Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new Galactus. Marvel Studios has officially cast actor Ralph Ineson (Willow, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) as the beloved villain in next year’s The Fantastic Four. Many different actors have been rumored to be taking on the role in recent months, but Ineson landed the role in the end.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is planning to begin production this summer in England. Plot details currently remain under wraps, but this will be the Fantastic Four’s first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. John Krasinski previously played a version of Reed Richards in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, he will not be the main version of the character in the MCU.
In a casting announcement in February, it was confirmed that Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) will lead the way as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. Mission: Impossible star Vanessa Kirby will play Susan Storm (The Invisible Woman), The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play Ben Grimm (The Thing) and Stranger Things breakout Joseph Quinn will round out the ensemble as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch). John Malkovich (Red) and Paul Walter Hauser (Cruella) were both recently cast in undisclosed roles.
As for Ineson, he has been a reliably working character actor for decades dating back to the early ‘90s. Some of his notable credits include the Harry Potter films, Disney+’s Willow TV series, Game of Thrones and Ready Player One, among many others. Interestingly enough, he already had a tiny role in the MCU as a Ravager pilot in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Safe to say, this is going to be a much bigger and more impactful role.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Galactus first appeared in Fantastic Four #48 in 1966. He has since become one of Marvel’s most beloved and feared villains. He is a planet-eating, mammoth terror closely linked to Silver Surfer. To that end, Julia Garner (Ozark) has been cast as a version of Silver Surfer in the film as well. Matt Shakman (WandaVision) is in the director’s chair. Galactus previously appeared in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. That version left much to be desired. We’ll see if Ineson can get it right in the MCU.
The Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
What do you think? Are you a fan of the casting choice? Who would you have liked to see as Galactus? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
