The Fantastic Four were Marvel’s first superhero family and this is just one of the many reasons why fans love them. They’re definitely one of the most Marvel characters in the comics. I would like to say the same about their adaptations but we all know how that story goes. Until now there have been three attempts to make a Fantastic Four film. The first was in way back in 1994, you might not have heard about it. The second attempt was in 2004 and despite the film being absolutely mediocre, it got sequel- Fantastic Four- Rise of the Silver Surfer, which was equally bad if not worse. The last one, probably the worst attempt was in 2015. Fans had long given up hopes of seeing a good Fantastic Four film but after Disney acquiring Fox, the MCU has their rights.
It was very important for Marvel to make their reboot the best out there and given the competition, that shouldn’t be a hard job. Clearly Marvel knows this based on the amount of noise this reboot is bringing in. The news came from San Diego Comic Con’22 when Kevin Feigi announced that there was an official Fantastic Four reboot coming in MCU’s Phase 6. However, we were unaware of the film’s cast, crew or literally anything else. There have been many names associated to this project, even the great Steven Spielberg was rumored to helm the reboot. As much as the director is in the air so is the cast. We don’t know for sure who will be playing there fan favorite characters but today’s update might clarify some things.
Fantastic Four: Who plays Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman?
MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy director was at first set to direct the reboot but as he is taking a break from the superhero genre, the director’s chair for this film remained empty. There were rumors of John Krasinski directing it, as he’ll star as well as helm the film like his A Quiet Place franchise. After much wait, it is almost confirmed that Wanda Vision director Matt Shakman will be the director. Him ditching the Star Trek movie makes sense now. Still, we have no updates on the cast of the film.
Well as the date of Disney’s D23 Expo nears, a lot of information is going to get leaked. There is a high possibility that Feigi will announce the cast and crew of the Fantastic Four movie. However, until then, here is some juicy tit bit. According to Devin Faraci, who is the Former “Birth. Movies. Death.” editor-in-chief mentioned in a Marvel podcast that the MCU is ready with their Mr. Fantastic and Mrs. Fantastic. The rumored names may shock you but it is what it is.
At first Faraci mentions his wish for a Black Mr. Fantastic and won’t that be great? His pick for the role is absolutely spot-on as well however, Marvel has once again decided to take the traditional route, “I’ve long been stumping for a Black Reed Richards. I think John David Washington would be an incredible Reed Richards, I mean I’ve been stumping for this forever, and I’m not going to get it. I’m not going to get a Black Reed either. [Reed Richards] is going to be very traditional, is my guess.”
Faraci later reveals that Marvel is eyeing Penn Badgley who starred in Netflix’s You series as their Mr. Fantastic and while he didn’t say it there is a rumor about Mrs. Fantastic as well and this name will definitely shock you, “The guys that [Marvel Studios] been talking to about it are all white guys. That guy [Penn Badgley] from the show You, who probably has the role already, frankly, he’s a white guy. They’re going with the standard… And he’s terrific, by the way, that’s a good choice. But, they’re going very classical.”
There has been quite few reports suggesting that Little Women star Saoirse Ronan will be playing Mrs. Fantastic in the MCU. To be blunt and honest these are weird choices. I have nothing against the actors, in fact I happen to Saoirse Ronan in almost everything but her being part of the MCU doesn’t feel right. Badgley is 35 years old so him being cast as Mr. Fantastic makes sense from a longevity perspective. However, I’m not confident in this decision as well.
The 2015 disaster reboot of the Fantastic Four had a better cast than this. Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara as Susan Storm and Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong and these will be great choices but for now it looks like Marvel has made a huge gamble. I don’t think a lot of the reports we’ll get now regarding this topic would be false as the D23 Expo is simply two weeks away. While I feel Shakman is all set to direct the reboot, Badgley as Mr. Fantastic looks confirmed for now.
The Fantastic Four reboot is slated to release in theatres on 8th November 2024.
If you have any questions regarding the Marvel’s Fantastic Four, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
