'Fantastic Four' reboot casting news: Toby Kebbell is Dr. Doom, Fox sets release date for sequel

Josh Trank's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot has just cast its iconic villain. Victor von Doom a.k.a. Dr. Doom, the arch nemesis of the heroic, super-powered quartet, will be played by Toby Kebbell (RocknRolla, Wrath of the Titans). The actor is also set to appear in the World of Warcraft movie adaptation in the near future, so it looks like his career is taking off!

Variety reports:

The role was chased by several rising stars, including Jack Huston and Domhnall Gleeson, before Fox targeted the "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" thesp.

If a deal makes, Kebbell would join Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell in the reboot that plans to shoot this spring. Fox had no comment.

Based on the Marvel comic "The Ultimate Fantastic Four," the contemporary update will focus on the characters as young men and women. Josh Trank will helm the pic with Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn and Gregory Goodman serving as producers.

On top of casting Kebbell in the villainous role, Fox has also set a release date for the Fantastic Four sequel in 2017. It is pretty bold to even consider a sequel before filming starts on the first film, but perhaps this will be Fox's new big hit in 2015?

The Wrap reports:

Now that Trank and producers Simon Kinberg and Matthew Vaughn have found their Dr. Doom, the trio will start searching for another medical expert, as an individual familiar with the project told TheWrap that Dr. Franklin Storm is expected to appear in the movie. Dr. Storm is a surgeon who was Sue Storm and Johnny Storm's biological father.

Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on June 19, 2015.