10 TV Shows That Explain Marvel’s Innovative The Fantastic Four Casting

Marvel’s cast for The Fantastic Four is proving to be very exciting, something that is only bolstered by their various roles in past TV shows. Updates about the MCU’s Fantastic Four have been regular in recent months, with the film expected to begin filming in the latter half of 2024. This naturally excites many who are looking forward to a faithful adaptation of the Marvel family in the MCU, primarily due to the absence of updates for years after the film was first announced.

The most common update provided about the film is The Fantastic Four‘s MCU cast. The four actors responsible for playing the titular team were announced in February 2024, with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach chosen to play Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm respectively in the upcoming MCU movie. Shortly after this, Julia Garner was announced as the Shalla-Bal, a female version of the Silver Surfer from Marvel Comics. Each of these actors has an extensive TV resume, proving why Marvel Studios was right to cast each one for The Fantastic Four.

10

The Last Of Us Highlights Why Pedro Pascal Is Perfect For The MCU

HBO’s video game adaptation highlights Pascal’s talent and features an unusual setting.

In 2023, Pedro Pascal played Joel Miller, the lead in HBO’s The Last of Us. This TV show proved in several ways why Pascal is perfect for the role of Mister Fantastic in the MCU. Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, The Last of Us was an exceptional showcase of Pascal’s talents. Joel is an incredibly complex character, ranging from heroic, fatherly, and kindhearted to dark, dangerous, and selfish. Pascal played each of these to perfection, earning him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Aside from The Last of Us perfectly highlighting Pascal’s talent, the show also proved he can make a somewhat unusual universe feel real. While The Last of Us has an incredibly grounded tone anyway, Pascal’s human performance even further grounded the show’s zombie-infested, atypical universe in reality. This bodes well for The Fantastic Four and how Pascal can make Reed Richards a linchpin of normalcy in the film that is rumored to feature otherworldly characters like Galactus and be set in its own, different universe from the norm of the MCU.

9

The Crown Shows Vanessa Kirby Can Add Depth To Sue Storm

Kirby’s most well-known TV role proves the incredibly compelling nature she can bring to The Invisible Woman.

Kirby’s main credits come in the film industry, though her breakthrough role to get to this point came in Netflix’s The Crown. Playing Princess Margaret, Kirby’s role in The Crown is somewhat similar to that of Pascal’s in The Last of Us, if only to showcase the depth the former can bring to The Fantastic Four. Margaret is one of The Crown‘s most complex characters, a princess of the British royal family who resents the lack of freedom the titular headpiece brings while striving to maintain that same freedom at all costs.

This allows Kirby to imbue Margaret with a range of emotions, from passive-aggressiveness toward her family to sheer heartbreak at what the crown took from her. All of this is delivered masterfully by Kirby, with the actor often stealing each scene she was in throughout the first two seasons of The Crown. While The Fantastic Four‘s Sue Storm is naturally an incredibly different character in a different environment of a polar-opposite franchise to Margaret from The Crown, the latter is a showcase for the compelling depth Kirby can bring to the former’s matriarchal character.

8

Stranger Things Proved Joseph Quinn Could Be An MCU Star

Eddie Munson’s season-stealing character exemplified how much star quality Joseph Quinn possesses.

Throughout Stranger Things‘ first three seasons, new characters like Max, Billy, and Bob fit perfectly into the core cast. Stranger Things season 4 continued this trend, only to an even bigger degree, with the inclusion of Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson. While still exhibiting the range of Kirby and Pascal’s aforementioned performances, the biggest element of Quinn’s was the sheer star power he exhibited. Munson quickly became a fan-favorite, even to the point where theories, online riots, and backlash were directed at the show to explain how he could still be alive after Stranger Things 4‘s tragic ending.

This would not have been possible without the exuberant, star-making performance of Quinn in the role. While the aforementioned characters like Billy and Bob were well-received, neither of their deaths received the outcry that Eddie’s did. This alone is a testament to the ability Quinn has to be a leading man or at least the charismatic standout of a larger ensemble. With this in mind, Stranger Things proved how Quinn could transfer that star power to the MCU, which will hopefully transpire when he brings Johnny Storm a.k.a. the Human Torch to life in The Fantastic Four​​​​​​.

7

The Bear Gives Ebon Moss-Bachrach A Chance To Demonstrate His Acting Prowess

Moss-Bachrach shines as arguably the strongest character in The Bear.

Above each show mentioned thus far, The Bear provides the strongest character arc for the characters in question via Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie Jerimovich. While Joel, Margaret, and Eddie naturally have character arcs, none are quite as drastic as Richie’s. Despite the radical change of the character, it never feels unnatural or unwarranted, which is primarily driven by Moss-Bachrach’s acting talent.

At the beginning of The Bear season 1, Richie is a sarcastic, irritable, unlikeable person who makes the environment of the show’s setting much more stressful. That said, Moss-Bachrach imbues Richie with an equal amount of humor, making him a character many love to dislike. As the show progresses, he switches to become one of the more sympathetic, calm, and assured characters on the show in a fantastic arc. This proves the talent Moss-Bachrach possesses, with The Bear perhaps proving more than other shows how perfect he is for the role of Ben Grimm due to his emotional range as an actor.

6

Game Of Thrones Shows Pedro Pascal’s Range

Another HBO show allows Pascal’s range to shine through in a way The Last of Us does not.

While The Last of Us shows Pascal’s range as a subdued, quieter character, Game of Thrones does the same for a charismatic, charming character type via Oberyn Martell. Pascal first appears as Oberyn in Game of Thrones season 4 as a seemingly unserious, man-and-womanizer with an air of mystery about him. As the season progresses, more about Oberyn’s character is revealed which changes the outlook on his character, spearheaded by Pascal’s performance.

By the end of Game of Thrones season 4, Pascal switches to a vengeful, skillful warrior albeit one who retains his calmness in quieter moments. These contrasting personalities show Pascal’s range as a more over-the-top character than Joel, with both combining to make him perfect for Reed Richards. Reed can be both the quiet intellectual and the eccentric, likable superhero, something Pascal has shown he can switch between via The Last of Us and Game of Thrones.

5

Ozark Lets Audiences See Julia Garner’s Talent

Ozark is a showcase for the powerhouse acting Garner could be capable of as the Silver Surfer.

Perhaps the standout performer of Ozark is Julia Garner as Ruth. Ruth is somewhat of an antagonist to the show’s main characters, though Garner plays the role with such depth and nuance that she is hard not to root for. This alone proves how perfect Garner would be for the Silver Surfer, who has long been an antagonist of The Fantastic Four, yet one who is sympathetic and can even act as a hero when needed.

Ruth’s independent, no-nonsense, tough attitude is portrayed perfectly by Garner, something that could also translate to the Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four. All of this is offset by the emotional performance Garner gives, especially in the latter seasons of Ozark, which proves just how talented she is. Even more so than Pascal, Kirby, and Moss-Bachrach, Garner’s talents were recognized by awarding bodies. For her role as Ruth in Ozark, she has won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, truly proving her credentials and the fantastic coup Marvel secured for The Fantastic Four.

4

Andor Proves Ebon Moss-Bachrach Can Make An Impact On Big Franchises

Moss-Bachrach has tried his hand at major franchises before.

Despite The Bear outranking Andor regarding how much it exemplified Moss-Bachrach’s range, the latter proved he could impact larger franchises. Moss-Bachrach appeared in three episodes of Andor season 1 as Arvel Skeen, a man with a bitter grudge against the Empire. While Skeen’s arc is not as pronounced as Richie’s, the character is one of the more memorable in the show.

This proves how Moss-Bachrach can leave his imprint on franchises like Star Wars, or in The Fantastic Four‘s case, the MCU. Skeen’s arc is still compelling, which is mostly driven by Moss-Bachrach’s performance as well as Dan Gilroy’s writing. That said, it is more so the lasting impact Skeen has on the characters around him that proves Moss-Bachrach can more than handle the inflated budgets, larger productions, and more wide-reaching stories of Disney franchises.

3

Pedro Pascal’s The Mandalorian Role Lends Itself To Fantastic Four’s Family Dynamic

Din Djarin’s paternal character will aid Pascal’s portrayal of Reed Richards.

Like Moss-Bachrach, Pedro Pascal has also made an impact on the Star Wars galaxy. Pascal has portrayed, or more aptly voiced, the role of Din Djarin in The Mandalorian since 2019. This character, like Andor‘s Skeen, proves Pascal can handle major franchises. However, where the role of Din Djarin will impact Pascal’s Reed Richards performance the most is in the former’s familial aspects.

First and foremost, Din Djarin is portrayed as a father in The Mandalorian. The heart of the show entirely surrounds Din’s connection with his adopted son, Grogu. Through this character dynamic, Pascal has perfected the art of acting as a father, something that also was the case in The Last of Us. With a big portion of Reed Richards’ comic book character centering around his love for his children, Franklin and Valeria, Pascal will already have the tools necessary to bring this to life in the MCU.

2

Dickensian Gave Joseph Quinn The Platform To Become Johnny Storm

Quinn’s personality as Johnny can be taken from his prior roles.

In Dickensian, Joseph Quinn portrays Arthur Havisham from Charles Dickens’ novels. This character is largely known as a rebellious, free-spirited boy, something Quinn captured in the BBC’s Dickensian. In a way, Eddie Munson also exhibited this personality in Stranger Things, meaning Quinn has a lot of experience in that regard.

This experience would undoubtedly translate well to the role of Johnny Storm/the Human Torch. In Marvel Comics, Johnny Storm has often been shown to be rebellious and free-spirited himself. These personality traits naturally extend to others that Johnny is often depicted as having, such as being impulsive, quick-tempered, and reckless. These can all extend to Havisham in Dickensian, which will aid Quinn’s performance. While the Dickensian role was more antagonistic, Quinn clearly has the talent to take these traits and make them as compelling and heroic as Johnny should be.

1

Ebon Moss-Bachrach Already Proved He Can Handle The MCU In The Punisher

The character of Micro is enough of an MCU showcase to prove Moss-Bachrach’s casting as The Thing was correct.

Of the confirmed cast members for The Fantastic Four thus far, only Ebon Moss-Bachrach has appeared in the MCU. The actor played one of the main characters in The Punisher, an ally to Jon Bernthal’s titular antihero. Moss-Bachrach’s performance as Micro was great, but it offered no more than the aforementioned performances in The Bear or Andor.

That said, what Moss-Bachrach’s performance in The Punisher does provide is MCU experience. Moss-Bachrach already knows what it is like to portray a character in the MCU, including the ins and outs of a big-budget Marvel production. While the CGI-based performance of The Thing will differ from Micro, it remains the case that the actor has Marvel experience his peers lack. Through this, and the myraid other TV shows mentioned, the casting of The Fantastic Four by Marvel Studios has been proven innovative, effective, and well-done.