The Fantastic Four have had a rocky time of it on the film front. A movie starring Marvel’s First Family made in 1994 never even got released, the movies from the 2000s earned mixed critical reception and never made much of a splash at the box office, and the 2015 reboot was a dud all around. But it’s like the old saying goes, the fifth time’s the charm, right? Maybe not, but we do know that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will finally give audiences a version of this team that are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.
Plot-wise, little has been revealed about this upcoming Marvel movie, though it's been confirmed it will be set in another universe rather than the main MCU reality. What has been an open book is learning which actors are starring in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which includes Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby playing two of its heroes. So let’s discuss them and the others who have been announced or reported so far.
Pedro Pascal
Although Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw John Krasinski cameoing as Earth-838’s Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, he’s not reprising the role for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Instead, it’ll be Pedro Pascal bringing the stretchy superhero to life following Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller. In addition to having prior superhero movie experience from playing Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984, Pascal goes deep with genre projects overall, with that list including Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian and The Last of Us.
Vanessa Kirby
Unlike Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby doesn’t already have superhero movie experience, but she does know her way around the action genre thanks to Hobbs & Shaw and two of the Mission: Impossible movies, with a third one on the way. She’s also well known for playing Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon on The Crown as a series regular in the first two seasons, and a guest role in Season 5. She’ll succeed Jessica Alba and Kate Mara in playing Sue Storm, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Ebon Moss-Bachrach has already spent some time in the MCU playing David Lieberman, a.k.a. Micro, in The Punisher Season 1, but needless to say Benjamin Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, is a much bigger role, one previously played by Michael Chiklis and Jamie Bell. The actor’s other genre experience includes NOS4A2 and Andor, but these days, he’s most famous for playing Richie Jerimovich in The Bear, which netted him an Emmy win and Golden Globe nomination, among other accolades.
Joseph Quinn
Joseph Quinn has been professionally acting for over a decade, but in 2022, he gained worldwide fame for playing Eddie Munson in Stranger Things Season 4. That paved the way for him to be cast in A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps is arguably his biggest project yet. Like Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan before him, he’s been cast as Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch.
Julia Garner
If you’re a Netflix subscriber, then there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Julia Garner from Ozark and/or Inventing Anna. Film-wise, her body of work includes The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and The Royal Hotel, but it’s safe to say that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is her biggest cinematic project yet. Garner has reportedly been cast as Shalla-Bal, who is the love interest of Norris Radd, a.k.a. The Silver Surfer, in the comics. However, apparently for this movie, Garner’s version of Shalla-Bal will be Silver Surfer instead, which begs the question of where thing with Norrin stand, assuming we even see him.
Paul Walter Hauser
From I, Tonya and Richard Jewell to Cruella and Da 5 Bloods, Paul Walter Hauser has acted in some major movies over the years, and he’s also been present throughout Cobra Kai as Stingray. As far the Fantastic Four reboot goes, his role is officially being kept a mystery for now, but we shouldn’t necessarily assume he’ll be on camera. Taking into account his voice acting work in Orion and the Dark and Inside Out 2, I suspect he may be the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot, who’s in the first official piece of concept art with Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny.
John Malkovich
Arguably the most famous actor on this list, John Malkovich is jumping back into the superhero movie genre for the first time since he played Quentin Turnbull in 2010’s Jonah Hex, although he did also play Marvin Boggs in the RED movies, which were loosely inspired by the same-named DC Comics limited series. In any case, as with Hauser, Malkovich’s role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps hasn’t been disclosed yet, but our own Eric Eisenberg is hoping he’ll play The Vulture, as the actor was going to bring that villain to life in the scrapped Spider-Man 4. It's more likely, though, that he's been cast as someone like Franklin Storm, Sue and Johnny's father.
Ralph Ineson
Remember when Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer depicted Galactus as a cosmic hurricane cloud? Well, that won’t be happen with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as Ralph Ineson has been cast in the role. Ineson, known from movies like The Witch and The Green Knight, confirmed this news on social media, though it remains to be seen if his version of Galactus will resemble his traditional appearance from the comics or be depicted differently. I also worry that Galactus’ inclusion in this movie could mean that the Fantastic Four’s Earth will be consumed by him, assuming this reboot does take place in another corner of the Marvel multiverse.
Natasha Lyonne
Whether you’ve been a fan of Natasha Lyonne stretching back to the days of American Pie and Scary Movie 2, or you became enamored with her from shows like Russian Doll and Poker Face, there’s no denying Natasha Lyonne’s talent. Now, per Deadline, she’ll enter the superhero genre by taking part in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Her role is being kept under wraps for now, though it would be interesting to see her paired with Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm as Alicia Masters, his blind, sculptor girlfriend.
Directed by Matt Shakman, and Josh Friedman having written the most recent draft of the script, The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25, 2025. Check back here for more casting additions, and remember that the majority of the Marvel movies in order and all of the MCU’s tie-in TV shows can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.
