Marvel Studios has the sweetest treat for fans for Valentine’s Day. To celebrate Hearts Day, the production company drops an artwork of the main cast of its upcoming movie, Fantastic Four, which will now be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And yes, after months of speculations, it finally confirms who will be the next Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. It also reveals the film’s release date: July 25, 2025.
The update comes from Marvel Studios’ official X (formerly Twitter) page, showing The Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal as Reed (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue (Invincible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben (Thing), and the Stranger Things breakout star Joseph Quinn as Johnny (The Human Torch). The post also reveals the Matt Shakman-directed film's new title, The Fantastic Four.
The illustration was made by Wesley Burt, a known concept artist and illustrator who works on Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, and Avengers: Endgame, among others. It features a classic style of the 1960s, the same decade when the superhero quartet was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics in 1961. It also shows the loveable robot H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronic) beside Ben.
What is The Fantastic Four about?
Details about The Fantastic Four remain under wraps, but based on its artwork, it may be set in the 1960s. The inclusion of H.E.R.B.I.E. also seems to hint that it might be inspired by the 1978 animated series The New Fantastic Four, which on-screen title is also The Fantastic Four.
H.E.R.B.I.E. was originally conceived for the series and is known for being an ally of Marvel’s first family. In The New Fantastic Four, H.E.R.B.I.E. replaced The Human Torch because its TV rights to use the latter character were tied up to a proposed TV pilot movie that never happened. Here, the robot fights crime with Reed, Susan, and Ben after getting exposed to cosmic radiation.
Anyhow, fans are advised to take these assumptions with a grain of salt, as Marvel Studios has yet to confirm anything. But in an interview with the film director Shakman in October 2023, he told Collider that the new Fantastic Four movie would differ in many ways.
He said:
I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. … I think it's going to be unlike anything you've seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you've seen before.
By the looks of it, Marvel has already found its new set of stars for the MCU after Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.’s departure. This new update may also kickstart the string of information coming from this highly anticipated movie.
