The Fantastic Four: First Steps Director on Which Character Was Most Challenging to Cast

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As the one who’s about to guide the fantastic journey of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, I can tell you that finding the right actor for a certain character was no easy feat. This movie marks a significant milestone, being the debut of Marvel’s original family within the MCU.

Matt Shakman explains why it was tough to find the right actor to play Reed Richards

In a recent conversation with Variety, Shakman revealed that casting Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic was the hardest part for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He elaborated, “Reed transforms from a nerdy scientist confined in his lab, to a protective family man, and eventually, the leader of the Avengers. I came to understand that our version needed to encompass all those aspects.

Consequently, it’s understandable that selecting the actor to portray the future leader of the Avengers in Doomsday and Secret Wars was challenging. However, Pedro Pascal, a familiar face from their theater days, ultimately got the role. As it turns out, they had the same talent manager at the start of their careers, and they almost lived together. Matt Shakman, known for his love for theater, often involved Pascal in various projects he was working on within the Los Angeles theater scene. The casting for ‘Fantastic Four’ seemed like a cosmic coincidence, according to Pascal.

Among the actors in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we have Vanessa Kirby portraying Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing, Joseph Quinn stepping into the role of Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer. Prior to First Steps, Shakman had directed the 2014 thriller Cut Bank. His previous works include directing episodes for shows like Everwood on the WB, Psych on USA Network, and WandaVision on 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 09:42