The Fantastic Four: New Report Teases Big Plans for Galactus, Silver Surfer in MCU Debut

The Fantastic Four will reportedly feature Galactus as its central antagonist, with a supporting role for The Silver Surfer, according to a new rumor from veteran entertainment reporter Jeff Sneider. This would mark the first live-action appearance from either character since 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the SIlver Surfer, and mark the characters' debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Sneider didn't have specific details on the story, the most likely scenario is that it would be based on "The Galactus Trilogy," the character's first showdown with the team, which was originally published in 1966 and culminated in Fantastic Four #50.

In that story, as in Rise of the Silver Surfer, Galactus is heralded by the Silver Surfer, who arrives to warn Earth that its end is at hand. In the comics, of course, Galactus is a giant, world-eating, god-like being. In his only movie appearance to date, filmmakers opted to use a cloud of lightning to represent his destructive power, rather than trying to figure out how to make a giant guy in a purple suit work.

According to Sneider's report, Galactus will be the film's main villain, with Marvel hoping to land Javier Bardem for the role. They have reportedly not yet figured out who they're looking at for Silver Surfer, although the studio is reportedly meeting with actors now. The story further claims that Doctor Doom will show up in the movie -- but only at the end (maybe as a post-credits stinger?), so he doesn't have to be cast until later in the production.

The rumor has some pedigree -- not just Sneider's own considerable experience, but the actual source, too. According to Sneider's report, the Bardem news comes from the same person who initially told him Pedro Pascal would play Reed Richards -- a rumor that has since been confirmed. Sneider concedes that Antonio Banderas had previously been rumored for the part of Galactus, but says that currently, scheduling is the only thing standing in the way of Marvel making a deal with Bardem.

If Galactus really is the villain in The Fantastic Four, Marvel has a chance to do something very funny for the fans. Since the movie debuts just two weeks after Warner Bros.' Superman: Legacy, a throwaway joke could reference Galactus's role in the destruction of Krypton, a piece of lore established in the Superman/Fantastic Four crossover by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert.

Fantastic Four will star Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman; Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing; and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm/Human Torch.

The movie hits theaters on July 25, 2025.