor of his caliber in the MCU? Sound off in the comments below.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
