It’s a bigger day for new things to learn about The Fantastic Four than expected. Only a few hours ago, word came in that John Malkovich has been cast in a mystery role for the upcoming Marvel movie, but that pales in comparison to this latest reveal. It’s been revealed that Galactus will indeed appear in The Fantastic Four, and Ralph Ineson has been selected to play the villain. This is a casting I can get behind!
While you may not necessarily know the British actor by name, you’ve almost certainly seen at least one of the projects he’s acted in, if not many of them. Ineson’s prominent credits include the final three Harry Potter movies, The Green Knight, The Northman, The Creator and The First Omen. He’ll next be seen starring in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake, and per THR, The Fantastic Four is next on his docket, with the movie prepping for a mid-summer shoot in England.
Ralph Ineson is the eighth actor to be cast in The Fantastic Four. Along with the aforementioned John Malkovich, the main quartet is comprised of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bacrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch. Additionally, Julia Garner is reportedly playing a female version of The Silver Surfer, and Paul Walter Hauser has been cast in an undisclosed role, though I suspect he’s playing H.E.R.B.I.E..
Given he has a lot of experience playing villains and has a mesmerizing voice, I’m sold on Ineson being selected to bring Galactus to life in this new Fantastic Four movie. Now with the casting out of the way, here’s the big question: how will the planet eater be specifically depicted? Galactus was previously shown as a cosmic hurricane cloud in 2007’s Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer, but my fingers are crossed that The Fantastic Four will opt to show him in his more traditional, gigantic humanoid form.
Having said that, will this Galactus also wear the classic purple and blue armor or something different? I’m also curious to see if Ralph Ineson’s likeness will be used for Galactus’ face or if the character’s appearance will be drastically altered following the actor doing his motion capture work? But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it’s seemingly been confirmed that The Fantastic Four is set in a different universe rather than the main MCU reality. If that is indeed the case, we should be worried that by the time the movie’s done, Ineson’s Galactus has devoured their Earth.
Directed by Matt Shakman and written by Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires, The Fantastic Four opens in theaters on July 25, 2025. While we wait for more news about the reboot, remember that the Fantastic Four movies from the 2000s can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.