The Big Picture

• John Malkovich joins Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four in an undisclosed role.
• The film will directed by Matt Shakman with a cast including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the titular superhero team.
• Following production delays the film is currently slated for a July 25, 2025 release date.

Marvel Studios has added another cast member for its upcoming Fantastic Four adaptation. Deadline reports that John Malkovich, known for his roles in Space Force and In the Line of Fire was added to the MCU's evergrowing roster for an unnamed role. Malkovich will be joining other confirmed actors in this project, including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Details for Malkovich's involvement remain under wraps. But that's no surprise, as most details for the upcoming adaptation remain a mystery. Aside from the main cast members, it was also confirmed that WandaVision's Matt Shakman will be directing the movie from a script written by Eric Pearson, Josh Fiedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Julia Garner is playing Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer only previously seen in comics.

The Fantastic Four was first announced during the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. According to Marvel Studio's executive, Kevin Feige, this film will be part of Phase 6 of the MCU timeline, and it was revealed in 2022 that won't be an origin story of the superhero group. Prior to the official cast announcement, a variant of Reed Richards appeared in Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness, played by John Krasinski. Fantastic Four is said to open Phase 6 of the MCU timeline and unfortunately had its release date pushed due to production delays.

What To Expect From the New 'Fantastic Four' Movie

The Fantastic Four's story has been told a handful of times on the big screen. Prior to the MCU, 20th Century Fox released a movie based on the superhero team in 2015, starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell. Unfortunately, that film was poorly received by fans and critics alike, with a dismal critic score of 9% and an average audience score of 18% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even further back, there was also the Fantastic Four duology that was released in 2005 and 2007. Both were directed by Tim Story and starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis as the titular superhero team. While we don't know much about the newest movie, marketing for the film seems to indicate a retro setting in the 1960s.

John Malkovich Has Several Projects on the Horizon

Malkovich started his acting career in 1976 and, since then, has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, and stage plays. The actor was nominated for two Academy Awards for his supporting role in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire. Aside from his Fantastic Four role, Malkovich is set to star in numerous projects, such as In the Hand of Dante, A24's Opus, and The Yellow Tie.

The Fantastic Four is scheduled to hit theaters on July 25, 2025. Stay tuned at Collider for further updates.