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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
2025 Marvel Studios film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a 2025 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Fantastic Four. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film series. The film was directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. It features an ensemble cast including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular team, alongside Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson. In the film, the Fantastic Four must protect their 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus (Ineson).
20th Century Fox began work on a new Fantastic Four film following the failure of Fantastic Four (2015). After the studio was acquired by Disney in March 2019, control of the franchise was transferred to Marvel Studios, and a new film was announced that July. Jon Watts was set to direct in December 2020, but stepped down in April 2022. Shakman replaced him that September when Kaplan and Springer were working on the script. Casting began by early 2023, and Friedman joined in March to rewrite the script. The film is differentiated from previous Fantastic Four films by avoiding the team's origin story. Pearson joined to polish the script by mid-February 2024, when the main cast and the title The Fantastic Four were announced. The subtitle was added in July, when filming began and lasted until November 2024 at Pinewood Studios in England, and on location in England and Spain.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps premiered at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on July 21, 2025, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 25, as the first film in Phase Six of the MCU. The film received generally positive reviews from critics. A sequel is in development.
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Plot
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On Earth-828, four years have passed since Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm gained superhuman abilities from cosmic ray exposure on a space flight and became the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four. During a family dinner, Reed and Sue reveal to Grimm and Johnny that they are expecting a child. A few months later, the Silver Surfer suddenly appears to announce to the people of Earth that their planet has been marked for destruction by the planet-devouring cosmic being called Galactus. After studying numerous anomalies involving the disappearance of planets, the team decides to try and negotiate Earth's fate with Galactus.
Upon their arrival at a distant star system, the nearest planet is immediately destroyed by Galactus' ship, and the team is captured. Galactus offers to spare Earth in exchange for Sue's unborn son, as he senses an immense power within him. The team refuses and escapes from Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Sue gives birth to Franklin as they return to Earth. Following a disastrous press conference to explain their failure, the world turns against the team, fearing Galactus' imminent arrival. With Franklin in her arms, Sue goes out to the public and declares that they will do whatever is necessary to defeat Galactus, regaining public trust.
Reed devises a network of standing teleportation bridges that will transport Earth away from Galactus's reach, by hiding it in a distant galaxy many light-years away. Just as they begin activating the bridges, they are destroyed by the Silver Surfer. Johnny stops her from reaching the last one in Times Square and, having learned her language, identifies her as Shalla-Bal, who willingly became Galactus' herald to spare her own world from the same fate. Forced to hear the dying words of the planets she had led Galactus to, Shalla-Bal flees in anguish.
Using Franklin as bait, the team plans to lure Galactus to the Times Square bridge and teleport him far from Earth. The plan fails, and Galactus takes the baby from the team's headquarters. Sue forces Galactus into the portal using her shield-generating powers while Reed rescues Franklin. When Sue begins to falter from overexertion, Johnny attempts to push him back in. Having a change of heart, Shalla-Bal stops him and sacrifices herself instead, as Galactus gets consumed by the portal and thrown into the void. Reed, Grimm, and Johnny recover Sue, who has died after exhausting her powers. However, when Reed places Franklin on her chest, his newly awakened powers resuscitate her. In the aftermath, the team is celebrated for their victory.
Four years later, while Sue is alone to take care of Franklin, they are approached by a masked man in a green cloak.[a]
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Cast
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Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach portray the titular team in the film (clockwise from upper left)
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic:
A highly intelligent scientist and the leader of the Fantastic Four who can stretch any part of his body to great lengths.[4][5] Director Matt Shakman described Reed as "the most scientifically intelligent person" on the planet, and a combination of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Robert Moses.[5] Pascal said it was Reed's mind that was most important to him, rather than the character's physicality, and he considered "the brilliance of an octopus" when approaching the character.[6] He also noted that he drew inspiration from many of the iterations of Reed from the comics, as opposed to previous portrayals of the character in past Fantastic Four films, such as Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller.[7] Shakman said that, despite the character of Reed being the hardest to cast, he found Pascal to be the best choice, in part due to having a long-standing relationship working together in film; and that it was "fated in the stars" to work together on First Steps.[2] - Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman:
Reed's pregnant wife, Johnny's older sister, and a member of the Fantastic Four who can generate force fields and turn invisible.[4][8] She is the founder of the Future Foundation,[9] which has achieved global demilitarization and peace. Shakman described Sue as "the most emotionally intelligent person" on the planet. Kirby enjoyed synthesizing the various comic portrayals of Sue into her version of the character, focusing on motherhood as the through-line. The actress said she was obsessed with the comics run where Sue takes on the negative persona "Malice", and she included elements of that version in her portrayal so Sue would not be "the stereotype of a goody, sweet mother".[5] - Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing:
Reed's best friend, a former astronaut, and a member of the Fantastic Four whose skin has been transformed into a layer of orange rock, granting him superhuman strength and durability.[4][5] Moss-Bachrach found comparisons between Grimm and his character Richie Jerimovich in the series The Bear (2022–present), noting both were "deeply loyal people" and "fighters with a fierce sense of code, morality, and family".[10] Moss-Bachrach portrays the Thing through motion capture and computer-generated imagery (CGI) rather than prosthetic makeup,[11] and discussed that process with Mark Ruffalo, who portrays the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) using the same technology.[12] In addition to Moss-Bachrach performing his scenes in a motion-capture suit, some takes were re-filmed with the actor using different body extensions or a stand-in wearing a life-sized Thing costume to help the other actors reference the space that the character takes up.[5] Shakman consulted scientists and studied desert rocks to find the best reference for the Thing's appearance;[13] a specific desert rock that matched his desired look for the Thing, referred to as "Jennifer", was also filmed on set as a lighting reference for the visual effects team.[14] - Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch:
Sue's younger brother and a member of the Fantastic Four who can control fire and fly.[4][15] While Quinn was a fan of Chris Evans's portrayal of the character in the 20th Century Fox films Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), he did not base his portrayal on Evans's.[16] Quinn and producer Kevin Feige discussed Johnny's womanizing in previous portrayals and concluded that this would not be considered "sexy" by modern audiences. Quinn wanted his version to be "less callous with other people's feelings" and more self-aware of his attention-seeking behavior, while still having a lot of bravado and humor. Shakman noted that Johnny is also smart and heroic, despite undercutting that with jokes.[5] - Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer:
Galactus's metallic-skinned herald who travels through space on a surfboard-like craft.[17][18] Garner said there was a "mysterious energy" to the character and her relationship with Galactus.[18] She portrayed the Silver Surfer through motion capture,[19] combining research on surfing poses with statuesque non-surf poses from the comics with the aim of having the character "[move] elegantly, like a dance".[18] - Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols: The CEO of the Future Foundation[9]
- Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert: The host of The Ted Gilbert Show, a popular talk show[20]
- Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman: A school teacher and Grimm's love interest[21]
- Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder / Mole Man:
The human ruler of Subterranea, an underground society whose inhabitants refer to themselves as Moloids.[22][23] Shakman compared Elder to a leader of a labor union with humanity and a focus on community and taking care of his people.[22] - Ralph Ineson as Galactus:
A gigantic cosmic being who consumes the life force of planets.[24][5] Shakman called him a "humongous, 14-billion-year-old, planet-devouring cosmic vampire". Ineson did not think Galactus was evil, calling him a "god of sorts" and a "big, planet-eating guy, simply doing what a big, planet-eating guy does". The actor spent time "ruminating" at the top of tall buildings to prepare for the role. Feige loved the introduction of Galactus in the comics and had long wanted to use him.[25] Ineson stated that Galactus does not care about a planet's life since "it's his food", only sparing them if there is something that "interests" him there.[22] Feige shared a clip of the character from the video game Fortnite Battle Royale (2017) as a reference for how he should be portrayed.[26] The film uses a comic book-accurate design, in contrast with the cloud-like design in Rise of the Silver Surfer.[25] Galactus's purple and blue armor was built for Ineson to wear, as it was important to Shakman that someone was "embodying the part".[5] Ineson had a support crew to keep him cool between takes because of the armor.[22]
Additionally, Matthew Wood voices the Fantastic Four's robot companion H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics), who generally serves as Reed's assistant.[5][27] Shakman said H.E.R.B.I.E. is "slightly put-upon" yet "charming and adorable", and invaluable to the team.[27] Ada Scott appears as Franklin Richards, the superpowered newborn son of Reed and Sue,[28] while Shakman's daughter Maisie appears as a child saved by the Human Torch from falling debris.[2] Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, and Michael Bailey Smith, who portrayed the titular team in the unreleased 1994 film The Fantastic Four,[29] make a cameo appearance as civilians thanking the Fantastic Four.[30] Robert Downey Jr. makes an uncredited cameo as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in a mid-credits scene.[3][31]
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Production
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Background
After the critical and commercial failure of 20th Century Fox's 2015 film Fantastic Four, co-written and directed by Josh Trank and based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Fantastic Four, Fox began looking at new directions to take the franchise. Having also produced two earlier Fantastic Four films directed by Tim Story a decade prior, the studio did not want to just make another Fantastic Four film.[32] By June 2017, Seth Grahame-Smith was writing a new film that would shift focus to Franklin and Valeria Richards, the children of the original Fantastic Four leaders Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic and Sue Storm / Invisible Woman. Taking inspiration from the comic book series Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004–2009), the screenplay included original Fantastic Four members Ben Grimm / The Thing and Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and was described as kid-centric with a tone closer to the animated film The Incredibles (2004) than Trank's darker film.[33] The basis of Grahame-Smith's screenplay came from a separate script that Carter Blanchard had written as an adaptation of the children's book Kindergarten Heroes by Mark Millar. Millar previously consulted with Fox on their Marvel-based films.[34] In July 2017, Noah Hawley, the creator of the Marvel Television series Legion (2017–2019), was hired to develop a separate film focused on Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four's primary antagonist in the comics and previous films.[32] The Walt Disney Company officially acquired 21st Century Fox in March 2019 and gained the film rights for the Marvel Comics characters that Fox controlled for its subsidiary Marvel Studios, including the Fantastic Four.[35][36] The Marvel-based films that Fox had been developing were placed "on hold".[37]
Development
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Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed in July 2019 that the company was developing a new Fantastic Four film for their shared universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).[38] Feige said he was excited about the characters and about "bringing Marvel's first family up to the sort of platform and level they deserve".[39] In December 2020, Feige announced that Jon Watts would direct the film after doing so for the first three MCU Spider-Man films (2017–2021).[40][41] Marvel Studios began meeting with writers by February 2021.[42] That June, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said Feige and Marvel Studios were planning to "mine" the Fantastic Four franchise.[43][44] Watts stepped down as director in April 2022, choosing to take a break from the superhero genre after being "out of gas" from dealing with the COVID-19 protocols on Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and its post-production process; he chose to direct the film Wolfs (2024) instead.[45][46] Grant Curtis and Nick Pepin were producing the new Fantastic Four film after working on the Marvel Studios miniseries Moon Knight (2022).[47]
John Krasinski portrays Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in the MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Krasinski had been a popular suggestion for the role among fans for some time, and rumors that he had been cast as Reed had especially circulated since confirmation of the new film's development. The version of the character that he plays in Multiverse of Madness is from Earth-838, an alternate universe to the main MCU, and is a member of the Illuminati.[48] Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi said Feige cast Krasinski as the character because it was for an alternate universe cameo appearance that was also an opportunity to deliver on a popular fan casting. This led to speculation about whether Krasinski's role was a one-off or if he would return to star in the new Fantastic Four film.[49] Krasinski later said he appreciated the role but there had been no discussions about him reprising it.[50]
Marvel Studios was searching for a new director by June 2022, when the studio was not close to shortening their list of candidates. The list reportedly included high-profile filmmakers, and Feige was said to be looking for a director who could oversee the filming process without him needing to be on set, similar to Raimi.[51] At San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) the next month, Feige announced that the film would be released on November 8, 2024, as the first film in Phase Six of the MCU.[52] Filming was set to begin in 2023.[53] Matt Shakman was in early talks to direct by late August.[54] He and Michael Matthews were considered the finalists in a search that also considered Reid Carolin.[55] Deadline Hollywood felt Shakman was the person to beat given his familiarity with Feige after directing the Marvel Studios miniseries WandaVision (2021).[54] Shakman's pitch to Marvel Studios involved telling a family-centric story of the Fantastic Four, with Reed and Sue becoming parents after they were well-known superheroes; executives were convinced Shakman was the best choice after he showed a picture of him holding his newly-born daughter in a meeting while negotiating.[2] Shakman subsequently exited a planned Star Trek film due to the schedule for Fantastic Four,[56] and said he chose to work on the latter because he did not want to pass up the opportunity and was excited by its focus on family, optimism, and technology.[57] Feige confirmed that Shakman would direct at Disney's D23 convention in September.[58] Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were writing the script with Feige for some time before Shakman's hiring. The four were set to align their visions for the film while Feige and Shakman began casting.[59] In October, the release date was pushed back to February 14, 2025.[60]
Pre-production
Casting start and search during the 2023 labor strikes
Casting for the Fantastic Four began by February 2023, with a focus on casting the role of Sue Storm / Invisible Woman first.[61][62][63] Shakman said the casting process was the biggest challenge because they wanted to find actors who could convey the team's family dynamics.[5] Feige said the group would be a big pillar in the MCU moving forward,[64] and the studio had "set a very high bar for ourselves" in wanting to live up to the group's long history in the comics going back to 1961.[65] Josh Friedman was hired to rewrite the script at the end of March. Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter believed Friedman's hiring indicated a possible tonal shift, because he had written many science fiction projects while Kaplan and Springer were known more for comedy.[66] Journalist Jeff Sneider reported that Friedman was hired to bring the film closer to Feige and Shakman's vision to heavily feature cosmic elements from the 1960s comic books, including the characters Galactus and Silver Surfer.[67][68] Shakman noted that previous Fantastic Four adaptations combined an origin story for the team with Doctor Doom, a character who "takes up a lot of air", as the villain. By avoiding a re-telling of the origin story—the film begins four years after the team gains their powers—and using Galactus as the antagonist, he felt they were bringing a fresh perspective to the film.[5][69] Feige said the decision to avoid re-telling the origin story was similar to how the MCU introduced Peter Parker / Spider-Man without retelling his well-known origin story.[65] Sneider reported that Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom could have a small role such as an appearance in a post-credits scene,[70] and Marvel Studios wanted a major star to play the character.[71]
By the start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike in May, filming was planned to begin in January 2024 in London.[72] Sneider reported that Marvel Studios wanted Adam Driver and Emma Stone to portray Reed and Sue, but they both declined offers in part because the studio did not want to pay the high salaries they asked for;[73][74][75] Sneider said Feige wanted to contain the studio's talent spending.[74] In June, the release date was pushed back to May 2, 2025.[76] Before the start of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike in July, Marvel Studios held screen tests for Reed with several actors, including Christopher Abbott and Jamie Dornan, which Sneider said "did not go very well".[74] The studio offered the role to Jake Gyllenhaal, who portrayed Quentin Beck / Mysterio in the MCU film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), but he also asked for a salary that Marvel did not want to pay.[74][77] They were considering non-white actors for Reed and Pedro Pascal became interested, though he would not engage in conversations during the strike.[74] In August, Ebon Moss-Bachrach was offered the role of Ben Grimm / The Thing,[11] after playing David Lieberman / Micro in the first season of the MCU television series The Punisher (2017).[5] Marvel Studios was committed to casting a Jewish actor like Moss-Bachrach as the Thing, who is depicted as Jewish in the comics but was not portrayed by Jewish actors in the previous Fantastic Four films.[78][79] David Krumholtz met with Shakman about the role after campaigning for it online, but was unsuccessful. He began campaigning to portray the villain Harvey Elder / Mole Man instead.[80] Sneider reported that Marvel Studios was looking at Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn to portray Sue and her brother Johnny Storm / Human Torch.[71][74] Nicholas Galitzine was also rumored to be portraying Johnny and had conversations about the role.[81] Marvel approached Matt Smith about portraying Reed, but that was not expected to work out, and they were instead looking for "a bona fide movie star". A Latino actor was expected to be hired as Galactus.[71]
In October 2023, Shakman said they planned to start filming in early 2024 at Pinewood Studios in England,[82] and the cast would be announced once the SAG-AFTRA strike ended. During the strikes, the crew worked on production design and early tests of the visual effects for the team's abilities.[82] Kasra Farahani returned as production designer from the Marvel Studios series Loki (2021–2023) and Alexandra Byrne returned as costume designer from several MCU films.[83] The team's costumes are pale blue with white necklines, similar to designs introduced in the comics with Fantastic Four vol. 1 #256 (1983) and those worn in Roger Corman's unreleased Fantastic Four film (1994).[84]
Post-labor strikes and cast announcement
Following the conclusion of the actors' strike in November 2023, Pascal entered talks to portray Reed and was negotiating his schedule around other commitments. Marvel Studios was expected to make offers for the other lead roles soon after, having deemed it essential to find the actor for Reed first.[85] According to Shakman, Reed was the most difficult role to cast.[2] Moss-Bachrach was the first actor officially cast in the film.[14] Quinn sought advice on the film from Pascal during the production of their film Gladiator II (2024), not knowing that Pascal was in talks to play Reed.[86] Pascal had not planned to take on such a role and said the film changed his plans "in a very sudden way".[5] Javier Bardem was being eyed to portray Galactus after Antonio Banderas was linked to the character, though Bardem had a potential scheduling conflict with the film F1 (2025).[74] Sneider reported that the studio was looking to cast a woman as Silver Surfer, who is usually the male character Norrin Radd.[74] In January 2024, Sneider reported that filming had been delayed to a start between July and September, and this caused Pascal to exit his role in the film Weapons (2025).[87][88]
On February 14, 2024, Marvel Studios released a Valentine's Day–themed announcement that confirmed the casting of Pascal as Reed, Kirby as Sue, Quinn as Johnny, and Moss-Bachrach as the Thing. The film, officially titled The Fantastic Four, was delayed to July 25, 2025, swapping places with the MCU film Thunderbolts*.[4] Feige said "90 percent of the work was done" by confirming the main cast.[89] The announcement's promotional art included the December 13, 1963, issue of Life magazine with Lyndon B. Johnson on the cover, indicating a 1960s setting,[90][91] and Pascal referenced 1960s songs from the Beatles when sharing the promotional art on social media.[91][92] The announcement also revealed the inclusion of the comic book character H.E.R.B.I.E., a robot companion to the Fantastic Four.[93] Feige later confirmed that the film would be a 1960s period piece, but indicated that it would be set in an alternate universe from the main MCU within the multiverse;[94] it is set on Earth-828.[95] Shakman called it a "retro-future '60s" aesthetic, "part what you know from the '60s, but part what you've never seen".[13] He looked to the optimism of the Space Race and ideas of future space travelers that people had in the 1960s when the comics were first written. Shakman stated, "I really wanted to take all of that great stuff from Apollo 11 and just imagine that instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, it was the Storms and Ben Grimm and Reed Richards heading off into space".[96] He studied all of the Fantastic Four comics, from their original creation up to present day,[97] and took particular inspiration from Jonathan Hickman's 2009–2011 run for how to approach the main characters. The film includes the Future Foundation philanthropic organization from Hickman's run.[98] Shakman was also inspired by Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and the works of industrial designer and artist Syd Mead.[5][99] He said his work on the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–present) helped inform his approach to the film's playfulness, collaboration, and improvisation.[100]
Also in February 2024, Sneider reported that Bardem was the studio's top choice for Galactus; they had begun meeting with actors for Silver Surfer; and Doctor Doom would be cast during filming.[78] Eric Pearson, who had a reputation for "taking projects over the finish line" for Marvel Studios, had been "quietly hired" to polish the script.[101] In April, Julia Garner was cast as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer.[17][102] In the comics, Shalla-Bal is the love interest of Norrin Radd and she becomes the Silver Surfer herself in the 1999–2000 Earth-X limited series by Jim Krueger and John Paul Leon.[103] Justin Kroll of Deadline Hollywood reported that no actors held an offer or were in talks for Galactus at that time.[104] WandaVision writer Peter Cameron had contributed to the script by the following month.[105][106] Several actors joined the cast in May, including Paul Walter Hauser who was cast as Harvey Elder / Mole Man reportedly for a sequence at the beginning of the film.[105][22][107] Hauser worked with Shakman on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and met with him to discuss joining The Fantastic Four. He was initially reluctant due to the poor reception of the previous Fantastic Four films, but was won over by the script, cast, and crew.[108] John Malkovich was cast as Ivan Kragoff / Red Ghost,[109][110] after declining offers for previous Marvel films because he felt the proposed pay was not equal to the work involved. He chose to accept a role in this film to work with Shakman again after the film Cut Bank (2014).[111] Ralph Ineson was cast as Galactus,[24][5] after appearing as a Ravager pilot in the MCU film Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).[112] Natasha Lyonne also joined the cast,[113] after voicing the original MCU character Byrdie the Duck in the third season of the Marvel Studios animated series What If...? (2024).[114]
Three weeks of rehearsals were held with the actors to work through the script with Shakman and Friedman to help define their relationships to one another and how they would exist in their 1960s retro-futuristic setting. Discussing these rehearsals, Pascal explained that it allowed the actors to approach the script "dramaturgically as you would a play" while Moss-Bachrach, who believed the script was not completed yet, said it allowed them to share research and consult with astronauts and scientists.[2] At the end of June 2024, Feige said filming would begin at the end of July.[115][116] A few days of pre-filming occurred before SDCC in late July, capturing footage of an astronaut preparation area, the Thing as a contestant on a dating game show titled Let's Make a Match, and a children's science show hosted by Reed titled Fantastic Science with Mister Fantastic.[96] At the convention, the film's new title was announced to be The Fantastic Four: First Steps.[117] The subtitle references the film's ideas of optimism and space exploration,[96][118] but Shakman said it also has additional meanings. This led to speculation about what those meanings could be.[118] Also at SDCC, the main cast were revealed to be reprising their roles in the MCU crossover films Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027),[12] and Robert Downey Jr. was announced to be portraying Doctor Doom in those two films.[117] Feige wanted Downey to return to the MCU, after he portrayed Tony Stark / Iron Man in the franchise from 2008 to 2019, and had discussed the actor taking on the role of Doom around a year before the SDCC announcement.[119] Sneider reported that Downey would be introduced as Doom in a post-credits scene at the end of First Steps.[31] Shakman said he knew about Downey's casting for a while before the announcement,[120] but he later said Doctor Doom was "not a part of [his] film, and therefore not a part of [his] purview".[121] Feige later added that the events of First Steps would lead directly into the story of Doomsday.[122]
Filming
Principal photography began on July 30, 2024,[123] at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England,[82][5] under the working title Blue Moon.[124] The film was shot for IMAX,[82][125] with Jess Hall returning from WandaVision as cinematographer.[83] Filming was originally reported to be starting in 2023,[53] and then early 2024, before the strikes.[72]
Shakman wanted the film to look as if it were made by Kubrick in 1965, including with its camera lens choices and general "approach to filmmaking".[126] Second unit director of photography Tim Wooster used his father's 16 mm film camera for some sequences.[10] Practical sets and props were employed where possible.[126] The team's Baxter Building penthouse was a two-story contiguous set inspired by "cozy" mid-century modern California homes.[2][10] Reed's lab, inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey,[10] is divided into three sections: a red room for research and inventions, a yellow room with blackboards for thinking, and a blue room with communications equipment for monitoring. A fictionalized version of New York's Yancy Street was built based on how the city's Jewish areas looked during the childhood of Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby, including kosher grocery stores and a synagogue.[5] Pinewood's entire backlot was used for the film's Times Square set.[2] Practical props included a 14-foot (4.3 m) scale model of the Fantastic Four's spaceship, the Excelsior, to create a miniature effect;[10][126] H.E.R.B.I.E., realized through a combination of a wooden puppet, a remote-controlled animatronic that had a functioning head and arms, and visual effects;[5][27] and two models of the team's Fantasticar, one that allowed for interior filming with the actors and another that was "stripped down" for use in effects shots. Farahani said the Fantasticar was based on "mid-'60s American concept cars that were actually referencing European cars". Its accent features, such as its turbine intakes and interface controls, have a 1950s "retrofuture" look.[5]
Location shooting occurred at Durdle Door in Dorset, England, in mid-October.[127] Lyonne finished filming her scenes later that month.[128] In mid-November, Sarah Niles was revealed to have been cast.[129] Filming took place from November 19–22 at the Palace of Congresses in Oviedo, Spain, for scenes set at the headquarters of the United Nations.[130] Filming also took place in the Middleton mine in Derbyshire Dales, England,[131] and wrapped at the end of November.[132]
Post-production
In April 2025, Mark Gatiss was revealed to be appearing as Ted Gilbert, the talk show host of The Ted Gilbert Show.[20] A month later, additional photography had occurred,[133] and sound designer Matthew Wood was revealed to be the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E.[27] In July, Shakman revealed that Malkovich's role had been cut from the film and said this was a "heartbreaking" decision to make. He explained that Malkovich's role as Red Ghost was originally planned to be part of a sequence at the beginning of the film that chronicles the Fantastic Four's early years as superheroes; this would have included a battle against Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. Shakman praised Malkovich's performance in the role but said the sequence was one of many that were cut to help balance the introduction of the Fantastic Four as a group and individually, their world, and the various other villains in the film.[110] The film retains a brief cameo appearance of the Super-Apes orangutan member Peotor,[134] as well as the ginormous creature Giganto.[30] Leading up to the film's release, several actors' roles were revealed, including infant actor Ada Scott as Reed and Sue's superpowered newborn son Franklin Richards,[28] Hauser as Mole Man,[22] Niles as Lynne Nichols, and Lyonne as Rachel Rozman.[9][21] The stars of the unreleased 1994 film The Fantastic Four, Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, and Michael Bailey Smith, were revealed to have roles in First Steps,[29] briefly appearing as civilians thanking the Fantastic Four at the beginning of the film.[30]
The film's first post-credits scene introduces Downey as Doctor Doom and was filmed by Doomsday and Secret Wars directors Anthony and Joe Russo during the production of the former.[3][135] Shakman said the Russos were "very involved" with the production of First Steps—visiting the sets and watching scenes from the film—as they wanted to familiarize themselves with the Fantastic Four and the other characters in the film "so they could treat them well, do right by them in [Doomsday]".[135] The screenplay was credited to Friedman, Pearson, Kaplan, and Springer from a story by Pearson, Kaplan, Springer, and Kat Wood.[106] Nona Khodai and Tim Roche edited the film,[21] while Scott Stokdyk served as the visual effects supervisor, with visual effects provided by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Framestore, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Digital Domain, Rise FX, and Wētā FX.[136]
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Music
Michael Giacchino was announced to be composing the score in July 2024, after scoring various MCU projects, and his music for the Fantastic Four and Galactus was previewed during a drone show at SDCC that month.[137] His main Fantastic Four theme was played in full at the D23 convention in August during a "Music of Marvel Studios" panel that Giacchino moderated,[138] and at the Hollywood Bowl later that month as part of Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience. Mike Roe of TheWrap called the theme "a jaunty vibe" that "blends a dreamy sense with future-looking heroic optimism, along with elements that echo the sounds you might expect from a film featuring, say, a space launch". He likened it to the score of the MCU film Ant-Man (2015).[139] The theme was released as a digital download single from Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on June 5, 2025, and will be available as a 7-inch vinyl along with "Let Us Be Devoured", written and performed by Andrea Datzman, on July 25. Giacchino's full score was released digitally on July 18, 2025.[140]
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Marketing
Summarize
Perspective
On April 4, 2024—known as "4–4 Day"—Marvel Studios released a teaser poster featuring the Human Torch creating the Fantastic Four symbol. A link was included that led to a 404 error page featuring H.E.R.B.I.E., with an embedded QR code leading to a Future Foundation–themed page with a list of Fantastic Four comics to read on Marvel Unlimited:[15][141] Fantastic Four vol. 1 #1 (1961), the team's first appearance; Fantastic Four vol. 1 #48–50 (1966), known as "The Galactus Trilogy" and featuring the first appearances of Galactus and Silver Surfer; and Fantastic Four: Life Story #1 (2021), which is set in the 1960s.[15][142] Following a screening of the MCU film Deadpool & Wolverine at SDCC on July 25, a drone show over Petco Park included images of Galactus and the Fantastic Four logo, teasing announcements at Marvel Studios' Hall H panel two nights later.[143][144] That panel featured Shakman and the main cast, revealed the full title, showed a teaser reel, and had the film's futuristic Fantasticar float across the stage.[12] Shakman explained that the teaser reel featured pre-filming footage combined with pre-visualizations and animatics that were created during development.[96] The footage was presented in an "old-timey 4:3 aspect ratio".[145] Further footage was shown at D23 Brazil in November.[146]
The first teaser trailer was released on February 4, 2025. Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach appeared at a fan event at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, which is known as "Rocket City", to launch the teaser.[147] Leading up to this, a short "teaser for the first teaser" was released featuring children running to a television that displays Fantastic Four imagery. Vulture's Jesse David Fox noted a stock sound effect used for the children's laughter, wondering if it was an intentional indication of something or if the footage had just been rushed.[148] Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen likened the widely used sound effect, which had originally been recorded for the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), to the Wilhelm scream sound effect. He was confused why it was used twice in such a short clip.[149] Discussing the full teaser, Ben Travis at Empire felt the film was "on the right track", appreciating the tone and style as well as different references to the comics.[150] Several commentators noted that all of the Fantastic Four's powers are seen except for Reed's stretching abilities.[150][151][152] A scene of the Thing cooking with H.E.R.B.I.E. was highlighted by commentators who compared it to Moss-Bachrach's role as chef Richie Jerimovich in the series The Bear (2022–present).[153][154][84] The teaser was viewed 202 million times in its first 24 hours, the third-best for a Marvel Studios trailer after those for Deadpool & Wolverine (365M) and 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home (355M). It became the top trending video on YouTube, and a livestream of the teaser's launch became Marvel's most-viewed ever.[155] Alongside the teaser, Marvel also released several posters featuring the tagline "Prepare 4 Launch".[156] One of these was criticized by some who believed it was created with artificial intelligence (AI), pointing to a woman's face seemingly being used multiple times and hands that appear to have the wrong number of fingers. Marvel denied that AI was used,[157][158] and other commentators suggested these issues could be the result of poor photoshopping.[159] IMAX screenings for the MCU film Captain America: Brave New World, released later in February, featured a First Steps–themed countdown.[160]
Footage was shown at the 2025 CinemaCon, which gave a first look at Garner's Silver Surfer and revealed that Sue and Reed are expecting a child in the film.[161][162] Sydney Bucksbaum at Entertainment Weekly said Sue being pregnant gave "new meaning" to the film's title.[163] When the subtitle was originally announced, Jenna Anderson at ComicBook.com theorized "First Steps" could refer to the first steps of a child, indicating the film would see the introduction of either of Reed and Sue's children, Franklin and Valeria Richards; both were not seen in the previous Fantastic Four films.[118] The CinemaCon footage was not released online, despite speculation that a full trailer could be released on April 4, 2025. Instead, a new "retro-styled" poster featuring silhouettes of the Fantastic Four was released on that day alongside an Empire feature that revealed new details about the film.[164][165] The CinemaCon footage was subsequently released as a trailer on April 17.[8] Michael Cripe at IGN said the trailer had more action than the teaser, including a first look at Reed's stretching abilities.[166] Commentators also noted the focus on Garner's Silver Surfer.[166][167][168] At the end of April, Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios announced a tie-in one-shot comic titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps,[69] which was released on July 9.[169] It was written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Mark Buckingham, with cover art by Phil Noto. Marvel Comics worked with the film's creative team to ensure the comic matched the film's style and tone, and the comics team visited the set during filming.[69] It is presented as an in-universe comic published by the Future Foundation on the fourth anniversary of the Fantastic Four gaining their powers, serving as an "authorized retelling" of the team's early adventures.[170]
A commercial for the Little Caesars pizza chain, directed by Farahani and released in June, features an homage to the first Fantastic Four comic book issue in which the team fights Giganto.[171] Also in June, Feige promoted the film at CineEurope as part of a wider Disney presentation. A new trailer for the film was shown.[122] Fantastic Four-themed games were added to Topgolf locations in conjunction with the film's release.[172] AMC Theaters released a limited-edition popcorn bucket of Galactus to promote the film. The container can hold 9 liters (2.37 gallons) of popcorn and earned a Guinness World Record for the largest popcorn container commercially available.[173][174]
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Release
The Fantastic Four: First Steps had its world premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on July 21, 2025. The premiere was live-streamed on Disney+ – a first for a Disney premiere – featuring interviews with the cast and creatives along with an exclusive sneak peek at the film, with a replay available following the live-stream. The premiere also featured a performance of Michael Giacchino's Marvel Studios logo fanfare and an orchestral suite of selections from the score by a large orchestra and chorus live on stage preceding the film.[175] The film will be released in the United States on July 25,[12] in IMAX,[176] ScreenX, and 4DX.[177] It was previously scheduled for November 8, 2024,[52] February 14, 2025,[60] and May 2, 2025.[76] It is the first film, and start, of Phase Six of the MCU.[178]
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Reception
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Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 219 critics gave the film a positive review. The site's critics consensus reads, "Benefitting from rock-solid cast chemistry and clad in appealingly retro 1960s design, this crack at The Fantastic Four does Marvel's First Family justice."[179] Metacritic summarized the critical response as "generally favorable", based on a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 from 51 critics.[180]
Variety felt that the film foregoing the origin story and taking place in the midst of the team as active heroes was a strong suit.[21] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw wrote it "hangs together as an entertaining spectacle in its own innocent self-enclosed universe of fantasy wackiness", writing the production design was "hallucinatory" in its 1960s aesthetic, and said it kept the superhero genre "aloft".[181] The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney similarly praised the 60s vibe, feeling Giacchino's orchestral score, the production design and costuming were complementary. Rooney felt that Moss-Bachrach portrayed "warmth and sensitivity" behind his motion-capture character, and wrote of Garner's commanding portrayal of an "icy" to "sorrowful" character arc.[182]
Accolades
First Steps was nominated for Most Anticipated Film at the 8th Astra Midseason Movie Awards.[183]
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Future
A sequel to First Steps was reported to be in development in June 2025.[184] Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach and Quinn will all reprise their roles in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars films.[185]
Notes
- Identified off-screen as Doctor Doom.[3]
References
External links
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