Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four reboot continues to gain momentum in pre-production as the studio gears up for a summer shoot in London. The latest actor to join the ensemble is John Malkovich, according to Deadline.
Details on his character, much like the plot, remain under wraps. Malkovich was most recently seen in Apple’s The New Look, a series starring Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche about the French design world during and after World War II. He’s also had appearances in Netflix’s Ripley and Showtime’s Billions.
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Malkovich is a two-time Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actor. In 1995, he received his second Oscar nomination for In the Line of Fire. He also starred in the 1999 cult classic Being John Malkovich. The actor is no stranger to the comic book superhero genre. In 2010, he starred opposite Josh Brolin in Jonah Hex in the DC Comics-based feature.
Marvel is many of their eggs in the Fantastic Four basket, which they hope will culminate in a resurgence of the MCU’s popularity after a decline in quality and audience reception over the past couple of years. They also have high hopes for this summer’s Deadpool & Wolverine, both critically and commercially.
The studio has been taking good care of the Fantastic Four script for a long time and waited until they had a solid pitch to start meeting with actors. The main ensemble will consist of Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. Julia Garner is set to play a version of the Silver Surfer, and Paul Walter Houser recently joined the project in an undisclosed role. Speculation has it he will portray Mole Man.
WandaVision director Matt Shakman is at the helm. Multiple writers have taken a crack at the script, including Josh Friedman, who penned the now-in-theaters Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Eric Pearson (Black Widow), who was brought in recently to do some punch-ups, and the duo Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, who were the first to take a crack at it.
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Shooting will start this summer in the UK, with the studio currently targeting a July 25, 2025 release date. It’s going to be a tight month from where we’re standing, though, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up pushing it again into the fall. As of today, Universal has a new Jurassic movie opening at the beginning of the month, and James Gunn’s Superman is set to bow on July 11.
About Marvel’s The Fantastic Four
Release Date:Â July 25, 2025
Director:Â Matt Shakman
Writers:Â Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson; Based on the Marvel Comics created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Producer:Â Kevin Feige
Production:Â Marvel Studios
Distribution:Â Walt Disney Studios
Cast:Â Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich
Synopsis: TBA
We want to hear your theories on who John Malkovich might be playing in The Fantastic Four. What is your favorite performance of his? Do you have any predictions as to who might play any of the remaining key characters, including Galactus and Dr. Doom? Let us know on our social media.
SOURCE: Deadline
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