Production on ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ recently began in London. Reed Richards actor Pedro Pascal posted on-set photos of the leading cast and director Matt Shakman on Instagram.
The caption under Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s group picture teased the possibility of sequel projects by referring to the upcoming film as ‘Our first mission.’
The Film’s Newest Cast
Marvel introduced ‘First Steps’ as a 1960s period piece separate from the main MCU timeline. The cast list included Kirby as Sue Storm, Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.
Julia Garner joined the project as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Recent San Diego Comic-Con revealed Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom.
Downey’s Return As The Villain
Downey will return to the MCU alongside ‘The Fantastic Four’ actors in 2026’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and 2027’s ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’ He last appeared in the superhero franchise as Tony Stark/Iron Man in ‘Avengers: Endgame.’
Rumors suggested the actor’s comeback as Doctor Doom earlier this month. Film critic Jeff Sneider reported:
“Speaking of Doctor Doom, there’s still no word yet about his casting in ‘Fantastic Four,’ as insiders denied my inquiry about Robert Downey Jr., who I was told might come back as an alternate-universe Tony Stark who becomes Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man. It seems far-fetched, yes, but I figured that if there was any hope of Downey coming back, there’d have to be a new wrinkle for him to play. So, for now, we continue to wait…”
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is set for release in the US on July 25, 2025.
