The forthcoming Fantastic Four reboot is among one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies that’s set to arrive over the next few years. While there are still details that we don’t know about the film, the information that has been revealed indicates that Marvel Studios wants to put a fresh spin on the iconic quartet of do-gooders. CinemaBlend was just fortunate enough to get some time with studio head honcho Kevin Feige, who shed some light on the film’s development. He not only revealed his team’s “focus” while making the movie but also recalled when knew that “90 percent of the work was done.”
Kevin Feige finds himself in an interesting position with this comic book flick, which has a date on the 2025 movie schedule. Like Spider-Man and the X-Men, FF is one of the properties that Feige worked on during the pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe era. CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell spoke to the super producer amid the press day for Deadpool & Wolverine. When O’Connell asked about The Fantastic Four, Feige spoke to director Matt Shakman’s flair for visuals, before emphasizing the core of the story:
Matt Shakman is very, very good at utilizing visual effects. The most important thing for us… the stretching’s gotta look cool, the rocky exterior of The Thing has got to look cool, the flames have got to look cool. [But] it’s all about the characters. It’s all about the family. It’s all about [those] dynamics. So the minute we got that cast that we’ve announced signed up, 90 percent of the work was done. That is what the focus is of the movie.
I like what I’m hearing for multiple reasons. For one, it’s great to know that Kevin Feige and co.’s main “focus” is on developing the familial dynamic amongst the titular team. That’s a major reason why comic book lovers have adored Marvel’s First Family for so many years now. Yes, spectacle is definitely part of the proceedings and deserves plenty of time and attention from the creative team. But, at the end of the day, all of that means nothing if the story doesn’t include layered characters with quality actors playing them. Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing) are portraying the leads. So, with talent like that, I can understand why Feige believed “90 percent” of the heavy lifting was done after casting everyone.
Of course, the producer’s comments also have me pumped, because I’m even more excited to see how the eponymous group’s powers will look on screen. Matt Shakman is indeed a whiz with visual effects, and fans can get a taste of that by way of his work on WandaVision. So the texture of the Thing’s anatomy should be rock solid, and the flames on Johnny Storm should shine bright (without Joseph Quinn having to set himself on fire).
Kevin Feige recently confirmed some FF rumors, with the biggest being that the movie will indeed be a period piece that takes place in the 1960s. And it’s set in a universe that’s not the main MCU). That seemed evident by the concept art that’s been shared since the lead actors were revealed. Speaking of the Fantastic Four cast, the four aforementioned actors will be joined by the likes of Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson and John Malkovich. Weeks ago, Feige also revealed that filming is set to begin the week after San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Fans may want to be locked in on Saturday, July 27, as new details on the flick may be confirmed during Marvel Studios’ panel in Hall H.
The wait for this movie already hasn’t been easy, and that’s now really the case after hearing Kevin Feige’s latest comments. I’m confident that fans are in for a real treat with this film though, we’ll be able to better assess everything once we actually see footage. Here’s to a bold new cinematic era for the beloved superhero family!
The Fantastic Four opens in theaters on July 25, 2025. In the meantime, you can stream the FF films of the early 2000s using a Disney+ subscription and the 2015 revamp with a Max subscription.
