As a long-time Marvel enthusiast who has witnessed the evolution of the universe on both comic book pages and silver screens, I am beyond excited about the upcoming “Fantastic Four: First Steps.” The anticipation is palpable, and it’s clear that Marvel Studios has been meticulously planning this addition to the MCU for quite some time.
In a simpler and more conversational way, one could say: The Fantastic Four were among Marvel’s most iconic characters even before the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). They served as the basis for what fans now recognize as the Marvel Universe in comic books. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in November 1961, The Fantastic Four marked the beginning of the era of Marvel superheroes and significantly transformed the concept of comic book superheroes. Characters like Doctor Doom, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, Black Panther, the Skrulls, the Kree, the Watchers, and many others first appeared in the pages of Fantastic Four comics. Given the trend of modern superhero movies, it seemed that the Fantastic Four would thrive, but unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case for Marvel’s original family. However, Disney is now preparing to integrate them into the broader MCU storyline.
The superhero group, known as The Fantastic Four, has appeared in a total of four different film adaptations. Two of these were moderately successful movies from the mid-2000s, but didn’t fully capture the comic book’s potential. A 2015 reboot was attempted, which aimed to give the series a darker, more realistic feel, but it didn’t fare well. After Fox was acquired by Disney in 2019, fans have been eagerly anticipating the introduction of both the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The work on “The Fantastic Four” commenced promptly, officially unveiled during Disney Investor Day in December 2020. Following a protracted casting phase, the movie was rechristened as “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” and is now in production, slated for release in 2025, marking the beginning of a fresh chapter for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Here’s what we currently know about the upcoming MCU appearance of “The Fantastic Four.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Release Date
The upcoming movie, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” is set to premiere in cinemas on July 25, 2025. This film marks the third Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) production slated for release in 2025, preceded by “Captain America: Brave New World” in February and “Thunderbolts*” in May. Notably, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” will initiate Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has experienced multiple release date changes. During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Marvel Studios announced its release on November 8, 2024. After the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike, the date was moved to Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025. The movie was then pushed back again to May 2, 2025, but it will now trade dates with “Thunderbolts” and is due out in July 2025 instead. Interestingly, for the past two decades, a Fantastic Four film has graced our screens every year ending in five: starting with 2005’s “Fantastic Four,” followed by 2015’s “Fantastic Four,” and now the upcoming 2025 release of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Who Stars in Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four?’
The significant role of “The Fantastic Four” in Marvel Comics made it challenging, over a period of approximately three and a half years, to find the ideal four actors to depict Marvel’s original family on the big screen. Speculation about potential candidates for Reed Richards swirled, with Adam Driver being one name mentioned, while Susan Storm’s role was rumored to be in contention for actresses like Mila Kunis and Margot Robbie. However, none of these speculations were ever confirmed, indicating the intense excitement among fans about who would eventually be cast.
On February 14, 2024, Marvel Studios announced who would play the four fantastic characters:
- Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us) is cast as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic.
- Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) will take on the role of Susan Storm / The Invisible Woman.
- Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, Gladiator II) will play Johnny Storm / The Human Torch.
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Girls) will star as Ben Grimm / The Thing.
After the reveal of the principal cast members, the remaining roles were further developed. Ralph Ineson (from “The Witch”) was chosen as the antagonist, Galactus. Julia Garner (known for “Inventing Anna”) will portray The Silver Surfer, however, not in the traditional Norrin Radd role, but rather Shalla-Bal, who is Norrin Radd’s conventional comic book love interest.
Moreover, it has been revealed that Paul Walter Hauser (known for his role in “Cobra Kai”), John Malkovich (renowned for his work in “Dangerous Liaisons”), Natasha Lyonne (“Poker Face” actress), and Sarah Niles (“Ted Lasso” cast member) have been assigned to unspecified roles. There’s a lot of buzz around Natasha Lyonne possibly embodying either Ben Grimm’s love interest, Alicia Masters, or providing the voice for the robot assistant, H.E.R.B.I.E., as hinted by her appearance in the cast announcement artwork and a brief glimpse at San Diego Comic-Con.
What Is ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ About?
In the year 2024, Marvel Studios unveiled a selection of five comics for enthusiasts to explore ahead of the forthcoming “Fantastic Four” film. These comics subtly suggested a ’60s backdrop and the impending appearance of Galactus and the Silver Surfer. The stories offered a solid framework for what viewers might anticipate from the final production. On November 14, 2024, Marvel Studios disclosed an official summary for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” The synopsis is as follows:
In a colorful 1960s-style, futuristic setting, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” presents Marvel’s original superhero family, as they confront their toughest battle yet. They struggle to maintain their heroic duties while preserving the strong familial ties that bind them. Their mission is to protect Earth from a ravenous cosmic deity named Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his cryptic emissary, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). To make matters worse, the threat becomes intensely personal. If Galactus’ intention to consume the entire planet and every life on it wasn’t ominous enough, things take a turn for the personal.
It’s clear why the Fantastic Four haven’t been part of the larger MCU – their story, titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” unfolds in an alternate reality separate from the MCU’s established timeline. This concept mirrors a plan by Ant-Man director Peyton Reed for a Fantastic Four movie back in the 2000s, where they would have been active during the 1960s – a nod to when the team first appeared. Marvel Studios began suggesting this alternate reality setting as early as April 4, 2024, with artwork depicting Johnny Storm/The Human Torch flying over a retro-futuristic New York City skyline. The footage shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 also showcased this alternative world, offering a sneak peek of the Fantastic Car to those in attendance.
One intriguing aspect of the storyline suggests that the ominous line, “‘If Galactus’ plot to consume the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t alarming enough, it becomes deeply personal.’” could possibly foreshadow the entry of Franklin Richards in the movie. In the comics, Franklin Richards is known as one of the most potent entities in the Marvel Universe. Later, he is destined to assume Galactus’ role as a world devourer, particularly in a comic featuring Shala-Bal’s Silver Surfer variant. Although Franklin Richards’ appearance has not been officially confirmed, there’s strong speculation that his presence could make Galactus’ threat more personal.
Galactus & Silver Surfer Will Be the Main Villains but Expect More Familiar Faces
According to the plot summary and character list, Galactus serves as the main antagonist in the upcoming movie, with his servant, The Silver Surfer, taking a significant role. There are whispers that several minor Fantastic Four villains might make an appearance, either in a series of scenes or scattered throughout the film to establish the realistic world where the Fantastic Four live. It’s been suggested that John Malkovich will portray Ivan Kragoff/The Red Ghost, and Paul Walter Hauser may play The Mole Man.
Will Doctor Doom, the longtime adversary of The Fantastic Four, make an appearance in the upcoming movie, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”? Given that Robert Downey Jr. is portraying the villain in both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”, it’s speculated that he might have a smaller role in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”. This could potentially be his introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the Doctor Doom character played by Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to hail from the same alternate timeline as this version of The Fantastic Four.
The Creative Team Behind ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’
Matt Shakman, known for directing all nine episodes of the highly praised Disney+ series “WandaVision”, has been appointed as director for the upcoming movie titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps“. Shakman joined the project in August 2022, following the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con about the film’s initial release date in November 2024. Prior to Shakman, MCU “Spider-Man” trilogy director Jon Watts was attached to direct the movie, a fact confirmed during Disney Investor Day in 2020. However, Watts left the project in April 2022 to concentrate on directing “Wolfs” and working on his new “Star Wars” television series, “Skeleton Crew”. Other potential directors considered by Marvel Studios for the role were Michael Matthews (Love & Monsters) and Reid Carolin (Dog)).
Before Shakman took over as director, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were the initial screenwriters for the project. In 2023, Josh Friedman, who’s famously behind Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and has worked on films like Terminator: Dark Fate, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, was enlisted to rework the screenplay.
It was revealed in October 2023 that Cameron Squires, the writer of ‘WandaVision’, would collaborate with Friedman on the script, and it’s also mentioned that Peter Cameron, another ‘WandaVision’ writer, has made contributions. Eric Pearson, who previously worked on ‘Black Widow’, ‘Thunderbolts’, and as a small rewriter on ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and both ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’, was also brought in to do some script work.
Shakman has gathered a talented team for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Notably, Jess Hall, who worked as cinematographer on WandaVision and Shakman’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series, will take on that role here. Alexandra Byrne, an Academy Award-winning costume designer, has been appointed for the film’s costumes, marking her sixth project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following Thor, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Doctor Strange. Kasra Farahani, who demonstrated exceptional production design skills on Loki, has been brought on board for this film as well.
Michael Giacchino, familiar with Marvel Studios from his work on films like Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Thor: Love and Thunder, and the MCU Halloween special Werewolf by Night, is the one creating the score for this production. The theme of Fantastic Four was initially heard in the test footage shown at San Diego Comic-Con. It was fully played during the “Music of Marvel Studios” panel that Giacchino oversaw at D23. Additionally, it was performed later that month as part of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience at the Hollywood Bowl.
How ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Will Tie Into the MCU
In essence, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” can exist independently of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)’s chronology, making it accessible for newcomers who might find the extensive 17-year continuity daunting. Similar to how “Guardians of the Galaxy” in 2014 was set apart from the main MCU timeline and narrative, it can serve as an introduction to the franchise while remaining essential to its overarching storyline.
The upcoming movie, titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” is expected to play a crucial role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), potentially serving as the main focus of Phase 6. There’s buzz that the film might conclude with the Four Superheroes becoming lost and stranded in the multiverse, only to appear in the post-credit scene of “Avengers: Doomsday” the following year, drifting on a raft in the newly constructed Battleworld – much like their comic book counterparts who found themselves in Doctor Doom’s new reality. This sets the stage for their significant involvement in the storyline for “Avengers: Secret Wars,” which is inspired by the 2015 comic “Secret Wars” that heavily revolved around the Fantastic Four. In essence, they are expected to make appearances in three consecutive years: 2025’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” and 2027’s “Avengers: Secret Wars.
Marvel Studios is pouring significant resources into reviving The Fantastic Four, implying that they might become the cornerstone characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from now on. Keep an eye out for their frequent appearances in the MCU’s upcoming projects.
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2024-11-30 21:03