Javier Bardem Is Reportedly Marvel's Top Choice to Play Galactus in FANTASTIC FOUR
Another casting rumor is being reported for Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie, and according to industry insider Jeff Sneider, the studio’s top choice to take on the role of Galactus is Javier Bardem. This news comes after it was reported that Pedro Pascal was offered the role of Reed Richards. In regard to that news, it’s spreading online that Pascal’s casting is a done deal, but Marvel has yet to confirm.
Marvel has yet to officially offer Bardem the role of Galactus, and apparently, the actor’s schedule will ultimately determine whether or not things move forward with him or not. It’s not hard to imagine Bardem as the planet-devouring villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Javier Bardem could be a compelling choice to play Galactus. The actor is known for his exceptional acting skills and versatility, and Galactus is not just a visual character that will be brought to life using CGI, his voice should be commanding and authoritative, which Bardem possesses. It will be very interesting to see him in the role if he ends up being cast.
Fantastic Four is currently in development with WandaVision's Matt Shakman set to direct the movie. The movie is still on track to be released in 2025. He previously teased that this movie is going to be very different than anything we’ve seen in the MCU yet, saying: "It's different in so many ways. I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can't. But I think it's going to be unlike anything you've seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you've seen before."
When talking about the pre-production work that’s been done on the film, he said: "We have been nonstop. Despite the strikes, yes, we've been working with the effects and with production design and building our world, and that's been incredibly exciting. You know, how do you translate those skills into live-action in dynamic ways? Because some things that work beautifully in John Byrne and Jack Kirby are a little tougher when you're filming them. How do you make sure that things are exciting but also grounded in a scientific thing, which is also part of the Fantastic Four that I love? There's some stuff I'm super excited about. I can't say too much, you know?"
Kevin Feige also talked about the movie saying that Marvel’s first family is going to be a big pillar of the future of the MCU. He said: “The only other one in terms of me personally and my 23-year history is the Fantastic Four. We sort of talked about mutants and that whole aspect to the Marvel world, but Fantastic Four is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics. There's certainly been versions of it [on screen], but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU. And that's something that is really exciting for us. People will start to hear more about that soon. We plan on that being a big pillar of the MCU going forward, just the way they've been in the comics for 50 or 60 years.”
Marvel producer Stephen Broussard previously promised that the film will be a true celebration of the original source material from the comics: “I wouldn’t presume to know everything about that film; I’m not necessarily working on it. But one of the founding principles of Marvel, going back to Iron Man and the casting of Tony that I think has resonated through today, is to embrace the source material and these comics that have been around forever. They’re older than me, and I’m guessing they’re older than you too. They’ve been around for a while for a reason, [so we] lean into that.”
Fantastic Four arrives in theaters on May 2nd, 2025.