the MCU timeline, and among them are The Fantastic Four.
The Fantastic Four got their first film adaptation in 1994, in a project that has become infamous as it was never released, and their proper big-screen debut didn’t happen until 2005. The team got the reboot treatment in 2015 in a movie simply titled Fantastic Four and directed by Josh Trank. Unfortunately, Fantastic Four was a massive critical and commercial failure, but the team is getting one more chance, now as an exciting part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 6 slate.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps Latest News
Marvel Studios Releases The Official Trailer
Following up the solid teaser trailer, Marvel Studios has released the official trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, showing off all the incredible things to expect from the new film, while providing a first look at Julia Garner's Silver Surfer in action, and Mr. Fantastic finally being shown using his powers. Alongside Silver Surfer being a standout in the trailer, it is revealed that Sue is pregnant with Reed's child, a brand-new direction for Marvel's First Family on film, but what feels like the perfect story beat.
Each character gets to show off a little more of their powers in the official trailer, while also giving more in of their personalities, which all feel very different to each other, but complement one another quite well. Michael Giacchino's (The Batman) score needs to be mentioned as well, as The Fantastic Four theme is incredible, the perfect sound for what the MCU is going for with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The trailer ends with footage of Galactus' massive feet walking through the city, showing just how big he can get, with even more room to grow.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Release Date
A True Summer Blockbuster
The Fantastic Four movie is set to release July 25, 2025, putting it relatively squarely in the middle of the Multiverse Saga. This comes 6 years after the initial announcement of the MCU film, as The Fantastic Four were confirmed to arrive at the MCU in 2019, during Marvel’s at San Diego Comic-Con.
In December 2020, Jon Watts was announced as director, though in April 2022, he stepped down to take a break from directing superhero films after helming the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy. During the 2022 D23 event, Matt Shakman was confirmed as the new director of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Cast
An Incredible Cast Of Characters
On February 14, 2024, Marvel confirmed its main Fantastic Four movie cast on X, showing a post with the caption, "Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four." The image shared alongside it confirms Pascal will be Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby will play Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn will play Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play Ben Grimm. These casting confirmations are sure to delight audiences, as each of these actors have been popular fancasts for the roles.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Cast So Far |
Role |
|---|---|
Pedro Pascal |
Mister Fantastic |
Vanessa Kirby |
Invisible Woman |
Joseph Quinn |
The Human Torch |
Ebon Moss-Bachrach |
The Thing |
Julia Garner |
Silver Surfer |
Ralph Ineson |
Galactus |
Paul Walter Ha |
Undisclosed |
John Malkovich |
Undisclosed |
Natasha Lyonne |
Undisclosed |
March 3, 2024, also saw the reveal that the Silver Surfer would be Shalla-Bal in the MCU, seemingly instead of Norrin Radd, who is traditionally the main Silver Surfer in the comics. This came alongside the news that Julia Garner will be playing Shalla-Bal - a decision that seems well-made given her performances in series like Ozark. Notably, this will not be the first time Garner has appeared in a comic book movie, as she also featured in Sin City: A Dame To Kill For as Marcie.
On May 2, it was announced that Paul Walter Ha would play a hitherto undisclosed part in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Later, on May 9, John Malkovich and Ralph Ineson were also confirmed for the project. Malkovich's role remains a mystery, but Ineson will play the iconic Fantastic Four villain, Galactus. The newest addition to The Fantastic Four cast is Natasha Lyonne. However, she continues the trend of undisclosed roles and is not yet tied to a character.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer
A Strong Sense Of Setting
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a bold, new direction for Marvel Studios to take their property, especially given that it fully embraces the 1960s retrofuturistic setting to bring something aesthetically different to what audiences have come to expect with the MCU. There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the first teaser trailer shows Marvel's willingness to try something new, really trying to reach for the golden age feeling of Marvel's First Family.
Though the trailer is not action-oriented at all, there was a brief glimpse of Galactus approaching New York City, confirming that he will finally look comic book accurate and his large size is on full display as he towers over the Statue of Liberty. Other than that, Silver Surfer is not shown at all and no hint of Doctor Doom being in the film is given. The teaser very much aimed for a certain type of feeling and emotion, and excels at having its setting and art direction stand out.
After the initial teaser trailer, expectations for The Fantastic Four: First Steps were high, and Marvel Studios followed it up with an even better official trailer, revealing the look of Silver Surfer, Mr. Fantastic's powers, and indicating that Sue is pregnant, which is a major change from the previous films that adapted Marvel's First Family.
The family dynamic already looks to be a strength of the film, which is great given that it is one of the biggest appeals of The Fantastic Four as a team, and each member looks like they will have some satisfying moments both in of action and slower character beats throughout.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Story Predictions
Galactus Is Coming
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that the movie is a period piece in June 2024 on The Official Marvel Podcast, that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in its own universe. His statement reads:
"Yes, yes, very much so. It is a period... There were a lot of smart people, who noticed that that cityscape didn't look exactly like the New York that we know, or the New York that existed in the '60s in our world. And those are smart observations, I'll say."
Director Matt Shakman indicated the same thing in an interview with Empire about the movie being its own thing and how no other heroes exist within the same universe, stating:
“We are our own universe, which is wonderful and liberating. There's really no [other] superheroes. There's no Easter eggs. There's no running into Iron Man or whatever. They're it, in this universe. I love the interconnected Marvel Universe, but we get to do something so new and so different. Eventually, this world will meet up with other worlds — but for now this is our own little corner.”
That also explains where Marvel's First Family has been for the rest of the MCU, though the positioning of The Fantastic Four: First Steps leading into the next Avengers event suggests that they may be brought to the present by a multiverse plot. Either way, a 1960s retro-futuristic vibe will provide a unique atmosphere for the MCU movie, and it doesn't seem like any other heroes will appear, as Matt Shakman stated that it wasn't connected to any other MCU project and that they are the only heroes in their universe.
The MCU’s Newest Fantastic Four Reveal Changes Everything About The Movie & What It Means For Marvel’s Future
The Fantastic Four: First Steps focus on family just became clearer after a new reveal from CinemaCon that could hint at how the Multiverse ends.
Based on the synopsis, the main conflict of The Fantastic Four: First Steps will revolve around Galactus attempting to devour their Earth with the Silver Surfer being one of his heralds. Galactus is a massive, cosmic entity that could possibly be a big bad for the MCU in the future, which means that his story might not end with The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The last bit of the synopsis talking about it "getting very personal" lends credence to the idea that Doctor Doom could appear given his long-standing rivalry and history with Mr. Fantastic. With Avengers: Doomsday looming, it seems more likely than ever that the many rumors and theories pointing at The Fantastic Four: First Steps introducing the MCU’s version of Doctor Doom could become a reality, allowing The Fantastic Four to meet their comic nemesis in their cinematic universe debut.
Director Matt Shakman even mentioned in an interview with Collider that, "I have heard about it for a while, and I had to keep that secret for a while." This would the idea that Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom plays a role in some capacity within The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and that the film's story may be used to set the stage for Avengers: Doomsday, which releases less than a year later.
With The Fantastic Four confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, it would make sense to introduce the conflict between the hero group and the villain from the offset of their stories. Approaching things from this perspective can help the MCU to establish a dynamic that will surely play a vital role in the future of the Multiverse Saga.
"It's Very Rewarding:" The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Joseph Quinn Addresses Avengers: Doomsday Casting Announcement
The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Human Torch, Joseph Quinn, reacts to Marvel Studios' viral five-and-a-half-hour cast reveal for Avengers: Doomsday.
Since Doom hasn't had the same time to be set up as an antagonist due to Avengers: Doomsday originally being Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, this route allows a core arc based around key figures to emerge. Having The Fantastic Four: First Steps explain how much of a threat Doctor Doom is would work well to set him up as an imposing villain in a shorter amount of time, and a clash between Pedro Pascal's Mr. Fantastic and Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom has inherent star power to draw fans in.
How The Fantastic Four: First Steps Fits Into The MCU Timeline
Set On A Different Earth
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the beginning of Phase 6 for the MCU, the last phase of the Multiverse Saga, as it leads up to Avengers: Doomsday and eventually Avengers: Secret Wars. The biggest aspect of the new film is how it does not fit within the established history of the sacred timeline in the MCU, as the movie takes place in a 1960s retrofuturistic setting. While the story might not have the biggest impact on the main MCU timeline, the idea of it being another Earth within the multiverse makes it incredibly compelling.
With The Fantastic Four having roles in Avengers: Doomsday and presumably Avengers: Secret Wars, it seems likely that the end of the film will somehow help lead into the fifth Avengers film, especially if Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom plays any type of role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. No matter what, though, it will be interesting to see how Marvel Studios will be able to fold their First Family into the main MCU when the time comes.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
- July 25, 2025
- Director
- Matt Shakman
- Writers
- Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Stan Lee
The Fantastic Four: First Steps depicts Marvel's First Family navigating their roles as heroes amidst a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world. As they defend Earth from Galactus and the enigmatic Silver Surfer, they must also uphold the strength of their family bond.
- Cast
- Paul Walter Ha, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles
