Why This Fantastic Four Character Was Toughest To Cast for First Steps

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In a recent chat, director Matt Shakman, known for helming the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” disclosed that choosing the right actor for one character proved to be the trickiest part of casting for this movie. It’s worth mentioning that this movie is set to introduce the Fantastic Four, a team frequently referred to as Marvel’s first family, within the MCU for the very first time.

Matt Shakman says Reed Richards was most challenging to cast in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

In a recent chat with Variety, Shakman shared that casting Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic was the hardest part for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He elaborated, “Reed is not just a nerdish scientist confined to his lab, but also a devoted husband and father who will go to great lengths to safeguard his family, and ultimately, the man leading the Avengers. I came to understand that our portrayal needed to encompass all these facets.

It’s understandable that choosing the actor to portray the future leader of the Avengers in Doomsday and Secret Wars was a challenging task. However, Pedro Pascal, who had a history with Shakman from their theater days in their twenties, eventually got the role. As Pascal mentioned in an email to the same publication, they shared the same talent manager at the start of their careers and even considered living together. “Matt has always been involved in theater,” Pascal said, “and he would often involve me in his projects within the Los Angeles theater community. Our collaboration on ‘Fantastic Four’ just seemed destined to happen.

In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we have Vanessa Kirby portraying Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman; Ebon Moss-Bachrach stepping into the role of Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing; Joseph Quinn taking on Johnny Storm, or Human Torch; and Julia Garner bringing Shalla-Bal, or Silver Surfer, to life. Before First Steps, Shakman was behind the camera for the 2014 thriller Cut Bank, and he’s also directed episodes for TV shows like Everwood (WB), Psych (USA Network), and WandaVision (Disney+).

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to release in U.S. theaters on July 25, 2025.

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2025-07-17 09:28