MCU ‘Fantastic Four’: Vanessa Kirby Is Reportedly a New Frontrunner for the Role of the Invisible Woman

Many fans can talk and argue if the Marvel Cinematic Universe is or isn’t what it used to be now compared to its Infinity Saga, but one thing that Marvel Studios always gets right is the casting. Say what you want, but every principal actor that joined the MCU so far has been a spot-on casting for the character they played, even in mixed or negative-reviewed MCU projects. Therefore it’s no wonder that the fans are eagerly waiting for the official reveal of the cast for ‘Fantastic Four,’ one of the upcoming MCU movies set in the franchise’s Phase 6.

The newest Fantastic Four movie has been officially announced by Marvel Studios in December 2020, with Jon Watts set to direct. However, the change of directors happened since then, as Watts abandoned the project and Matt Shakman abandoned directing the new ‘Star Trek’ movie to replace Watts. At 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige uncovered the movie’s official release date, which was subsequently changed to February 2025.

Still, almost three full years after the movie was first announced, there’s no official word on the casting. We first expected it to be revealed at SDCC last year, but we got only the release date (which was later delayed). Then we expected it to be revealed at last year’s D23 Expo, but we only got teases that the casting process is ongoing.

Marvel Studios reportedly eyes the ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning’ star for the role of Marvel’s first heroine!

That tease, however, eventually started a wave of rumors and unofficial reports on who could join the upcoming movie, and one of the first names that were mentioned for the role of Sue/Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, was the two-times Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie, who is also known for portraying Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe. However, later reports said that the studio is reconsidering the initially picked cast because A-list actors like Robbie are too expensive.

And now, a new update has arrived. According to the known insider Jeff Sneider, Vanessa Kirby is reportedly all but confirmed to star as the Invisible Woman in the upcoming ‘Fantastic Four’ movie. Kirby previously said for Variety that it would be an honor for her to play the character, although she didn’t specifically confirm that she was in talks for the role.

Vanessa Kirby isn’t unfamiliar with blockbuster franchises. She previously starred in the ‘Fast & Furious’ spin-off ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ and two previous installments of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, ‘Fallout’ and ‘Dead Reckoning Part One.’ She’s set to reprise her role in the upcoming ‘Dead Reckoning Part Two’ as well. She’s also known for playing Princess Margaret in ‘The Crown’ and the ‘Pieces of a Woman’ movie, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award.

Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, is the first female superhero Marvel Comics introduced during the Silver Age of Comic Books. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, she’s a hero who can turn invisible and create force fields. She is one of the founding members of the Fantastic Four.

Jessica Alba portrayed the character in 2005’s ‘Fantastic Four’ and 2007’s ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.’ In 2015’s reboot, which was a critical and commercial failure, the character was played by Kate Mara. If the rumors are true, Vanessa Kirby could be the third actress in history to portray this iconic superhero.

Directed by Matt Shakman, ‘Fantastic Four’ is set to be released on May 2, 2025.