News that the Fantastic Four movie will start filming in early 2024 has reignited speculation over who will be playing the leads in the first movie of the MCU’s Phase 6. However, according to the movie’s director Matt Shakman, there is currently no truth in any of the rumored castings circling on the internet right now. Instead, Shakman is finalizing his new Godzilla project and then will be turning his focus to the arrival of Marvel’s First Family in the MCU.
Shakman recently spoke to Collider about his big MCU movie, which is one of the most anticipated movies of Marvel’s current slate. As well as emphasizing how much time the film would take up for him, he also debunked all casting theories in one swoop. He said:
“You know, I'm still finishing up the Godzilla. We’re in post on that, and have a few more months on that. [Then] Fantastic Four is pretty much my life until Valentine’s Day of 2025. All the casting stuff you see is just rumours. We are early in our process there. We have nothing to announce right now, and certainly, when we do we'll let you know.”
Of course, even this kind of comment will not stop fans from continuing to suggest their ideal castings for Mister Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing, but whether any of them manage to predict the right casting before an official announcement is made is up for debate.
Fans Have Already Seen Mister Fantastic In the MCU
Disney
From the moment the arrival of the Fantastic Four became official, fans wanted to see John Krasinski take on the role of Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic. Surprisingly, they have already been given their wish as the A Quiet Place star appeared as a multiverse variant of Mister Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, some weren’t happy with Krasinski’s appearance, which ended with the character being quickly dispatched by Scarlet Witch as she cleared out the Illuminati in one of the movie’s alternative universes.
While it has never been confirmed or denied that Krasinski will also play the role of Reed Richards, many other names have been thrown into the ring as potential candidates. These have included Adam Driver, Penn Badgley, Diego Luna, and Dev Patel, but with Shakman debunking all those rumors, whether any of them are really in contention for the part is yet to be seen.
There are currently very few details available about the Fantastic Four movie other than it will be the first film in the final phase of the multiverse saga, and unlike previous Fantastic Four movies will not include an origin story for the superheroes. The arrival of the group coincides with the Multiverse Saga's climax, with Reed Richards having a direct connection to the MCU’s new Big Bad, Kang the Conqueror.
The Fantastic Four is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on February 14, 2025.