Back in 2022, Marvel Studios announced The Fantastic Four for Phase 6. Ever since then, fans have been anticipating its release and the details of its storyline. The popular team will be led by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, with the plot reportedly not being focused on their origin. After changing its release date multiple times, recent reports suggest a further Fantastic Four delay.
Has Marvel delayed The Fantastic Four again?
Initially, at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the release date of The Fantastic Four was scheduled to be November 8, 2024. When the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed the search for the cast, the movie’s release date was pushed to February 2025. Currently, the movie’s release date is slated to be July 25, 2025. However, a new report suggests that a further delay might be possible.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, apart from his commitment to the MCU, Pedro Pascal is also tied to the upcoming Star Wars project named The Mandalorian & Grogu and HBO’s Last of Us Season 2. He seems to have a packed schedule, which also reportedly led him to drop Zach Cregger’s Weapons. Thus, his schedule issues could potentially clash with the filming.
The Fantastic Four is expected to commence its shoot in July 2024, which is exactly a year from its release, as per Comicbook.com. But, keeping in mind all its production, post-production, and marketing needs, a year may not be long enough to finish the film.
Fantastic Four (2015) took more than a year’s time to be completed. Principal photography began in May 2014 and it was released almost 15 months later in August 2015. The main Fantastic Four characters’ powers and a retro-futuristic world would require a lot of VFX, for which much more time would be needed, and compromising on the quality seems unlikely.
Marvel Studios has come under fire in the past for using heavy VFX and AI and putting pressure on artists. As the MCU is now focused more on quality, it seems unlikely that they would rush any of their big projects. Additionally, as per the current schedule, The Fantastic Four will be released close to James Gunn’s Superman. This could lead to a Marvel vs DC comparison and negatively impact the film’s success. Thus, The Fantastic Four might get delayed.
