As one of the six General IV nuclear reactors, the molten salt reactor (MSR) has received an increasing attention around the world owing to its high energy conversion efficiency, inherent safety feature, and application of the thorium fuel. However, major components for MSRs are facing great challenges due to the extreme environments of high temperature, corrosive molten fluoride salt, and neutron irradiation inside the MSRs. In this paper, requirements for the MSR materials are analyzed; the development history, current status, and existing problems of the key MSR materials (including alloy structure materials and nuclear graphite) are depicted; key technical problems to be solved during the current construction of experimental MSRs are pointed out; and the development strategy for the MSR materials is proposed, based on the research and development plan for the MSRs.