Summary
- The official artwork for Marvel’s Fantastic Four reveals the main cast, including Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as The Human Torch.
- The lovable robot H.E.R.B.I.E. will make his big-screen debut alongside The Fantastic Four, possibly hinting at the future appearance of Galactus or Franklin Richards in the MCU.
- The artwork suggests that the film will have a period-piece setting, possibly set in the 60s, and shows a comics-accurate design for The Thing, giving fans hope for a faithful adaptation.
Marvel Studios have just dropped a crucial piece of art for Valentine’s Day featuring The Fantastic Four, casually unveiling some important reveals regarding the MCU’s newest superhero team. One of the properties Disney acquired by purchasing Fox, The Fantastic Four are one of the biggest Marvel comic properties that have yet to make it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel Studios has been sparse with details up until recently. In a tweet celebrating Valentine’s Day, the official Marvel Studios Twitter account posted a key piece of art depicting The Fantastic Four casually celebrating the holiday.
The image shows The Thing, The Human Torch, The Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic gathered in a quiet celebration at home, with a banner reading “Happy Valentine’s Day” draped above them. Beyond appreciating the impressive art, the image and accompanying captions commit to some ground-breaking reveals of yet-unknown details surrounding the team’s upcoming movie, previously known simply as Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Though these details may come from a surprising source, they are crucial in drumming up excitement for the MCU’s latest superhero team.
10 The Fantastic Four’s First Official Art Reveal’s The Team’s Cast
Previously, only rumors of Reed Richards’ character were known
Perhaps the single most significant reveal the tweet makes is the naming of The Fantastic Four‘s main cast. It seems the post has substantiated the rumors of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, along with naming Vanessa Kirby as The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as The Human Torch. All of these names carry exciting star power of varying degrees with them, as Quinn’s work as Eddie in Stranger Things, Kirby’s experience in Napoleon and the Mission Impossible series, and Moss-Bachrach’s prowess in The Bear all suggest strong performances to enter the ranks of the MCU.
9 H.E.R.B.I.E. Will Make His Big-Screen Debut
The Fantastic Four themselves aren’t the only ones to be featured in the art
The lovable robot H.E.R.B.I.E. will be joining The Fantastic Four in theaters as well, showing up in the art offering The Thing a refreshing mug of Valentine’s Day libations. Designated by the acronym Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics, H.E.R.B.I.E. was originally created by Mr. Fantastic to help locate the cosmic being Galactus, but goes on to become a steadfast companion of Reed and Susan Richards’ son, Franklin Richards. The cute android sidekick’s presence may suggest the future appearance of Galactus or Franklin in the MCU.
8 Fantastic Four Art Gives The First Look At The Team’s Costumes
Striking white and blue designs are a sight to look forward to
Over their three previous films, The Fantastic Four’s movie costumes have run the gamut of quality, but Marvel’s Valentine’s Day post suggests some charming classic costumes will be making their way to the MCU. Though Benjamin Grimm and Johnny Storm are depicted in the art wearing more casual clothes, Reed Richards and Susan Storm show off a striking new uniform, evoking the original Fantastic Four costumes with clean lines and a blue and white color scheme that puts the famous “4” logo front-and-center. It’s refreshing to see Fantastic Four costumes that go all-in on colorful superhero imagery without being over-designed.
7 Fantastic Four Art Supports A Period-Piece Setting
The iconic team have always had their roots in the 60s
Few Marvel characters evoke their 60s roots quite like The Fantastic Four, whose inherently pulpy science fiction adventures have always resonated with the time period. It seems like the new Marvel movie will be leaning into this aspect of the team with a possible period setting, as exemplified by the art style that looks like something out of Mad Men and The Thing reading what appears to be an old issue of LIFE magazine. Whether the new film will actually be set in the 60s or simply evoke the era with its set and costume design remains to be seen.
6 Ben Grimm Is Shown Pre- and Post-Transformation
Hopes are high for The Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing
The Thing’s design can make or break a Fantastic Four adaptation, with the 2005 version’s excellent prosthetics still holding up twenty years later, while the awkwardly naked Thing of the 2015 movie isn’t exactly fondly remembered. Luckily, the posted key art gives a glimpse at an incredible comics-accurate design for The Thing, complete with a heavyset brow ridge and only four fingers on each rocky hand. Benjamin Grimm’s face pre-transformation is also shown as a portrait on the wall, suggesting that Ebon Moss-Bachrach will get at least some non-CGI screentime in the film.
5 The Fantastic Four Will Have A Family Focus
Stories about their team are at their best when they actually feel like a family
Despite not actually featuring The Fantastic Four, many have called Pixar’s The Incrediblesthe best Fantastic Four movie simply because it so effectively cut to the team’s core as a super-powered family. Thankfully, it seems as though the MCU understands this crucial element to The Fantastic Four’s stories, as the warm, intimate setting and jovial attitudes on display clearly evoke the familial nature of the team. Of course, Reed Richards and Susan Storm’s romance also takes center stage, with Valentine’s Day being a great excuse to show off the lovebirds’ bond.
4 The Fantastic Four Are Back To Being Astronauts
Gone are the days of vague teleportation technology
Other than revealing Ebon Moss-Bachrach as a pre-transformation Benjamin Grimm, the portrait on the wall suggests that The Fantastic Four’s origin is once again going to be cosmic in nature. In the most recent film, 2015’s Fantastic Four, the quartet actually receives their powers when traveling via an experimental teleportation device, rather than the spacefaring journey of the original comic’s origin. With Ben Grimm made up in full astronaut regalia in his portrait in the art, it seems as though The Fantastic Four will once again be voyaging into outer space to get their powers.
3 The Fantastic Four Release Date Has Been Confirmed To Be Delayed
If only by a couple of months
The waves of the recent SAG-AFTRA strikes alongside other behind-the-scenes turmoil have resulted in multiple MCU projects being delayed for release. The Fantastic Four was previously hit by these delays, but the Valentine’s Day post seems to have confirmed the film’s release to be kicked back even further, with a caption clarifying the film would hit theaters on July 25th, 2025. This is two months back from the film’s initial release date for May 2nd of the same year, swapping positions on the release schedule with Marvel’s Thunderbolts.
2 The Fantastic Four Will Be Slightly Older Than Previous Versions
It seems that Marvel won’t be afraid to show the team’s age
Previously, live-action iterations of The Fantastic Four have all been depicted as relatively young, being exposed to the energies that would grant them their powers in relatively formative years. However, the average cast age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Fantastic Four seems to be slightly on the older side, with Pedro Pascal being 48, Ebon Moss-Bachrach being 46, Vanesssa Kirby being 35 and even Joe Quinn being 30, despite depicting the typically young and impulsive Johnny Storm. It’s unclear if the MCU will skip the origin story, making The Fantastic Four already superhero veterans by the start of the film.
1 The Film’s Title Is Confirmed As “The Fantastic Four”
Marvel’s anticipated Fantastic Four project finally has a true title
Previously referred to as Marvel’s Fantastic Four, the MCU’s official title for the project was previously unrevealed. However, the Valentine’s Day art clarified the film’s name as “The Fantastic Four“, depicted with a clean graphic title including the classic circled numerical “4”. Distinguishing itself from two already-existing movies simply titled Fantastic Four with the addition of the “The” was a smart move, much like the distinction of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad vs. 2016’s Suicide Squad. In any case, it’s a relief to finally know what title to anticipate for the release of Marvel’s The Fantastic Four.