The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ star-studded cast has revealed which veteran MCU actors gave them advice on their roles. The Fantastic Four: First Steps has already been seen by some members of the press thanks to early screenings, and it seems as though the cast, in particular, has struck the right chord with their performances.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of the MCU’s most anticipated upcoming movies, not just because it is hoped to reverse the MCU’s fortunes in a flagging Multiverse Saga, but also because Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has long stated that it is one he is most excited about. Thankfully, early reviews suggest that the prognosis currently looks positive.

Now, The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ cast revealed who they have to thank for getting their heads around their MCU debuts in an exclusive interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan. Luckily, apart from Pedro Pascal, who either remained coy or was genuinely ignored, there was a wealth of brains to pick for most of the cast.

ScreenRant: The First Family is also somewhat of a found family, and there are a lot of people in the MCU who you guys have, undeniably, already worked with. I’m curious if you had a lifeline when you were joining; somebody [who] you were able to talk to and say, “Hey, what can I expect coming into this?” Did you have one, Vanessa?

Vanessa Kirby: I did. I spoke to Jake Gyllenhaal, who did Spiderman. He’s a really, really old friend, and [I spoke to] Sebastian Stan, also an old friend, and they were so helpful. Because it is a different universe. And, also, the guys that have done it for so long are just masters at the world–all of them. It’s incredible to be with them on Avengers and watch them do it. We are the newbies, so we needed the advice, I think.

Pedro Pascal: I reached out to a ton of people and nobody called me back.

Joseph Quinn: I reached out to my friend Lupita Nyong’o, who’s in Black Panther, and she gave me some sage advice, which I was grateful for.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach: When they first asked me and I was thinking about [the] pros and cons of the job, I took a long walk with David Harbour around lower Manhattan, just to pick his brain about it, and he was actually really helpful. I was surprised.

The same question was also posed to the two actors portraying the main antagonists of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Julia Garner and Ralph Ineson. Thankfully, these two had particularly apt friends to turn to who portrayed two of the most iconic villains in Marvel movies. Their responses were as follows:

ScreenRant: The concept of Fantastic Four is like half of a found family, but [with] the MCU in general, there’s so many amazing actors that are part of it. I’m curious if you had a lifeline in the MCU–maybe somebody you worked with in the past [to whom] you were like, “Hey, what am I getting into? What can I expect?” Is there anyone that you talked to that was helpful?

Ralph Ineson: I worked recently with Willem Dafoe on Nosferatu, and I asked him about how you do your thing amongst the madness that is a Marvel movie–the technical stuff, the whole world–and he gave me some good advice. It’s always nice to speak to somebody. Obviously, it’s going to be great–it’s Marvel, it’s the biggest franchise in the world, based on these amazing comic books–but you do think, “Ah, and how do I actually do my job amongst that madness?”

ScreenRant: Right, and not psych yourself out, I guess. Did you have someone, [Julia?]

Julia Garner: Yeah, I actually right before I did fantastic. I did this movie Weapons–

ScreenRant: I’m talking to you tomorrow for it.

Julia Garner: And I worked with Josh Brolin and so he obviously was in the Marvel family and he did motion cap as well. So, during the shooting of Weapons, I was picking his brain a bit and he was telling me his experience with motion cap. So, that helped me a bit.

ScreenRant: If you’re going to talk to one person, Thanos is pretty solid.

Julia Garner: Very much so. Yes. Yes.

What The Fantastic Four: First Steps Cast’s Comments Mean

The Cast Consulted With Some Of The Best

The sheer number of veteran MCU actors that the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps could turn to speaks to the size and longevity of the franchise. Furthermore, the experienced and well-known actors who portray the main characters in The Fantastic Four: First Steps are clearly well-connected.

What’s more ᴀssuring is the quality of the MCU actors they could turn to. Each of the actors consulted has starred in some of the best-rated MCU movies (and, in Willem Dafoe’s case, one of the best-rated superhero movies before the MCU began), which suggests that their advice would be particularly valuable.

This could have had a significant part to play in why The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been so well-received by critics. Critics seem united in their praise for the cast and their engaging portrayal of Marvel’s First Family, with their chemistry, in particular, being cited as a huge boon.

Should this translate to financial success, then Vanessa Kirby and co. could be well on their way to becoming veteran MCU actors in their own right, further deepening the pool of actors for future MCU stars to consult. For now, it is already confirmed that the cast will return in Avengers: Doomsday opposite many of the MCU-experienced friends they named.

Our Take On The Fantastic Four: First Steps Cast’s Comments

The Comments Point To A Large And Helpful MCU Community

The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ cast’s comments point to a sense of community within the MCU, which is a heartening facet of the franchise to consider. While it is clear that the original Avengers, for example, share a camaraderie born of the MCU’s foremost ensemble movies, the ever-growing nature of the franchise apparently facilitates even more communion between its stars.

The fact that (most of) the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps leaned on the expertise of old friends with experience in the field to positive results fills me with optimism for the future. It makes the MCU feel like it is a team effort among its stars, despite them starring in ostensibly separate movies, which is very promising.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes