Galactus is coming.
British actor Ralph Ineson (“The First Omen,” “The Witch”) is the latest addition to the cast of Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four,” as the world-devouring cosmic villain Galactus.
The superhero quartet known as Marvel’s First Family will be played by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing). The film will also feature Oscar nominee John Malkovich and Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser, both in undisclosed roles, as well as Emmy winner Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer.
First introduced in a “Fantastic Four” issue from 1966, Galactus is a god-like entity who survives only by feeding on entire planets — and every living soul who inhabits it. He was designed by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to stand apart from the standard, Earth-bound rogues who had populated comic books to that point, and served as the template for other apocalyptic cosmic antagonists like Thanos, Kang, Dormammu and Ego the Living Planet.
Unlike those villains, however, Galactus is not inherently evil; he feeds to live, not out of malice or nefarious intent, and is seen as bringing balance to the galaxy in the same way apex predators stabilize the food chain. Occasionally, Galactus — who most often appears as a towering man wearing a vertiginous helmet with two striking antennae — has even worked with the Fantastic Four (and the Avengers) to defeat other enemies.
Marvel’s decision to bring Galactus to “The Fantastic Four” has several wider implications for the MCU, as well. For one, the only weapon that can defeat him — called the Ultimate Nullifier — has also been used to eradicate the entire multiverse, which could make Galactus a critical figure in 2027’s “Avengers: Secret Wars,” the movie meant to conclude the Multiverse Saga.
Matt Shakman, who was nominated for two Emmys for helming “WandaVision,” returns to the MCU to direct “The Fantastic Four.” The film’s script is by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. “WandaVision” alum Peter Cameron has also contributed writing to the project.
Ineson is best known for starring in A24’s “The Witch,” which premiered at Sundance and won Robert Eggers an award for best directing. The film co-stars Anya Taylor-Joy and was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
Ineson can currently be seen co-starring in “The First Omen,” for 20th Century, which is out in theaters now. He will next be seen starring in Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” alongside Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Emma Corrin, Bill Skarsgard and Willem Dafoe, which will be released later this year through Focus. He is currently in production on Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” along with Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz.
Ineson has previously appeared in the “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars” and “Kingsman” franchises, and his turn as Galactus won’t actually be his first appearance in the MCU: he previously portrayed a ravager pilot in 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Ineson is represented by Gordon and French, and Gersh.
Marvel Studios has dated the movie for July 25, 2025.
