Written by Mia TaylorReporter Features
Marvel StudiosMarvel Entertainment has revealed the cast of the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, and it's half-British in particular. Can this new actor turn things around for the previously failing franchise?
Marvel Entertainment celebrated February 14 this year not with flowers and candy, but with a big reveal of the cast lineup for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. The latest installment in the series will be directed by Matt Shakman and will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
Marvel Entertainment confirmed In an announcement on
This will be the fourth Fantastic Four film, following the 2005, 2007 and 2015 versions of the previous films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team. For those who need a refresher, the 2005 release of Fantastic Four did not do well with critics. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a score 28% BBC cultural critic Owen Gleiberman described it as “Nice [and] untidy.However, the film maintained its standing at the box office. It earned $333 million (£264 million) worldwide.
ScientificThe 2007 release of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, however, fared better. 38% profit From critics on Rotten Tomatoes who called it “an improvement over its predecessor” but “yet a simplistic portrait of events that has little merit beyond its special effects.” The film took approx $289 million (£229 million) Globally. The next installment, in 2015, saw a significant downturn for the franchise, with critics giving it a good rating Just 9% On rotten tomatoes. BBC Culture's Gleiberman called it “Just a thin sliver of the origin storyBox office earnings were also weak, at $167 million (£133 million) overall worldwide, which places it behind the 2005 and 2007 shows.
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Despite these facts, Marvel is moving forward with the Fantastic Four series. This time the star lineup includes British actors. Kirbyof English theatre, television and film acclaim and whose recent roles include a BAFTA Award-winning performance as Princess Margaret in Netflix series The Crown. There is, too Quinn, Who is perhaps most famous for his highly regarded role as Eddie V Weird thingsAnd also from Netflix.
Rounding out the cast is US-born Moss-Bachrachwho is best known for winning an Emmy Award Turn on the bear who previously appeared in the short-lived television series Punisher, Which extended from 2017 until 2019 Pascalfrom Chile, who has had major roles in a series of hit films including Disney+'s The Mandalorian, HBO's Game of Thrones and Last of Us, as well as Netflix's Narcos series.
So far, culture and film critics have offered positive feedback on Marvel's casting and more moderate – but optimistic – support for the decision to make another installment in the struggling film franchise.
The actors
The upcoming Fantastic Four movie's cast of famous action heroes may not be on par with the likes of Will Smith in his heyday or more recently, Dwayne JohnsonBut that doesn't mean Marvel's selection lacks star power or appeal, critics say.
“This is a group of superheroes for film critics, at least, who have lauded their talent for years,” he says. Amy Nicholson, film and television critic for Rotten Tomatoes. “Whoever put them together seems to be chasing the opportunity to make a comic with a truly exceptional performance. I hope they pull it off, for the sake of the actors.”
In fact, Nicholson says we've probably all become accustomed to seeing only famous celebrities occupy such roles.
“Hollywood has become too dependent on stars,” Nicholson continues. “Recently, nothing over a few million dollars — let alone a superhero franchise — has gotten the green light without big names.”
Nicholson explains that these types of casting requirements hinder the development of new movie stars in the way that Superman launched Christopher Reeve's career. She says that in an ideal world, more producers would head in the same direction as the next Fantastic Four movie.
What's more, Ben SaundersIf Pascal, who has had a string of high-profile roles, isn't a bona fide celebrity, then who is?
As for a British-leaning cast reviving the faltering franchise, that's not outside the realm of possibility, Saunders suggests.
“This wouldn't be the first time British talent has helped revitalize and reimagine some great pieces of American culture,” says Saunders. “In the mid-1980s, many of Britain's best comics creators found themselves working for American publishers, and some of the most influential comics of the late 20th century come from that period.”
One need look no further than the two British creators behind them Watchmen is from DC Comics and is based in the United States – Alan Moore And Dave Gibbons. Thanks to the talent of the UK-born Moore and Gibbons, Watchmen became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed graphic novels (and later a film and television series) of the past 50 years, says Saunders.
ScientificIt remains to be seen whether two British actors will have a similar impact on the success of the next Fantastic Four movie. but Sean PullmanThe film critic for FandomWire says the decision to cast a duo opens the door to interesting options for character development.
“It will be interesting to see what Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn bring to their roles,” he says. “Interestingly, the characters they play – Sue and Johnny Storm – are siblings.”
Pullman ponders whether the film will play up Kirby and Quinn's shared nationality to make the film's characters British. “This film will be a far cry from the versions portrayed by Jessica Alba and Chris Evans in the 2000s, and Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan in 2015, but it could serve the chemistry of the actors in this dynamic family well,” he says.
Like Saunders, Pullman says: British or not, the newly selected cast has enough star power to attract audiences. He calls it the most star-studded cast outside of Eternals, which included the likes of Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek.
“The Fantastic Four are known as Marvel’s ‘First Family,’ so this movie doesn’t need a ‘movie star’ on the level of Angelina Jolie or Salma Hayek to connect with the audience,” Pullman says. “New, but well-known faces, like Pascal and Quinn will be more than enough to excite moviegoers.”
A late success for the Fantastic Four
While the previous installments of The Fantastic Four were not well-liked among critics circles, Saunders takes issue with those who point out that the films have not been a commercial success.
“There have been three Fantastic Four movies this century, and the first two did well,” Saunders suggests. “They made millions. They wouldn't have made the sequel if the first one hadn't been so good. Maybe the cultural amnesia here is a result of the fact that the last Fantastic Four movie was a huge hit, and it probably deserved to be — but it wasn't made by Marvel Studios.” [20th Century] Fox.”
If the next installment in the franchise flops like the 2015 film did, Saunders says it won't be a byproduct of the actors chosen. “I've seen all the current actors in other projects, and they are a talented bunch,” he continues. “The cast won't be the problem, they're great. The script is what matters.”
There's also hope that the upcoming installment will be the first in the series to be made by Marvel Studios, which “matters a lot for the final results.” Saunders adds.
Boelman offers a similar assessment, noting that the Fantastic Four series has so far suffered from a lack of quality. But he's also hopeful that the next installment will be an improvement.
“The 2005 film was a moderate financial success, managing to make a small profit because it was fun enough,” Pullman says. “Rise of the Silver Surfer and its forgettable 2015 reboot flopped, frankly, because no one liked it. If [director] Matt Shakman's Fantastic Four is of high quality, and will likely do much better at the box office. Fans loved his previous outing in Marvel Comics, WandaVision, so the signs are pointing up.”
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