Game of Thrones star Ralph Ineson joins Marvel's Fantastic Four as big bad Galactus

Galactus in Marvel Comics and Ralph Ineson in The Witch
(Image credit: Marvel Comics / A24)

Galactus, one of the most ominous villains in all of Marvel lore, has reportedly been cast for Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Ralph Ineson is in talks for the role, and it's close enough that THR is calling it "cast."

Ineson is perhaps best known for his role as doomed family patriarch William in 2015's The Witch, but he's had roles in Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Chernobyl… and the list goes on and on, really. And of course, those who remember the original version of The Office will remember Ineson for his role as fabled office bully Chris Finch.

Perhaps most relevant for his reported casting as Galactus, Ineson also portrayed the eponymous Green Knight in the 2021 folk-fantasy film of the same name, a role that included both prosthetics and voice performance.

For those not in the know, Galactus is, essentially, a 100-foot-tall guy in a big helmet who travels around the Marvel Universe devouring the life force of planets, which are sought out for him by his herald, the Silver Surfer. Julia Garner has already been cast as an alternate Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal, so Ineson completes the package.

In comics, Galactus encounters the Fantastic Four when the Silver Surfer guides him to Earth, before having a change of heart and helping the FF save the day. One piece of Galactus trivia which may be relevant, given the supposed alt-reality setting of the film, is that he's actually the only survivor of a dead universe, reborn as the cosmic world-eater Galactus. 

Ineson's casting follows recent reports that both John Malkovich and Paul Walter Hauser have been cast in the film in unnamed roles. In addition to the aforementioned casting of Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer, the main cast includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Eben Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.

Fantastic Four is scheduled to release in theaters in July 2025.

The original Galactus Saga is one of the comics Marvel Studios says is a big influence on the Fantastic Four reboot movie.

George Marston

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)

Read more
Galactus looming above a city skyline
The Fantastic Four: First Steps - The comic book history of Galactus, Marvel's weirdest, coolest cosmic villain
The Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four's Julia Garner has perfect response to whether Silver Surfer will be live-action or CGI in the upcoming Marvel movie
The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast assemble
The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer introduces Marvel's first family, big bad Galactus, and John Malkovich's deep-cut comics character to the MCU
Red Ghost and the Super-Apes on the attack
John Malkovich's Fantastic Four: The First Steps character might be The Red Ghost, a Russian cosmonaut who hangs out with three super-powered apes - and I couldn't be more excited
Ebon Moss-Bachrach in Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four star says motion-capture legend Andy Serkis helped with his performance and yes, he said that iconic Marvel catchphrase
Fantastic Four: promotional art for the new Marvel movie, The Fantastic Four First Steps
Fantastic Four: release date, cast, director, and everything else we know
Latest in Marvel Movies
She-Hulk on Disney Plus
Tatiana Maslany canceled a Comic Con appearance due to "filming commitments", and it could mean She-Hulk is in the next Avengers movie
Charlie Cox in Daredevil
Daredevil star Charlie Cox says keeping his Spider-Man: No Way Home cameo a secret for two years was a "nightmare"
Avengers: Doomsday directors admit it's a "difficult" movie to make but tease some great Marvel collaborators "old and new"
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
The Russo Brothers say Robert Downey Jr. "tried to talk us into" doing another Avengers movie but they "said no" until they heard the pitch for Doomsday: "That story has to be told"
Amanda Seyfried in Mamma Mia!
Mean Girls star Amanda Seyfried was offered the role of Gamora in the MCU, but turned it down because she thought Guardians of the Galaxy would be "Marvel's first bomb"
Robert Downey Jr. during the Doctor Doom announcement at Marvel's SDCC 2024 panel
Kevin Feige was behind the decision to bring Robert Downey Jr. in as Doctor Doom, and the conversation was had "a while ago"
Latest in News
Dune Awakening
Dune Awakening launches for $50 without a stay in early access, and while the survival MMO "will not have a monthly subscription" it will have "optional" paid DLC
Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton in Hawkeye
Linda Cardellini cast as Jason's mom, the original Friday the 13th killer, for Crystal Lake prequel series
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 studio CD Projekt Red won't make survival games just because they're popular, but Netflix's Edgerunners anime is fueling dreams bigger than RPGs
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing female protagonist Naoe
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe actor was terrified to perform until her first mocap scene earned "a standing ovation" on set: "Maybe I can do this mocap thing"
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel may have just sneakily confirmed one of the biggest Daredevil: Born Again fan theories
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke actor says that Naoe could beat his samurai in a fight: “Especially with that big a** helmet of mine”