Game of Thrones actor cast as Marvel icon Galactus in Fantastic Four film
The acclaimed actor joins Julia Garner's Silver Surfer and a star-studded First Family.
Marvel has found its next big bad, with Game of Thrones alum Ralph Ineson tapped to portray the giant purple planet eater known as Galactus.
The legendary comic book villain will make his MCU debut in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, which is set to be directed by WandaVision's Matt Shakman and boasts an all-star cast (via The Hollywood Reporter).
The First Family will be comprised of Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible) as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) as Ben Grimm.
Previously, Ozark breakout star Julia Garner was hired to play Shalla-Bal, one of Galactus's heralds, whose job it is to grimly inform the inhabitants of a planet that their home has been selected to be her master's dinner.
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Shalla-Bal goes on to have a romantic relationship with Norrin Radd, the original Silver Surfer, but this role has not yet been cast and may be saved for a later film.
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Ineson is a long-serving character actor hailing from Leeds, with numerous film and television credits, ranging from the obnoxious Chris Finch in hit sitcom The Office (UK) to House Greyjoy's Dagmer Cleftjaw in epic fantasy drama Game of Thrones.
He credits Robert Eggers's acclaimed 2015 horror film The Witch for "massively" changing his career, leading to more auteur projects including David Lowery's The Green Knight, Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth, and Eggers' own The Northman.
Most recently, he has been seen in sci-fi action flick The Creator and supernatural horror prequel The First Omen, while small screen gigs include Chernobyl, The Capture, Trigger Point and Shane Meadows's The Gallows Pole.
With such a varied range of projects behind him, Ineson should have the acting chops to pull off a challenging role that has never been properly attempted in live-action (no, Rise of the Silver Surfer's dust cloud doesn't count).
Although Galactus is best known in association with his arch-nemeses The Fantastic Four, this towering foe could very well become a villain for the entire MCU, rivalling Thanos (Josh Brolin) in power and threat.
Marvel Studios has not yet confirmed whether it plans to recast the role of Kang the Conquerer, previously held by Jonathan Majors, or bench the character permanently. If the latter route is taken, Galactus would be a worthy substitute.
Ineson is not the only new addition to the cast, with Black Bird's Paul Walter Hauser and Hollywood legend John Malkovich also recently joining the blockbuster in undisclosed roles.
Fantastic Four is scheduled for release on 25th July 2025. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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