It seems like every blockbuster needs a viral-worthy popcorn bucket these days, and right on cue, one artist just made the perfect set for Marvel’s Fantastic Four! d2b4c

Promotional popcorn buckets are nothing new, however, the modern boom of novelty popcorn buckets began in 2019 and has only gotten bigger. AMC theatres have been at the forefront of the movement since, and the trend finally reached its peak this year.

Let’s take a look at some of the best we’ve seen, and the potential The Fantastic Four designs. 

The perfect Fantastic Four popcorn bucket designs  4g3v5k

Many moviegoers are interested in buckets as collectible items. Heck, even K-pop inspired buckets exist. But these Fantastic Four bucket designs might just be the cream of the crop. BossLogic, a concept artist on X, designed some amazing popcorn buckets for the movie, and Marvel needs to get these licensed fast. 

BossLogic’s designs include a bucket for each member of Marvel’s first family. For Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, the bucket plays on his stretchy powers and is shaped like his stretched-out arm, complete with a hand to hold your drink. Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman’s bucket has a see-through effect. For Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, BossLogic went for a cheeky fire emergency box design, complete with an “In case of fire, break glass,” warning. Finally, for Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, the bucket is shaped like his signature fedora with his hardened hand holding it up. 

War of the popcorn buckets 5d3f2

The novelty popcorn bucket trend really kicked off this year when pictures of the questionable Dune: Part 2 buckets were leaked. The buckets featured lids designed to look like the sandworms from the movie with a puckered opening lined with spikes to represent the creature’s teeth. Despite the creator’s intentions, the buckets immediately had people thinking the dirtiest thoughts, and let’s just say the internet had a field day with them. Despite the designs not being received exactly how they were intended, they still went viral and were a huge hit, leading other 2024 blockbusters to hop on the trend. 

After Dune: Part 2’s sandworm design went viral, theatres went all out with their buckets. Regal Cinemas decided to also do a sandworm design, this one after the iconic black and white worm from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice which ended up as another hit. Both Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres released novelty buckets for Venom: The Last Dance and Cinemark Theatres ed in the fun with their kickass helmet-shaped buckets for Gladiator II. Cinemark also outdid itself with 3D Moana 2 bucket designs that featured different characters and a live ocean wave. 

Even horror movies like Nosferatu weren’t left out of the fun as Regal Cinemas designed a popcorn bucket shaped like the vampire’s coffin. However, Ryan Reynolds declared all-out war when he partnered with AMC to design a Deadpool & Wolverine bucket to rival Dune: Part 2. The bucket followed in its competitor’s suggestive shoes and was shaped like Wolverine’s head with his mouth open. In typical Deadpool style, Reynolds released a seductive teaser video for the bucket to declare war. But who knows, maybe the Fantastic Four will knock Pool and Claws out of the park with their own unique popcorn bucket designs!

Since the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, there have been many questions as to where the MCU is headed. While many things have changed since then, the film, Doomsday, may be a return to form.

The film will feature the return of Robert Downey Jr. in the franchise since his departure as Tony Stark in 2019. Tony was given the proper send-off that was empowering and emotional. Thankfully, this ending won’t be toyed with as Downey Jr. is returning as a different character. After the fallout of the Jonathan Majors drama, the MCU alum will be the first in the current era of the franchise to portray the iconic Fantastic Four villain, Doctor Doom. Fans aren’t the only ones who are excited. Another famous doctor has also contributed his opinion about the news. According to TVGroove, Benedict Cumberbatch who plays former Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange was nothing but ive of the news.

Of course, everything is being held close to the vest for now but this could mean a new beginning for the MCU. Chris Evans is returning for Doomsday as well, though it’s unclear what his role may be. The multiverse offers many tantalizing options that will ensure fans will tune in. The MCU has been inspiring many questions, some more pressing than others.

Will Doctor Doom appear in Fantastic Four? 3a3371

When the MCU was in a bind, enlisting a fan-favorite actor was the best course of action. The plans for Kang Dynasty were scorched earth and the best conclusion was to bring back a crowd-pleaser. Robert Downey Jr. effectively started the modern era of Marvel with his depiction of Iron Man and enough time ed since the character’s death to make that work.

It is also likely that Downey Jr. won’t be the ultimate iteration of the character. With the multiverse in play, the actor will likely just be a Doom variant and Doom Prime could be cast with another actor when the time comes. The question remains, will Doom appear in his known franchise in addition to Doomsday?

Victor Von Doom is a classic adversary for the Fantastic Four, a group that is finally making its way into the MCU. After the original films in the early aughts, the oldest Marvel team-up had the potential for a new life with Josh Trank’s 2015 film. Starring Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, the movie tanked after many reported reshoots. The MCU has been gunshy about the ensemble since then, but they are finally getting their chance to shine throughout the cosmos once more.

A Fantastic Four film is in the works, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn in leading roles. The third time may be the charm, but there has been no news if Doom will make an appearance. The Fantastic Four is reportedly jumping right to Galactus, having cast Ralph Ineson in the role. Julia Garner will also reportedly star as the Silver Surfer, one of Galactus’ heralds. The return of MCU alums along with the long-awaited introduction of a famous team may be the changes that Marvel has needed all this time.

There is so much to look forward to about 2025’s much-anticipated Fantastic Four reboot. Marvel has assembled an incredible cast to bring the First Family back to life — Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, in case you’ve forgotten — and WandaVision director Matt Shakman looks to be bringing as much visual creativity to this MCU project as he did his last. One thing we haven’t been crazy about, though, is the title.

The Multiverse Saga has been plagued by muddled monikers from the beginning — someone was clearly having a psychiatric episode making Ant-Man 3, but what does Quantumania actually mean? — and The Fantastic Four: First Steps threatens to the ever-growing ill-named line-up. You can see what Marvel’s going for — I suspect it’s supposed to have a Space Age flavor befitting the 1960s setting — but it sounds a tad too much like it’s actually Fantastic Four Babies.

That’s why this indication that Marvel might secretly have rechristened it behind the scenes is leaving us keeping our elasticated fingers crossed that it’s true.

The Fantastic Four‘s new subtitle may have been revealed 4v2g6h

Eagle-eyed detectives on Reddit have noticed a curious entry on the LinkedIn profile of a Fantastic Four crewmember that appears to reveal it’s going by a new name.

For starters, originally the entry stated that they provided the practical prop for H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot on set. This confirmed that the foursome’s faithful android would be realized physically rather than by CGI. Once this started to be discussed online, however, the crewmember edited their profile to remove the H.E.R.B.I.E. reference.

What they didn’t do was change the listed name for the movie. This suggests that this isn’t just a mistake and is actually what the production team is calling it. According to this LinkedIn profile, then, the film is actually titled The Fantastic Four: First . This may only be a one-word alteration from the previous title, but it really makes all the difference. And Star Trek fans know why.

First also happens to be the name of a beloved Star Trek movie from 1996. Kevin Feige has long been open about his love for all things Trek — Avengers: Endgame not only takes its title from the Star Trek: Voyager finale, but its time-traveling plotline was also directly inspired by the last episode of The Next Generation. What’s more, Matt Shakman was attached to direct Star Trek 4 for Paramount before Marvel came a-knocking with the Fantastic Four offer.

Given this, it’s highly unlikely that the title listing is a simple goof and there’s every reason to believe it is what the movie will ultimately go by. Let’s hope, anyway, as it’s superior to the First Steps subtitle. It takes the inherent spacey/sci-fi vibes of that title and enhances them, making even clearer to audiences what they will be in for with this new take on the fantastic franchise. Fantastic Four Babies can wait until Marvel needs something to fill its Disney Plus quota in 2048.

What is happening with Spider-Man 4? It’s been almost three years since No Way Home became the highest-grossing Multiverse Saga movie to date (suck it, Deadpool & Wolverine), but we have yet to get an official word on what’s next for Tom Holland’s wallcrawler. That said, rumors are spreading that Marvel and Sony are taking the fourquel in an… unexpected direction.

A sinister swoop of rumors have emerged regarding the film, which is currently undergoing a creative rehaul following Shang-Chi‘s Destin Daniel Cretton coming aboard as director. Word has it that Spidey 4 will go even more cosmic and ambitious than the last one, with Robert Downey Jr., Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire all potentially returning alongside Tom Hardy’s Venom (actually multiple symbiotes) and an outer-space setting.

Unsurprisingly, fans have thoughts. Many feel that this would be 100% the wrong direction to go in after No Way Home so perfectly placed Peter Parker to become the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man of yore next time around. “I really hate that everything Spider-man has to be multiversal or a grand event now,” grumbled one Redditor. “This movie is shaping up to be everything I DIDNT want it to be to a tee,” grouched another, one of several who are taking this alleged news as a personal attack: “This is such a headache. Really hope they don’t go the multiverse/Venom route with this one but they seem to have it out for me personally.”

Given the fan reaction, then, Marvel might want to consider if bigger really is better. What a lot of fans want, it seems, is simply for Spidey to hang (and swing) around New York and keep things grounded (or rooftopped, anyway). The irony is that the studios are thinking way too hard about this, as there’s a perfect title sitting in their laps, and it would deliver everything fans are asking for.

Spider-Man 4‘s ultimate title and team-up is right before our eyes, and Marvel needs to notice before it’s too late 611h3p

Spider-Man: There’s No Place Like Home? Spider-Man In Space? Even Spider-Man: King in Black, according to another recent rumor? Nah, thanks, we’re good. Honestly, the best title Marvel could christen Spider-Man 4 with is exceedingly obvious. Hear me out: how about they just call it… Spider-Man Four? Or, perhaps more accurately, Spider-Man/Four.

The USP of each of Tom Holland’s first Spidey trilogy was how they teamed him up with other Marvel icons — Iron Man in Homecoming, Nick Fury (kinda) in Far From Home, and Doctor Strange in No Way Home. It just so happens that Spider-Man 4 is coming out right as the Fantastic Four are entering the fray for the first time. So why not have Peter sling on over to the Baxter Building and meet Reed Richards and company?

Spidey has been friends with the foursome ever since the 1960s — he often teams up with good pal Johnny Storm — and he’s essentially the honorary fifth member of the team (alongside She-Hulk). There’s acres of history to mine from there, which makes a Spidey/FF crossover such a perfect direction for his fourth MCU solo outing. Deadpool & Wolverine has proven that slamming two IPs together in a title works wonders, so the heft of both Spider-Man and Fantastic Four as brands would surely push this past the $1 billion mark at the box office as well.

The only hitch is that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in another universe, as Pascal’s team doesn’t actually hail from the Sacred Timeline. Except maybe that isn’t an issue, as that would hand the film the cosmic/multiversal edge the studios are apparently looking for, given that Peter would need to cross over into another reality in order to meet them. That would also neatly tie into Downey’s Doom, who probably comes from the same world, and Garfield and Maguire could always come with him. Everyone’s a winner! Kevin Feige, I’m begging you, please return my calls.

Sorry, Sam Wilson. Forget about it, Thunderbolts. The most notable Marvel movie coming in 2025 surely has to be The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the long-awaited MCU reboot of the franchise’s First Family. Of course, while we’ve yet to see Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s incarnations of the fabulous foursome before, a couple of FF variants have already turned up in the Sacred Timeline.

John Krasinski surprised us all when he showed up as Earth-838’s Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And then Deadpool & Wolverine went even further by bringing back Chris Evans, not as Captain America, but as his Johnny Storm from the mid-aughts Fantastic Four movies. Both were fan-favorite cameos that blew fans’ minds… But, in hindsight, they might indicate a troubling trend that Marvel had better not continue in First Steps.

Marvel needs to fix its fascination with Fantastic Four fatalities before it’s too late 1o172g

X @MCUPerfectGifs got fans worried with one viral tweet which combined two oddly similar moments from both Krasinski and Evans’ cameos as their characters. In Doctor Strange 2, the Illuminati’s Mr. Fantastic was infamously shredded into spaghetti by Scarlet Witch, while in Deadpool 3, Human Torch had the skin ripped from his body by Cassandra Nova. Putting the two clips back to back like this is making folks realize something: wow, Marvel loves killing the Fantastic Four, huh?

When you look at their cameos through this perspective, suddenly it seems like Marvel is not honoring these characters but reducing them, by killing them off after about five minutes of screentime. As one commenter even dared to declare, “They are not respected in the MCU.”

Ben Grimm might be feeling a little worried right about now.

“What will they do to invisible woman">Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom wants us to think…

2019 was arguably the last time there was any consensus within the Marvel fanbase. Avengers: Endgame was the best way to send off some of its flagship characters.

Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. said goodbye to Steve Rogers and Tony Stark respectively, who had been founding of The Avengers ensemble team. Steve has a poignant goodbye as he elects to return to the past and reunite with his true love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). This send-off was emotional, but the most heartwrenching of these farewells belonged to Tony. In the interim years following The Snap, Tony created a family with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), an event that made him luckier than most. But in the final battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin), Tony makes the ultimate sacrifice. Knowing that it will kill him, Tony dons the Infinity Gauntlet, uttering his iconic catchphrase.

Endgame was the best conclusion for the character, and it seemed nothing would drag Downey Jr. back into the MCU fold. Nothing short of a salary was increase, at least. But during the complicated aftermath of the Kang saga, Downey Jr. is in fact returning as an iconic figure.

Every Robert Downey Jr. Marvel project 531ao

During San Diego Comic-Con, Downey Jr. surprised everyone by revealing he would be taking on the mantle of Dr. Victor von Doom, the classic adversary to the Fantastic Four. With the addition of Marvel’s Multiverse, playing these two characters is easily explainable. And though there is some controversy with the Doctor Doom casting, it isn’t hard to see how Marvel executives came to this conclusion. After building up an entire arc around Kang the Conqueror only for it to go up in flames with Jonathan Majors’ arrest, the MCU needed a selling point that would bring fans to theaters. Downey Jr. is certainly capable of playing the villain, and it would be a change of pace for the charismatic performer.

The Sherlock Holmes actor has been confirmed for the aptly titled Avengers: Doomsday, but Marvel hasn’t stopped there. Once again putting all their eggs in the villain basket, Downey Jr. has many commitments for the brand coming up. ing forces once again with the Russo Brothers, Downey Jr. will reportedly portray Doom in the Secret Wars (via The Direct). The film is the highly anticipated adaptation of the famous Marvel comic, which was teased in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Downey Jr. is also reported to return to Tony Stark in the form of a Marvel theme park. The King Thanos Multiverse ride is coming to Disneyland, and will allegedly feature Tony Stark in a timeline in which Thanos never plagued Earth. This storyline would mean that Tony never died in one of the many realities that the ride visits. Officially titled Avengers Infinity Defense, Downey Jr. should be representing the Tony character for the ride.

Tony will also appear in another ride called Stark Flight Lab. Also at Disneyland, theme park goers will find themselves in a ride that resembles Tony’s lab testing station. Fans should be excited to experience Downey Jr. in his original role once again, but the big question is whether he will appear in the most anticipated Marvel project of 2026.

Finally, the MCU will be inducting the Fantastic Four into the canon, with filming underway. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) have all been cast in the film. Galactus seems to be the overarching villain, but many are wondering if their iconic villain, Doom, will make an appearance with Downey Jr. in the driver’s seat. There is no confirmation of this possibility at this point, but it would be a crying shame to have Fantastic Four: First Steps not involve the dictator of Latveria. Until confirmation arrives, viewers can catch Avengers: Doomsday when it arrives in 2026.

Doomsday is nigh, and Marvel fans couldn’t be happier. Avengers 5 was sputtering there for a while, ever since it lost both director Destin Daniel Cretton and its villain/title character in Jonathan Majors’ Kang, but now it’s speeding along better than ever. Not only are the Russo brothers back to helm it, but Robert Downey Jr. himself is returning to the MCU as the big bad this time, Doctor Doom.

But you already knew all that, of course. What’s less understood is which characters Downey’s Victor Von Doom (no, not Tony Stark from another Earth, but Victor Von Doom) will be facing off against. It’s a tad too early for Marvel to give that away just yet, but the same Comic-Con that saw the Iron Man icon’s comeback revealed likewise teased a certain group of characters who will definitely be tea with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. And it’s a long time coming.

We don’t know who’ll be on the Avengers’ roster in Doomsday, but we know who they’ll be teaming up with 2p6j5f

There were so many mind-blowing revelations to come out of Marvel Studios’ SDCC showcase that some which would usually be enough to generate a ton of headlines are being entirely overlooked. Case in point, during the Fantastic Four portion of the , studio prez Kevin Feige confirmed something exciting: the foursome will officially feature in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

While this might not be a wholly unexpected announcement — their arch-enemy literally has his name in the title — prior rumors had indicated the gang wouldn’t show up in Avengers 5 (and maybe that was actually true at the time), so it’s a relief to know we will finally get the Avengers/Fantastic Four crossover of our dreams. Ever since Fox brought the Fantastic Four to film in 2005, there have been various attempts to get them to crossover with other Marvel characters — an X-Men vs. Fantastic Four movie was never made and an appearance in Deadpool 2 was cut. Leave it to Marvel to finally put that right.

All in all, that makes six 100% confirmed characters for Doomsday — the Four, Doom, and Doctor Strange, as Benedict Cumberbatch has previously let slip his involvement. We can guess at a few others — Deadpool and Wolverine seem like certs, for starters — and it’s possible that number could reach as high as 60. Nevertheless, it’s clear that Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben are at the core of these movies. It’s sure sounding like, after a decade of despair, Fantastic Four fans are about to be well-fed over the next few years.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for May 2026.

By now, we have all scrapped our fallen jaws from the floor as Marvel Studios pulled the ultimate trick to reverse the damage done by the lackluster Kang and Jonathan Majors’ assault controversy — by bringing Robert Downey Jr. back into the MCU as Doctor Doom, the big bad that will unite the scattered superheroes across the multiverse.

This is what is called the master move. Kevin Feige knew that they only had two ways to reverse the franchise’s constant low point and practically prune it from existence. They could either cast an actor that fans were demanding the most as Doctor Doom or play the nostalgia card and bring an old face to be the villain — the studio combined both.

The confidence in his acting skills — especially after Oppenheimer — shouldn’t have to answer doubts, but unfortunately, this fandom is exactly like Loki was before and during The Avengers.

Never satisfied with getting what he wanted and demanding something else as a better option after his original wish was fulfilled. It is … almost as if we are being mind-controlled by the Asgardian prince.

And that’s how the reactions to RDJ’s casting are going as while the Marvel alum was the top choice for Doctor Doom, many also dreamt of Cillian Murphy in the role. Unlike the DCU, Marvel actually gave fans what they wanted, fulfilling maximum wishes with one move. But alas, the heart always wants what it didn’t get.

Yep, when the chances of RDJ’s MCU return for slim to nothing, he was THE best option for the role. And that he broke his self-pact and is back in the superhero field, suddenly facts like how he is “almost 60” have made him “the worst choice.”

Would other actors — Murphy, Viggo Mortensen, etc — shine in the role? Most probably yes. But will Robert Downey Jr. fail to do justice to Doctor Doom? Let’s look at it this way — back when Iron Man casting was happening Timothy Olyphant was Jon Favreau’s first choice but RDJ proved to be a better Tony Stark. Maybe this is my nostalgia speaking, but I am sure even back then, given the actor’s history at the time, many doubted his ability to be what Marvel needed to become a successful enterprise. Will he repeat the miracle he created decades ago or just sail through the role relying on fans loving him anyway? We won’t know unless we actually get a peek at the actor as Doctor Doom.

And if worst comes to worst, that Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine and a funny script is allowing Deadpool & Wolverine to escape not having a story that does anything for the MCU. A better actor than Jackman or not, RDJ is certainly a bigger presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his playing a negative role has always been the dream — tell me that right there isn’t the recipe for sure success.

Take your time, folks. Meanwhile, I will be here imagining the look on Peter Parker’s face, his heartbroken “Mr. Stark,” as he stares at the face that gave up his dream life to bring him back to life.

The ownership of the former Avengers Tower (and Stark Tower before that) has become one of many pressing, unanswered questions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and, somehow, in a franchise where there is so much going on at all times, one of the most widely discussed.

We heard about Tony Stark selling the tower all the way back in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming when Michael Keaton’s Vulture was hunting down alien and super-powered artifacts to sell on the black market and attempted to intercept the cargo plane that was moving all of the Avengers Tower’s contents to the upstate Avengers compound. Since then, we haven’t received any updates about the tower’s fate besides a brush-away mention in Hawkeye and a quick sighting in Spider-Man: Far From Home where the building appeared “greenified” with a new garden area.

Kevin Feige confirmed in an interview with ComicBook.com that they knew the identity of the tower’s new owner when they included the selling storyline in Homecoming and that the rest of us mere mortals would finally be let in on the answer “soon.”

Avengers Tower’s new owner theories, explained 6w124f

Plenty of theories have been crafter about the Avengers Tower buyer and what role the building will play in the larger MCU moving forward since it seems producers are interested in keeping it around. Famous buildings from the comics like Oscorp, the Baxter Building, the Fisk Towers, and Qeng Tower have all emerged as possibilities, with the latter even showing up in the Void during Loki from a pruned timeline with a different-looking New York City.

However, we can narrow our options now that we have somewhat of a window for when this riveting mystery will finally be solved. Let’s look at the official MCU release schedule for the next year:

• Deadpool & Wolverine (July 26, 2024)
• Agatha All Along (Sept. 18, 2024)
• Captain America: Brave New World (Feb. 14, 2025)
• Daredevil: Born Again (Mar. 2025)
• Thunderbolts (May 2, 2025)
• Fantastic Four (July 25, 2025)
• Ironheart (Sept. 3, 2025)

We can tentatively rule out Fantastic Four and the iconic Baxter Building because Feige has already confirmed that the film will be set in an alternate timeline in the 1960s. Equally, we doubt Oscorp is on the table, considering there are no plans to bring back Norman Osborn, much less in the next year, during which no Spider-Man-related properties will be released.

Having said that, the leading guesses among fans right now seem to be that the Avengers Tower will belong to either Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and her new Thunderbolts team-up or Wilson Fisk once his influence in New York grows even stronger, ultimately leading to him running for mayor, as many have speculated. We might also want to dismiss the latter idea since Feige did say to the tower owner has remained the same since 2017, at which point Netflix still held the rights to Daredevil and all its characters.

A third option is that the ownership of the former Avengers Tower will be officially unveiled during Ironheart. Some fans are convinced the leaked casting of Sacha Baron Cohen in the Black Panther spin-off, credited in a copyright filing as “Mystery Man,” is for the role of Mephisto. Unconfirmed rumors claim the King of Hell, in his human form, has bought Avengers Tower and is using it to control New York’s technological landscape, providing resources for The Hood (played by Anthony Ramos and confirmed to be the main antagonist of the Disney Plus series). Riri Williams will allegedly try to stop them.

While these theories are speculative, the fact that we will finally know who owns the Avengers Tower in one of these projects is pretty much a certainty at this point. We’re hoping Kevin Feige wouldn’t use “soon” to describe something coming out as far out as 2026.

Marvel fans have been eagerly awaiting The Fantastic Four‘s big-screen debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years now, and the cast just got even more exciting with the addition of Natasha Lyonne.

Helmed by director Matt Shakman, who previously impressed audiences with his work on the Disney+ series WandaVision, The Fantastic Four is shaping up to be a must-see event for Marvel devotees. The film will introduce a brand-new take on the beloved comic book characters, with Pedro Pascal set to play the brilliant scientist Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as the elusive Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as the fiery Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the rock-solid Ben Grimm (The Thing). Additionally, Julia Garner will take on the role of a female Silver Surfer while Ralph Ineson steps into the shoes of a token Marvel villain. (Ineson also recently sued Disney, but let’s not dwell.)

The project has been highly anticipated ever since Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, which brought the Fantastic Four rights back to Marvel. Natasha Lyonne’s casting has naturally sparked speculation among fans eager to discover how her character will fit into the Fantastic Four’s new MCU world.

Do we know who Natasha Lyonne is playing in The Fantastic Four? 194sw

While we don’t yet know exactly who Lyonne is playing in Fantastic Four, I’m willing to bet it will be a role that showcases her talents and adds some much-needed diversity to the MCU. Given her ability to blend humor with likability in the countless roles she’s already played, we can assume she’ll be following in Kat Dennings’ footsteps and lending some much-needed comedic flair to the Marvel proceedings.

Lyonne began her acting career at a young age, appearing in her first role as Opal on Pee-wee’s Playhouse. She quickly gained recognition in the late 1990s with her roles in films like Everyone Says I Love You, Slums of Beverly Hills, and particularly But I’m a Cheerleader, where her performance as Megan, a cheerleader sent to a conversion therapy camp, earned her critical acclaim for her comedic and heartfelt portrayal. Her career trajectory took a more dramatic and gritty turn with her role in American Pie, where she played the sharp-tongued Jessica. This role cemented her place in Hollywood as a go-to actress for characters that required a blend of humor and edge (though many of us knew that from Dennis the Menace, thank you very much).

Despite facing personal and health challenges in the early 2000s, Lyonne made a remarkable comeback, most notably with her role as Nicky Nichols in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Her performance in this series was widely praised and earned her an Emmy nomination. Expanding her career into more creative roles, Lyonne co-created, directed, and starred in the Netflix series Russian Doll, which earned her Emmy noms for acting, writing, and Outstanding Comedy Series. She followed this up with a starring role in Poker Face, which landed her a fifth Emmy nom and immortal status as our favorite offbeat yet brilliantly quirky, frizzy-haired on-screen goofball.

It’s clear that Lyonne is at the height of her career, which means we’re in for a treat when we see her appear in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four in July 2025. This article will be updated when we discover who she’s playing!

All eyes may be on Deadpool & Wolverine right now, but it seems like only a matter of time before The Fantastic Four will be bossing the Marvel Cinematic Universe zeitgeist in far fuller force than it already is.

Even without any available plot details, the tease of a possible 1960s setting suggests that the MCU is cooking with gas. Toss in a cast stacked beyond the atmosphere (including the recently announced Ralph Ineson, who will be standing against the Four and the rest of Earth as Galactus), and it becomes apparent why the hype collider is powering up the way it is.

There is, however, one interesting nuance to this team that not many other heroes have had to contend with thus far. Despite the Four’s massive legacy in the comic book realm (they were the first superhero team to ever come out of Marvel Comics), their wider pop culture exposure has been markedly limited compared to some of their peers. Thus, while the origin stories of Spider-Man and Batman can be rhymed off by most without missing a beat, the in-canon tale of how the Four came to be may be a bit trickier.

How did the Fantastic Four get their powers? 2l6m3a

Simply put, Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing all got their powers while aboard a spacecraft designed for interstellar travel. As they flew through space during an unauthorized test flight, they were exposed to an intense amount of cosmic radiation. The event sent their ship crashing back down to Earth, and also caused them to each develop their own unique superpowers.

In other words, the Fantastic Four got their powers through the unconquerable animus of comic book science, and regardless of whether or not we see that origin story in the MCU, we’re in for a whole lot of said comic book science when The Fantastic Four once again take a bow in cinemas on July 25, 2025.

We have our new Fantastic Four, there’s no doubt about that, but what there is doubt about is how much Marvel is actually going to use the superhero quartet we thought were going to be all over the MCU following their introduction in July 2025’s The Fantastic Four.

Don’t take it as a sure thing just yet, but rumors — which gel with everything else we’ve heard about the film’s storyline, to be fair — are claiming that Avengers 5 (aka The Film Formerly Known as The Kang Dynasty) will not feature any of the fabulous foursome. That’s right: Don’t expect to see Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Queen (Human Torch), or Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing) team up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the big Marvel event.

If you ask us, that’s a huge waste of potential given that Avengers 5 must match up to the cross-the-streams extravaganza that was Avengers: Infinity War. But, OK, we get it, Pedro and pals are very busy people. Thankfully, there’s a little thing called the multiverse at play, which could allow Marvel to introduce a whole other variant team of Fantastic Four heroes across both Avengers 5 and Secret Wars.

John Krasinski has already turned up as Earth-838’s Reed Richards, so we know it can be done. In that vein, why couldn’t varying squadrons of Marvel’s First Family assemble before the Avengers meet the actual motley crew? Let’s keep the fancast-to-reality trend going and bring in all the Fantastic Four possibilities as the Multiverse Saga builds to its (hopefully) stunning climax. Kevin Feige, if you’re looking for ideas, here are some free of charge — excepting a six-figure consultant’s fee, but we’ll discuss that later.

The Driver team 595l1m

when we were all convinced that Adam Driver was going to be the MCU’s Reed Richards? That was wild. Well, it can still conceivably be made canon thanks to the multiverse. If we were to build a variant team around him, Adria Arjona would make a great Sue. She reliably gives her all to every project she’s in (see Andor) and she truly deserves another crack at the Marvel whip after Morbius. Meanwhile, Jay Lycurgo has already stormed the DC multiverse thanks to Titans and The Batman, so ticking the MCU off his to-do list as Johnny Storm only makes sense. Last but not least… Jack Black as the Thing. I mean, that says it all, right? The defense rests.

The Badgley team 4i1s4c

Want another walk down memory lane? Forget Driver ⏤ at one point, the whole internet was certain that Penn Badgley, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, and Jason Segel had been officially cast as the Four, with Badgley and Comer as Reed and Sue, Keery as Johnny, and Segel as Ben Grimm. They did make for an intriguing ensemble, so it would be rather fun to see them suit up for a brief cameo in Secret Wars. Comer already has previous practice doing this in Disney movies after her Rise of Skywalker role. That said, it might be creepy to see Comer and Keery play siblings after being love interests in Free Guy.

The fans’ dream team 2o3x43

Fans have been salty about how John Krasinski‘s Reed was treated ever since Wanda turned him into spaghetti in Doctor Strange 2. Similarly, it was also a bit of a bummer that Marvel didn’t complete the dream team by having him share the screen with IRL wife Emily Blunt as Sue. There’s still time to put this right, though, before the Multiverse Saga calls it quits. As for who could be their cohorts, John Boyega was always a popular choice for Johnny, and Disney still owes him for doing Finn dirty. And Alan Ritchson would be a perfect Thing, assuming James Gunn doesn’t hoover him up as Batman first.

The near-misses team 4g375i

If Secret Wars really does become a way for Marvel to apologize to all the actors it’s failed to cast over the years, then this lineup would make a lot of sense for a variant Fantastic Four. Jamie Dornan is the kind of actor whose name gets thrown around for various superhero roles, but he’s never taken one to date. Amanda Seyfried was almost Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy. Zac Efron was everyone’s top pick for Adam Warlock, and Seth Rogen feels like a Marvel cameo waiting to happen. So make it happen, Marvel!

The so-wild-it-just-might-work team 1e5s4c

The exhilarating thing about the concept of Marvel introducing another Fantastic Four team for a scene in Secret Wars is that they can make some bizarre, yet winning, actor pairings. So how about Jason Sudeikis as Mr. F, Kevin Hart as The Thing, the internet’s boyfriend Jacob Elordi as Human Torch, and Ryan Reynolds’ other half Blake Lively as Sue. And, yes, in this imaginary scenario, Deadpool would get to meet this Sue variant and probably have a crush on her. It’s the Green Lantern reunion we’ve all been waiting for. You’re welcome.

The curveball team 6qj2l

On a similar theme, Marvel could ignore all your fan casts and hire whoever they like to play the FF for five seconds of screentime and watch everyone’s jaws drop. John Cho could be a brilliant yet completely unexpected Mr. Fantastic and Jessica Chastain definitely deserves another shot at a Marvel role after Dark Phoenix let her down. Liam Hemsworth is long overdue for a spot in the MCU after losing Thor to his brother and Peacemaker has proven that John Cena is a better actor than we realized.

The refreshing team 5101o

In a similar vein, it would be really refreshing to have a Fantastic Four made up of these four actors. Despite Marvel’s increasing interest in diversifying its cache of characters, the studio still went with a fully Caucasian cast for the FF reboot. It could always put that right by having a variant team made up of people of color ⏤ like, say, Dev Patel, Constance Wu, and Terry Crews, all of whom would be amazing additions to the franchise. And John David Washington would just be keeping things in the family after his dad becomes Kang (we can dream, can’t we?)

The internet-breaking team 3t1e71

The ultimate aim with any cameo in a Marvel movie is to grab our attention, right? In this case, Marvel should absolutely find a spot for these guys in Avengers 5 and 6, as social media might just spontaneously combust if it does. Imagine Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page turning up as one of the Council of Reeds? Or X-Men alum Jennifer Lawrence randomly returning to the Marvel multiverse as Sue? Meanwhile, Outer Banks fave Rudy Pankow has a lot of feral ers while the hilarity of casting the actual Rock Dwayne Johnson as the rock-based the Thing speaks for itself.

To be clear, The Fantastic Four cast we do have is terrific, but there’s no harm in kicking up a storm by multiplying their number a few times, is there? It’s not called the Multiverse Saga for nothing, after all!