It’s almost time for the final Marvel movie of 2025. The Fantastic Four: First Steps launches worldwide in late July, and before it arrives, you might be wondering who’s in the upcoming superhero film.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of the most prominent cast members who’ll appear in the first Marvel Phase 6 project. I’ll also tell you which characters they’re playing and where you might have seen these actors before.
Before we begin: this article only contains actors confirmed to appear and whose role hasn’t been cut from the final film (RIP John Malkovich’s Red Ghost). My ultimate guide to The Fantastic Four: First Steps provides more information on that character’s absence and looks at some big cast rumors, so read that once you’re done here.
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic
One of the most popular and prolific A-listers of recent years, Pascal was rumored to be Mister Fantastic way back in November 2023. Last February, he was all but confirmed as Reed Richards before Marvel officially unveiled who’d be playing The Fantastic Four in the group’s latest big-screen reboot.
For those unfamiliar with the character, Richards is the de facto leader of Marvel’s First Family. He’s also an incredibly intelligent individual with an ego to match that of Tony Stark’s. Unlike his fellow genius, though, Richards can lack the ability to emotionally connect with people, so he often comes across as cold. Oh, and he can stretch his body and limbs, too. Richards acquired this superpower when he and the rest of The Fantastic Four encountered cosmic radiation that altered their DNA and imbued them with superhuman abilities.
Following his breakout TV roles in Narcos and Game of Thrones, Pascal has appeared in numerous big films and shows, including The Last of Us, Gladiator II, The Mandalorian, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Most recently, he’s starred in the A24 movie duo Materialists and Eddington. He’ll next be seen in the Star Wars film The Mandalorian and Grogu and Avengers: Doomsday, which arrive in March and December 2026.
Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman
After Kirby dropped a huge hint about her involvement in First Steps – she told me it would “be an honor” to play Sue Storm in August 2023 – it was inevitable she’d be cast as the super-team’s only female character.
Also known as The Invisible Woman, Storm is one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel Universe. In the comics, she can turn invisible, fly, and create force fields to protect or catch objects. Numerous teasers, including First Steps‘ official trailer, revealed she’ll possess some of these powers and confirmed a big fan theory about Sue Storm that’s ended up being one of the movie’s two worst-kept secrets.
Kirby rose to fame for portraying Princess Margaret in seasons 1, 2, and 5 of the hit drama The Crown. Since then, she’s appeared in three Mission: Impossible movies, Pieces of a Woman, Apple Movie Original Napoleon, and various other big- and small-screen projects. Following First Steps, viewers can see her in Night Always Comes and Avengers 5.
Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
Sue’s hot-headed brother, who was portrayed by former Captain America star Chris Evans and Black Panther actor Michael B. Jordan in prior Fantastic Four live-action films, will be played by Stranger Things alumnus Joseph Quinn in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Given his impulsive nature and ‘Human Torch’ superhero alias, it’ll come as no surprise to learn that Johnny Storm has pyrokinetic abilities. Indeed, he can create fire – in environments where oxygen is present, anyway – to use as a weapon against his foes and/or enable him to fly. He also possesses the ability to absorb heat energy, which would be a handy ability to have if he ever became a firefighter.
Aside from playing fan-favorite character Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4 on Netflix, a role that turned him into an overnight sensation, Quinn has also appeared in other TV projects like Dickensian, Catherine the Great, Small Axe, and Strike. On the big screen, he featured alongside Pascal in Gladiator II, and also had roles in A Quiet Place: Day One and Warfare. Like the above pair, he’s also part of Avengers: Doomsday‘s initial 27-strong cast.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
The Bear stalwart Ebon Moss-Bachrach is on board as the fourth and final member of the titular team, Ben Grimm/The Thing. The handsome pilot underwent the biggest physical transformation due to the galactic radiation the group encountered, and his skin turned into an orange, rock-like substance.
Grimm’s mutated, rocky exterior allows him to withstand hits that would floor many other individuals. He also possesses superhuman strength, endurance, and stamina, and is effectively immortal in Marvel literature. Given how much it’s been teased in various trailers and TV spots for one of 2025’s most exciting new movies, don’t be surprised if he utters his famous phrase “It’s clobberin’ time!” at some point, too.
Arguably most famous for co-starring in The Bear, aka one of the best Hulu shows and best Disney+ shows, Moss-Bachrach has also had roles in The Punisher, Girls, Andor, We’ll Never Have Paris, and No Hard Feelings. He’s also due to appear in Avengers: Doomsday.
Ralph Ineson as Galactus
The planet-devouring cosmic entity known as Galactus will be First Steps‘ primary antagonist. His appearance was all but confirmed when Marvel teased key story details about the film last April. One month later, The Office UK star Ralph Ineson was tapped to play him, but it wasn’t until late April that we got our first proper look at Galactus, albeit via a Lego toy leak. Indeed, Marvel didn’t reveal Galactus’ full form in First Steps‘ inaugural trailer and hasn’t done so in other footage we’ve seen since.
A terrifying, immortal space god who feasts on planetary bodies to sustain himself, Galactus will be a near-impossible force for The Fantastic Four to overcome. Indeed, he maintains mastery over the Power Cosmic, a source of unlimited power that grants him an infinite amount of superhuman abilities, including, but not limited to, size alteration, teleportation, matter transmutation, energy projection, and creation of interdimensional portals.
Ineson was most recently seen in Foundation season 3 on Apple TV+, but viewers may also recognize him from appearances in Nosferatu, The Northman, The Green Knight, Ludwig, The Jetty, Chernobyl, and Game of Thrones, among many other films and series.
Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/The Silver Surfer
The latest incumbent to portray Galactus’ Herald, Julia Garner will play a female version of The Silver Surfer, whose real name is Shalla-Bal.
A surfboard-riding humanoid who reluctantly agrees to become Galactus’ harbinger to save their world, Zenn-La, The Silver Surfer boasts superpowers that are also borne from the Power Cosmic, including super-strength and endurance, heightened senses, and the ability to traverse interstellar space and hyperspace via their surfboard.
Best known for playing Ruth in Ozark, aka one of the best Netflix shows, Garner has also starred in The Americans, Dirty John, Inventing Anna, Apartment 7A, and Wolf Man, among others. Her next major role will be in August’s supernatural horror flick Weapons before she starts work on Madonna’s film biopic, in which Garner will play the so-called ‘Queen of Pop’.
Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder/Mole Man
Unlike Malkovich, Hauser will appear in a bit-part role in First Steps, with The Afterparty and Black Bird actor tackling the role of Mole Man.
Another member of The Fantastic Four’s rogues gallery, Mole Man spends much of his time (in the comics, anyway) trying to conquer Earth’s surface world. The scientific genius usually does so with the aid of the Moloids, mole-human hybrids who dwell in the subsurface nation of Subterranea and whom Mole Man rules over.
The aforementioned Apple TV Original aside, Hauser has also featured in Cobra Kai, Reno 911!, Kingdom, Inside Out 2, and Orion and the Dark. Post-First Steps, his next role will be the Jeremy Allen White-led Bruce Springsteen biopic, which comes out in October.
Matthew Wood as H.E.R.B.I.E
The eponymous supergroup’s robot assistant, H.E.R.B.I.E will be voiced by Matthew Wood. H.E.R.B.I.E isn’t a fully CGI creation, either – indeed, Marvel created a fully functioning robotic puppet that could interact with the iconic quartet, and my colleague Jacob Krol even got to meet it in person!
But back to Wood. The sound editor/voice actor is best known for playing General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith, i.e., the third and final installment in Star Wars’ prequel film trilogy. He’s also had various small voice roles in other Lucasfilm and MCU projects, such as Star Wars: Visions, What If…?, and Willow.
Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman
Following her addition to First Steps‘ cast last May, MCU fans were convinced Natasha Lyonne was the perfect hire for a specific Marvel character in Alicia Masters. Having seen some of the movie, though, I can confirm she’s playing someone named Rachel Rozman. No spoilers for what role she’ll play, though.
Lyonne is the star of Netflix’s brilliant time-travel-inspired Russian Doll TV Original and the Peacock whodunnit series Poker Face (its second season has just ended). She’s also had roles in Orange is the New Black, What If…?, Portlandia, His Three Daughters, Ad Astra, and the latest Smurfs movie reboot. Lyonne’s instantly recognizable voice will also be heard in The Bad Guys 2, which launches worldwide on the same day as First Steps.
Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols
Another ally of Richards and company, Sarah Niles has signed on as Lynne Nichols, the CEO of The Future Foundation. A stand-in for the United Nations in the alternate universe (Earth-828) that The Fantastic Four resides in, Nichols oversees the day-to-day running of The Future Foundation, which was originally set up by Sue Storm.
Best known as Doctor Sharon Fieldstone in the multi-award-winning sports comedy show Ted Lasso, Niles is slowly becoming a household name. Indeed, whether it’s her appearances in films like the Brad Pitt-starring F1, or John Cena and Idris Elba’s Amazon Original Heads of State, the rise of the Beautiful People and Catastrophe actor is long overdue. Up next for Niles is The Thursday Murder Club, Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-selling murder-mystery book.
Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert
Another actor with a small role in First Steps, Mark Gattis is in line to play Ted Gilbert, the host of a TV talk show that Marvel’s First Family appears on.
Known for co-creating and appearing in UK comedy horror series The League of Gentlemen, Gatiss’ writing and acting credits extend to the BBC’s modern-day retelling of Sherlock Holmes (the one starring Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch), Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, The Favourite, and Mission: Impossible 7. Most recently, Gatiss is the brainchild behind Bookish, a crime drama that’s just started airing on various global networks, such as HBO Max and U&Alibi.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives globally on Friday, July 25. The group’s three other live-action movies are available to stream now on Disney+.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
