Everything is now ready to welcome the first family of Marvel superheroes to theaters. Set for July 23, "Fantastic Four: First Class" aims not only to relaunch the comic book franchise on the big screen, but also to restore the image and prestige of Marvel Studios, tarnished in the public eye after a series of failed and uninspired projects.

Hot on the heels of the excellent "Thunderbolts*," which, despite receiving positive reviews from critics, failed to fully meet market expectations, the quartet of Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing (played respectively by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is poised to usher in a new narrative cycle destined to flow directly into the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Avengers: Secret Wars." The latest rumors suggest that the legendary foursome will play a key role in the future developments of the Marvel Universe.

Set in a retro-futuristic setting, quite atypical of the studio's recent productions, the story unfolds in 1960s New York, where the four protagonists try to balance their roles as defenders of public order with their normal daily duties. The balance is upended by the arrival of Galactus, a gigantic being who feeds on the planets in his path. His arrival is heralded by his herald, the Silver Surfer. After their fame as scientists and superheroes, will the Fantastic Four be able to face this threat too?

Further fueling interest in the film was the return of Matt Shakman, already acclaimed for his work on the television series "WandaVision." In a recent interview with Variety, the director discussed the challenges he faced in casting, particularly for the role of Reed Richards, a complex and multifaceted character: "He goes from being a scientist absorbed in his experiments to a husband and father willing to do anything to protect his family, to becoming the leader of the Avengers. We had to find someone who could embody all of that."

What convinced Shakman to choose Pedro Pascal was undoubtedly the strong bond that has united them for years, born at the beginning of their respective careers in the Los Angeles theater scene: "We had the same manager and we almost considered becoming roommates. Matt would involve me in theater projects, and finding ourselves together again today on Fantastic Four is something I feel is written by fate."

Shakman's statement that Mr. Fantastic will lead the Avengers in their upcoming film appearances certainly didn't go unnoticed. According to what's emerged so far, reported by ComicBookMovie, we'll soon see Sam Wilson's Captain America leading a new team, while Yelena Belova will lead the New Avengers, born from the previous Thunderbolts*.

As for Reed Richards's possible role as leader of a third team of superheroes, it's possible Shakman was referring to the narratives taken from the comics. To clarify the matter—at least partially—the matter was clarified by insider @MyTimeToShineHello, who published the following post on X: "Okay, I checked with my source and was told that Reed Richards is not the leader of the Avengers in Doomsday and Secret Wars. Sam and Yelena are the team leaders." Nothing can be ruled out, therefore, although no official statements can be made yet.

Finally, it's disappointing to learn from Shakman himself that the character of Red Ghost, played by John Malkovich, was cut from the final cut. In the same interview with Variety, the director explained: "There were a lot of things that ultimately ended up being cut in the editing room. We were building a retro-futuristic world inspired by the '60s, introducing all these villains, the four main characters, both as a group and as individuals, and even the idea of a child... There was so much to balance in this film, and some things just had to be eliminated to shape the final version."

Giovanni Scanu

© Riproduzione riservata