The Fantastic Four’ Could Be the Fresh Start Marvel Needs, From an Epic Cast to a (Possible) 1960s Setting

Christopher Nolan recently proclaimed that the decision to hire Robert Downey Jr. to play Tony Stark in “Iron Man” was “one of the most consequential casting decisions that’s ever been made in the history of the movie business.” By the end of this decade, the same might be said for the four actors who were just cast as the titular superheroes in Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four”: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Like Downey, all of these actors have had recent experiences with big-budget productions — Pascal with “The Mandalorian” and “The Last of Us,” Kirby with the two most recent “Mission: Impossible” films, Quinn with “Stranger Things” and Moss-Bachrach with “Andor.” But, also like Downey, none of them have headlined their own studio action blockbuster before signing up with Marvel.