The Marvel Cinematic Universe's reboot of the Fantastic Four has been anything but, well, fantastic.
After initially being announced to much celebration, the upcoming re-release of the film that will introduce Marvel's so-called First Family into the MCU has only been met with one delay after another.
In the latest update revealed by Jeff Sneider, filming, which was meant to start in April, has been pushed until the third quarter, potentially impacting its planned release date of May 2, 2025 - lest Marvel risks another Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantomania scenario.
Pedro Pascal, widely rumored to be cast as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, has been central to this shift. Because of the revised filming schedule for Fantastic Four, Pascal has reportedly had to withdraw from his role in Zach Cregger's horror film, Weapons, to accommodate his commitments to this major Marvel project.
Pascal, a prominent figure in Hollywood known for roles in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, has a packed schedule for this year, which includes production of The Last of Us Season 2 starting in February 2024 followed by Jon Favreau's Mando film, which also starts production this year. This overlap in several big-budget commitments by one of its presumed lead stars is likely a key factor in the delay of Fantastic Four.