2005’s Fantastic Four is almost two decades old, causing many to wonder what became of the film’s main cast members. The film was directed by Tim Story, with a script written by Mark Frost and Michael France, and spawned a sequel in 2007. Despite their popularity in the early-2000s, the harsh realities of the original Fantastic Four movies are now evident. That said, the movies are still a lot of fun and remain the most successful iteration of the titular team in live-action after 2015’s failed reboot.

Even after the failed Fant4stic reboot in 2015, the appeal of rebooting the original, successful film from 2005 is impacting upcoming Marvel movies. In 2019, it was announced that Marvel Studios would reboot Fantastic Four in the MCU. The film will be released in 2025, 20 years after the original film. In this time frame, the actors hired to play the various Marvel Comics characters in 2005’s Fantastic Four have had varied careers with many still active and some even tied to the continued endeavors of Marvel on the big screen.

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Ioan Gruffudd

Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic

Arguably the central character of Fantastic Four is Reed Richards. In the 2005 film, and its sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Richards is played by Ioan Gruffudd. The first film centers around Richards’ desire to conduct scientific experiments on clouds of cosmic energy. This leads to him being exposed to these energies, developing the stretchy superpowers that see him become Mister Fantastic. Gruffudd is great as Reed, balancing the amount of charm, intelligence, and protection the character possesses in Marvel Comics.

Gruffudd’s acting career since 2005’s Fantastic Four has been fairly varied. Gruffudd naturally returned as Reed Richards in the 2007 sequel to the film but has mostly opted to play roles in smaller productions since then. Some of the more notable include a cameo appearance in the comedy Horrible Bosses and the Dwayne Johnson-led disaster flick San Andreas. The actor has not had a feature film credit since 2020’s Ava, but Gruffudd is expected to return to the screen in 2024 as Lockwood in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

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Jessica Alba

Sue Storm/Invisible Woman

In 2005’s Fantastic Four, one of the people hired to accompany Reed in his cosmic experiments is Sue Storm. Storm is a genetics researcher who also happens to be Reed’s ex-girlfriend. Like her former lover, Storm is exposed to the cosmic energy cloud and turned into the Invisible Woman, forcing her and Reed closer together once more as they navigate their newfound abilities. In Fantastic Four, Sue Storm is played by Jessica Alba.

As expected, Alba returned to play Sue Storm once more in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. After that, her career exploded into a significantly more lucrative one than Gruffudd’s. Some of Alba’s notable roles in the late-2000s and early-2010s include Good Luck Chuck, The Eye, and Little Fockers, the third film in the Meet the Parents series. Alba has starred in notable action movies in the 2010s, including Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Barely Lethal, and Mechanic: Resurrection. This action trend will continue into 2024, with Alba starring in Netflix’s Trigger Warning movie.

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Chris Evans

Johnny Storm/The Human Torch

Alongside Sue Storm, her brother is also consigned to the space station being worked on by Reed Richards. Unlike Sue, Chris Evans’ Johnny did not inherit the genius traits of their father and instead is a reckless, immature character in his adulthood. Johnny is the third member of the titular team who was exposed to the cosmic rays, receiving the ability to engulf his body in scorching hot flames. This saw Johnny become the Human Torch, the only member of the fledgling Fantastic Four in the 2005 movie who enjoyed having superpowers.

In 2007, Evans reprised his role as Johnny Storm in the sequel to Fantastic Four. Unlike Gruffudd and Alba, Evans’ future continued to be dominated by superhero cinema. Despite appearing in movies like TMNT, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Snowpiercer, Evans was cast as Steve Rogers/Captain America for the MCU. Evans portrayed the character between 2011 and 2019 in 11 different movies across Captain America’s extensive MCU timeline and was the only actor to appear in an MCU project every single year between his debut and departure.

Outside of the MCU, Evans has branched out, especially since leaving the role of Captain America in 2019. Some other Hollywood performances from Evans include the rom-com Before We Go – which he also directed – and Gifted. In 2019, Evans played the villain of the murder mystery Knives Out, before starring in thrillers like The Gray Man and Ghosted. Future credits from Evans will see him appear in 2024’s Red One alongside Dwayne Johnson and the detective-comedy movie Honey Don’t! directed by Ethan Coen.

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Michael Chiklis

Ben Grimm/The Thing

The fourth character to receive superpowers in Fantastic Four is Ben Grimm, played by Michael Chiklis. Chiklis appears in most of the film under a giant prosthetic suit, built to showcase Ben Grimm’s transformation from the popular astronaut into the gruff, bitter rock monster known as The Thing. In Fantastic Four, Ben takes the brunt of the cosmic energy cloud, explaining his full transition rather than more unapparent changes employed by his friends. Chiklis is often cited as a highlight in his role as Ben Grimm, partially due to the fantastic prosthetics on display.

As is the case with the other three actors mentioned, Chiklis returned as The Thing in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. After this, Chiklis’ main success came in the realm of TV. Chiklis was already playing the role of Vic Mackey in the FX drama The Shield when Fantastic Four was released, a role he continued playing until 2008. After this, Chiklis found success on the ABC show No Ordinary Family, CBS’s Vegas, and FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show. Another superhero credit saw Chiklis portray Nathaniel Barnes in Gotham.

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Julian McMahon

Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom

The primary villain of Fantastic Four is Victor Von Doom a.k.a. Doctor Doom. Doom is played by Julian McMahon, and begins the film as somewhat of an ally to Reed Richards. Doom, as the head of Von Doom Industries, is responsible for allowing the four soon-to-be superheroes onto his space station. When the four are exposed to the cosmic rays, Doom hides behind a shield and soon faces backlash from his shareholders for the risk of the mission. Doom eventually begins to resent Reed for this, realizing that the cosmic energy is also affecting him, turning him into the metallic villain Doctor Doom.

Alongside the four actors who portray The Fantastic Four, McMahon returned for the sequel. Future film appearances for McMahon then came in RED, Fire with Fire, You’re Not You, and Monster Party. McMahon also had success in the realm of superhero TV, playing a main role in Marvel’s Runaways before returning to traditional TV in 2020 with FBI: Most Wanted. Future credits for McMahon include 2024’s The Surfer and The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat.

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Where Are The Other Notable Fantastic Four Cast Members

Other Actors From The Film Have Gone On To Equally Varied Roles

• Hamish Linklater – Leonard Kirk: Leonard is Doom’s personal assistant in 2005’s Fantastic Four, played by Hamish Linklater. Since then, theatrical credits for Linklater include Battleship and The Big Short. Linklater received critical acclaim for his role in Netflix’s Midnight Mass and he has also appeared in the 2024 miniseries Manhunt. Linklater’s upcoming film credits include Nickel Boys and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.
• Kerry Washington – Alicia Masters: Alicia Masters is Ben Grimm’s blind girlfriend later in Fantastic Four‘s story, played by Kerry Washington. Washington’s most notable role since then came in Scandal, for which she received two Primetime Emmy nominations. Washington received similar acclaim for her performances in HBO’s Confirmation and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere. Upcoming credits include Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Six Triple Eight, and Shadow Force.
• Laurie Holden – Debbie McIlvane: Debbie is the ex-wife of Ben Grimm in Fantastic Four, who leaves him after his transformation into The Thing. Debbie’s actor, Laurie Holden, is best known for playing Andrea in AMC’s The Walking Dead from 2010-2013, Adele Pinchelow in Dumb and Dumber To, and Crimson Countess in The Boys. The latter appearance came in 2022, marking Holden’s last mainstream appearance.

As evident, the large ensemble cast of Fantastic Four has spread its wings into the world of Hollywood filmmaking since 2005. Some actors have stuck with superhero-based roles, while others have employed a mix of TV and film productions to continue their careers. With Fantastic Four raising its head as a common piece of online discourse in light of the MCU reboot, it will be interesting to see if any of the film’s cast members return thanks to the endless possibilities of the MCU multiverse.