On Feb. 14, 2024, Marvel treated its fans to a surprise: A post showing an adorably sketched scene of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm sitting around in a pretty pink reading room. The caption reads, “Happy Valentine’s Day from Marvel’s First Family!” Upon closer inspection, fans have spotted several famous faces in the characters.
Vanessa Kirby of The Crown, has been cast as Sue Storm, the older sister to the imperviously hot-headed (Haha, get it? Because he’s the Human Torch? Flame on? OK, moving on.) Johnny Storm. Johnny Storm is played by Joseph Quinn, who rose to fame via his role as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of the Netflix hit Stranger Things. Kirby and Quinn are joined by Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, better known as Thing. Moss-Bachrach is known by most for his spectacular performance in Hulu’s The Bear. Rounding out this star-studded cast is my favorite man on Earth, Pedro Pascal, in the role of Reed Richards. Pascal is known for his role in HBO’s The Last of Us (Hey, I wrote an article about that too. Huh, I must really like this guy or something).
What more could Marvel fans want with a hefty top-billed cast like this? I can answer that one! A good story. Following Marvel’s most recent return to The Fantastic Four, the aptly named Fantastic Four (2015), and its horrendous performance with a measly 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Marvel’s first family could use a good comeback. With Marvel’s recent downward trend in positive audience reaction, I genuinely hope they will make this a great movie. No details about the movie’s plot have been released, as it isn’t set to release until next year, but Marvel fans everywhere have their fingers crossed that this beloved group of heroes doesn’t fall flat as they have in the past.
Surprisingly, another point of contention in the Marvel sphere surrounding this iteration is their casting choices. Joseph Quinn has become somewhat of a burgeoning star in Hollywood. His portrayal of the hard-core ‘80s rock teen in Stranger Things was the first many had seen of him, and some people have raised eyebrows. Many claim that he doesn’t have the look or feel for the role. Direct comparisons have come into play, with many comparing Quinn to his sweltering predecessors, Michael B. Jordan and Chris Evans, and many Marvel fans are questioning whether he has the sex appeal for the role. Many of Quinn’s fans have come to his side and supported the actor amidst the backlash. I think Quinn is an excellent addition to this cast. He showed his acting chops in the variety of performances he’s had outside of Stranger Things, and as for the sex appeal… he’ll have no issues there.
Another casting choice that has had some Marvel fans in a tizzy is that of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards. Many fans are worried that the actor has too many commitments and won’t be able to put his heart into the performance. To that, I say, pretty please, kindly stop. Others are concerned that Pascal’s past performances have been too endearing to play the man that Marvel fans love to hate. Richards is a character that is so full of himself and downright unlikable, that many fear Pascal won’t be able to portray that at all, let alone with nuance. In that regard, I would most definitely disagree with these statements. Pascal has proven himself to be able to play unlovable characters, even if they don’t stay that way. His portrayal of Joel in The Last of Us is fantastic evidence. For those who knew nothing about where the show was going or how the first season would end, Pascal portrayed Joel as a cold and uncaring man.
All in all, I am highly anticipating this movie. I’ve already made plans with my older brother to see it when it hits theaters in July of 2025. I’m looking forward to new plot details, trailers, and behind-the-scenes content that will definitely be coming over the course of the next year.