- - See the New “Fantastic Four” Cast Side-By-Side with the Stars Who've Played the Characters Before

Rebecca Aizin, Keith Langston, Christopher RudolphJuly 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM

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Jessica Alba as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman and Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in 'Fantastic Four' (2005) ; Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in 'in The Fantastic Four: First Steps' (2025).

"It's clobberin' time" for the new stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps — but this fresh foursome is just the latest to suit up as "Marvel's First Family."

The new retro reboot is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, with many excited for its '60s style and talented cast that includes Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby. But the Fantastic Four franchise has had quite a wild ride throughout its cinematic history.

So far, three theatrically released Fantastic Four films and one famously unreleased movie from 1994. The Fantastic Four first hit movie theaters in 2005 with a powerhouse A-List cast that included Chris Evans and Jessica Alba.

After receiving a 2007 sequel, the franchise was completely rebooted in 2015, this time starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell.

Now, another reboot, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is debuting, and it’s taking a much different approach than the previous films. The first Fantastic Four comic debuted in 1961, and the new movie will return the beloved superheroes to their '60s roots, offering up a period film full of retro flair.

With the new reboot hitting theaters, here’s a look at the Fantastic Four cast side-by-side with the actors who previously played their roles.

Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic)

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Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards in 'Fantastic Four' (2005) ; Miles Teller as Reed Richards in 'Fantastic Four' (2015) ; Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in 'Fantastic Four' (2025).

Ioan Gruffudd was the first to officially helm Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), the head of the Fantastic Four and the boyfriend of fellow superhero Sue Storm. Reed's desire to experiment with cosmic clouds in space leads to an explosion that leaves the group with powers, including Reed's own ability to stretch his body and limbs.

The 2015 reboot featured a much younger cast, interpreting the characters as college kids instead. To that end, Teller played Reed and saw the role not as the fatherly figure he was in previous installments but as a young man.

Now, Pascal is helming the role. This time, the character will be more similar to the comics than the 2015 version.

Pascal stepped out with the new cast in July 2024 when they surprised fans at San Diego Comic-Con, telling the crowd that he was most excited about the "new family" he was building.

Originally from Chile, the actor first gained notability for his recurring role in season 4 of Game of Thrones, and his first major role came in 2015 when he starred in the hit Netflix crime series Narcos, which ran until 2017.

He has most recently starred in shows like HBO's The Last of Us and several movies, including Gladiator II and Materialists.

Sue Storm (Invisible Woman)

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Jessica Alba as Sue Storm in 'Fantastic Four' (2005) ; Kate Mara as Sue Storm in 'Fantastic Four' (2015) ; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm in 'Fantastic Four' (2025).

In the first franchise, Alba helmed the role of Sue Storm (a.k.a. the Invisible Woman). After the incident, Sue develops the ability to become invisible and even produce force fields. She’s also Johnny's older sister, who has become one of the Fantastic Four.

Mara played the role next in 2015's movie, even finding love on set with Bell. The two married in 2017 and have two kids together, a daughter born in 2019 and a son born in 2022.

Kirby is the latest to step into Sue's shoes, starring alongside Pescal as his girlfriend. The actress is originally from England, where she's appeared in a number of projects, including the 2011 BBC miniseries adaptation of Great Expectations.

Her first major Hollywood role was in the 2015 adventure survival film Everest, which centered on the 1996 Everest disaster that took the lives of numerous mountaineers. The following year, she portrayed Princess Margaret in The Crown and in 2018, she joined the Mission: Impossible franchise as the White Widow.

During her appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, Kirby gave fans a sneak peek into how she was bonding with her Fantastic Four castmates — especially fellow Brit Quinn, who plays her on-screen sibling.

"I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in a rehearsal period before," she said. "When you read the comics, you feel a lot of joy ... hopefully we can bring that into the movie.”

Johnny Storm (Human Torch)

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Chris Evans as Johnny Storm in 'Fantastic Four' (2005) ; Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm in 'Fantastic Four' (2015) ; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm in 'Fantastic Four' (2025).

Before he became the iconic Captain America, Evans famously played a different Marvel character: Johnny Storm (a.k.a. the Human Torch), the youngest of the Fantastic Four who can engulf his body in flames like a giant torch.

In 2015, Jordan took over the role before returning to the Marvel universe as Killmonger, the villain in 2018's Black Panther.

Quinn will be the third actor to star as the fiery hero, telling PEOPLE in June 2024 that he was "inspired" by his predecessors' portrayals and felt he had "big boots to fill, twice."

"They're both brilliant actors and did the amazing job with their interpretation of Johnny," Quinn said. "So I think it's a question of trying to find something ... well, not different. It's going to come from me, I guess."

Quinn gained fame as the hard-rocking Eddie Munson in season 4 of Stranger Things before going on to star in two 2024 blockbusters: A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator II.

Ben Grimm (the Thing)

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Michael Chiklis as Thing in 'Fantastic Four' (2005) ; Jamie Bell as Thing in 'Fantastic Four' (2015) ; Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Thing in 'Fantastic Four' (2025).

In 2005, Michael Chiklis played Ben Grimm (a.k.a. the Thing), a friend of Dr. Richards who participates in the space experiment. The superhuman radiation he receives turns him into a rock-like creature with superhuman strength.

Bell became the next Ben in 2015 when he took over the role before passing it along to Ebon Moss-Bachrach a decade later. The actor, best known for his award-winning portrayal of Cousin on The Bear, revealed the moment he found out he was cast in a February 2024 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“I think I found out in the beginning of August,” he said. “I got a call from my agent, and I wasn’t thinking about work at all because writers were striking and actors were probably going to strike, and he said, ‘They asked you to play The Thing.’ "

He continued, "And I remember I was on Fifth Ave. and 21st Street and I was so shocked and I was walking and the next thing I realize, I was right in front of Astor Wines, so I went in and bought a bunch of mezcal.”

Silver Surfer

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Doug Jones as Silver Surfer in 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer' (2007) ; Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).

In the 2007 Fantastic Four sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, the reflective character was played by Doug Jones (with Laurence Fishburne as the character's voice).

Silver Surfer starts as an astronomer named Norrin Radd living on a planet called Zenn-La. After alien invader Galactus threatened the planet, Norrin became his herald in exchange for Zenn-La remaining untouched.

Now, Julia Garner is the new Silver Surfer in First Steps. Fans saw her in the role for the first time in a trailer for the movie that debuted in April 2025.

In July 2025, when asked by The Hollywood Reporter what it was like seeing herself as the Silver Surfer, Garner said, "It was pretty epic."

"I've never done this kind of acting before, and I think it's really important as an actor to try different things and see what works, and what doesn't work," she continued. "But I had so much making this. It was really exciting, and I would definitely do it again."

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