Matt Shakman is yet to announce his cast.
Matt Shakman, director of the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, has said his cast must get the “chemistry” of Marvel’s first family right amid rumours Pedro Pascal is being eyed to play Reed Richards.
The director has not yet announced the highly-anticipated castings but the rumour mill has been churning, with Deadline reporting that the Last of Us star is in talks.
Exclusively speaking to RadioTimes.com about what he needs to see from his cast, Shakman said: “Those characters are beloved by me, and by so many, and to try to get them right and to also have the chemistry right among all four of them – they are Marvel’s first family.
“There are families in Marvel that come together, the Avengers come together and they’re a family you find along the way but the Fantastic Four are a true family and we have to make sure they feel that way, and so chiefly it’s chemistry and it’s believing those actors and the magic of it. Just trying to find the people that fit those characters the best.”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness previously gave fans a glimpse at how John Krasinski would fare in the role of Reed Richards but it seems he’s not going to be the actor to take the character forward in the MCU.
Other casting rumours have included The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn but nothing has been confirmed just yet.
Elsewhere, Shakman has directed the opening episodes to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Apple TV+’s new addition to the MonsterVerse.
He told us: “Fans can expect a multi-generational family drama, that also involves some amazing monsters.
“So it’s big scale, but also small scale. And I think what I love so much about it, what I was drawn to is that these characters are all really special. Matt Fraction and Chris Black have created a wonderful group of characters that you can really root for. And so the show is basically looking at the world of the MonsterVerse, but from the human point of view on the ground.”
Fantastic Four is set for release on 2nd May 2025. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will begin on Apple TV+ on Friday 17th November – sign up to Apple TV+ now.
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