In an unexpected Valentine’s Day announcement, Marvel Studios revealed the cast of its new The Fantastic Four movie set to come out next summer.
A Marvel Instagram post sharing the new movie poster shows Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (or Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Reed’s partner Sue Storm (also known as the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as her younger brother Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (or The Thing).
The upcoming film—which is part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has a release date of July 25, 2025—is directed by WandaVision producer-director Matt Shakman with a script by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Filming is set to start in the summer, according to Variety.
The original 1961 comic was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and follows a family of astronauts who gain powers after they were exposed to cosmic rays while on a space mission.
There have already been three Fantastic Four films in 2005, 2007, and 2015, with two different casts. With a star-studded cast confirmed for the next installment, here’s what to know about the actors behind the latest Fantastic Four.
Pedro Pascal
The news of Pedro Pascal’s casting as Mister Fantastic first leaked in November. The character, also known as Reed Richards, is a scientist who gains the ability to stretch his body like rubber after exposure to gamma rays in outer space leaves him and the others permanently altered.
Pascal, a 48-year-old Chilean-American actor, has built a devoted fanbase in recent years from a series of strong television roles. He is known for portraying Prince Oberyn Martell across seven episodes of Game of Thrones, and the titular bounty hunter in Star Wars spin off show The Mandalorian. In 2023, Pascal bagged an Emmy nomination for his role as Joel in HBO’s post-Apocalyptic drama The Last of Us, which has been renewed for a second season.
Vanessa Kirby
British actress Vanessa Kirby is set to take on the role of Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman who can go unseen and create force fields. Sue Storm is Richards' girlfriend, and later becomes his wife, and was a college student before she began exploring space and time as part of the Fantastic Four.
Kirby, 35, recently starred in Ridley Scott’s 2003 historic drama Napoleon alongside Joaquin Phoenix. She may be best known for her depiction of Princess Margaret in early seasons of Netflix’s royal drama The Crown. She has also starred in the two latest Mission: Impossible movies in 2018 and 2023, as well as the 2020 drama Pieces of a Woman.
Joseph Quinn
Joseph Quinn will play Johnny Storm. Johnny, or the Human Torch, is Sue Storm's younger brother. Before he was exposed to cosmic radiation, Johnny was a high school student. Radiation left him with the ability to become engulfed by flames and control fire sources around him.
British actor Quinn is not new to the supernatural after taking a prominent role in season 4 of Netflix’s Stranger Things. Quinn has been dubbed a breakout star in that show for his portrayal of beloved character Eddie Munson, leader of Hawkins High School’s Hellfire Club.
The 30-year-old also starred in Game of Thrones as Koner, a Stark soldier. He has appeared in a number of BBC productions such as a 2018 adaptation of Les Misérables, 2015 period drama Dickensian, and Mangrove, an anthology under Steve McQueen’s 2020 Small Axe series.
Quinn will also star in Ridley Scott’s upcoming Gladiator sequel which is scheduled for release in November.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Emmy-award winning American actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach will appear as Ben Grimm, or The Thing, Reed’s former college roommate. The Thing was a former astronaut and USAF test pilot before radiation turned him into a rock-hard monster with extreme strength and a “heart of gold," according to Marvel.
Moss-Bachrach, 46, is most widely known for his role as Richie in Hulu’s hit drama series The Bear, about a struggling Chicago restaurant. Moss-Bachrach won the Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in January for his role as Richie.
He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television, which was ultimately awarded to Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen in January. Moss-Bachrach has also starred in HBO’s show Girls, Marvel’s television series The Punisher, and the 2023 comedy film No Hard Feelings.
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Write to Armani Syed at armani.syed@time.com