Marvel's Fantastic Four Cast Unites In New Photo

Pedro Pascal shared a behind-the-scenes image of the four actors together for the first time.

By Russ Burlingame

It might be San Diego Comic Con weekend, but for the cast of Fantastic Four, the action is across the pond. Star Pedro Pascal, who will appear as Reed Richards in the long-awaited MCU debut of Marvel's First Family, released a pair of photos last night on social media, giving fans as a first look at the quartet of main stars together for the first time (and director Matt Shakman in prep mode). Calling the photo "our first mission," Pascal shared a photo of himself with co-stars Vanessa Kirby (who will play Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm).

Principal photography is set to begin on the movie this week, and it's expected to release on July 25, 2025 -- just two weeks after James Gunn's Superman hits theaters. You can see Pascal's post below.

This behind-the-scenes shot is the first of what's likely to be many. It's also one of the only Fantastic Four-related image that hasn't been heavily stylized and retro-futuristic. The images so far seemingly take to heart fans' long-standing opinion that Marvel's First Family should star in a period piece set during the space race during the Cold War. 

That setting, which was the original kickoff point for Fantastic Four comics, informed a lot of their early stories, in which Reed Richards and company were essentially celebrity scientists. If Fantastic Four takes the route of being a period piece, fans will likely question whether Johnny has anything to do with the Golden Age Human Torch seen briefly in Captain America: The First Avenger. In the comics, the two are unrelated.

Related:

With banners flying in San Diego, Fantastic Four is expected to be part of the Marvel Studios panel on Saturday. Since it isn't in production yet, it's unlikely there will be any kind of video presentation, but it's pretty obvious the concept artists have been working overtime on this movie. It's likely Marvel views both Fantastic Four and any upcoming X-Men projects as particularly important to the future success of the studio, since the brands are so big and visible, but since they have also had a number of disappointing adaptations that failed in a big, public way.

Recently, Michael Chiklis responded to viral set photos from Deadpool & Wolverine, which purportedly showed him as The Thing. Chiklis denied he was there, but promised that he did know who would be playing the role in Shakman's upcoming movie. That movie is set to arrive in theaters tomorrow, with preview screenings tonight.

Trending Now: