Marvel’s “Fantastic Four ”casts “Game of Thrones' ”Ralph Ineson as Galactus

Everyone’s favorite purple, planet-eating baddie is coming to the screen.

Meet Marvel’s new big bad.

EW has confirmed that the upcoming Fantastic Four movie has cast Ralph Ineson as Galactus, the legendary planet-eating villain from Marvel comics. Ineson will face off against the previously announced members of the Fantastic Four: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Galactus is one of the most notorious villains in Marvel comics, first popping up as a Fantastic Four villain in 1966. An enormous cosmic entity, he’s usually depicted wearing his signature horned purple helmet, and he’s known for devouring entire planets to survive. He’s also frequently accompanied by his herald, the Silver Surfer. (Ozark breakout Julia Garner has been confirmed to star in the film as Shalla-Bal, a female version of the Surfer from the comics.) Galactus previously appeared as the villain of the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but this will mark his official introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Related: Joseph Quinn says he has 'big boots' to fill as the Human Torch after Chris Evans' Fantastic Four

Ineson most recently starred in the horror film The First Omen, and he’s best known for his roles in the British version of The Office, the Harry Potter series, Game of Thrones, The Witch, The Green Knight, and Chernobyl. Up next, he’s also set to appear in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein film and the Nosferatu remake, reuniting him with The Witch director Robert Eggers. The Hollywood Reporter first reported Ineson’s casting.

WandaVision’s Matt Shakman is set to direct the new Fantastic Four, which will bring the legendary Marvel family into the MCU. Little else is known about the film’s plot, but it’s rumored to be set during the 1960s (Marvel shared a ‘60s-inspired casting announcement back in February). The starry cast also includes Paul Walter Hauser and John Malkovich, both in undisclosed roles.

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Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige previously told Entertainment Weekly that he and Marvel plan for the Fantastic Four to be a “big pillar of the MCU going forward, just the way they’ve been in the comics for 50 or 60 years.”

"Fantastic Four is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics," Feige said in 2023. "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."

Related: Meet the new Fantastic Four: Pedro Pascal leads next Marvel movie

The new Fantastic Four is expected to begin filming later this year, and it’s scheduled to hit theaters July 25, 2025.

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