Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps have more in common than just their July 2025 release dates. Due to the unspoken rivalry between DC and Marvel, fans will inevitably compare them. It was big news for superhero fans that these two films were going to be released within weeks of each other, especially considering what each project means for the studio.

Superman marked the beginning of a revamped DCU, and a lot was riding on the film’s success to welcome a new era. On the other hand, The Fantastic Four was released right in the middle of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, but the excitement came from the arrival of highly anticipated characters. Both films are completely different viewing experiences, yet somehow use the exact same storyline.

The DCU & MCU’s 2025 Movie Releases Are Different On Most Levels

Luckily, there are plenty of differences between these two superhero movies. Both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps feature a message about hope at their core, but each film goes about telling it differently. While Superman spreads hope through kindness and compᴀssion, the Fantastic Four primarily enforce it through their familial bond.

Each film has the heroes dealing with villains on entirely different scales. Lex Luthor is Superman’s main antagonist, and at the end of the day, he’s just a regular man with status and money. Lex’s biggest threat to society is his influence, allowing him to control the world in a way that benefits him the most.

Meanwhile, the main villain of The Fantastic Four is a powerful intergalactic being. The family has to go into space just to get their first audience with him, and he intends to devour whole planets to satiate his appeтιтe. For all of the very human moments in First Steps, Galactus is a reminder of what lurks outside of our world.

Superman & The Fantastic Four: First Steps Feature Superheroes Trying To Save Their Babies

The respective heroes of Superman and The Fantastic Four are thrust into very different situations, so it’s surprising but welcome that they both feature the exact same storyline. In both films, there are superhero parents doing whatever they can to try to save their child. It plays a bigger part in one film than the other, but the emotional beats hit all the same.

Perhaps the Fantastic Four’s biggest dilemma is that Earth’s fate is truly in their hands. They could’ve easily stopped Galactus by handing over Franklin, but that solution is unfathomable to Sue and Reed. Instead, they come up with an alternative plan that ultimately costs Sue her life, but she commits to it knowing that both her baby and Earth will be safe.

Superman’s baby plot is definitely more of a side story, but it’s just as impactful. While imprisoned by Lex, the metahuman Metamorpho is tasked with keeping Superman under control. However, it’s revealed that all he wants to do is reunite with his baby, and he risks his life to allow Superman to escape in exchange for reuniting with his child.

Why The DCU & MCU Have Both Used This Story In 2025

Both films feature parents who will do anything to ensure the safety of their child, and while it’s a coincidence that both stories were told within weeks of each other, it’s no surprise that the DCU and MCU both used this plotline. It’s a powerful one on an emotional level, and it’s certain to appeal to audiences of all ages.

The standard formula of a superhero film won’t suffice anymore. Fans want emotional, character-driven stories paired with their action so that their heroes can feel humanized. Considering the heroes at the core of each story, Superman and The Fantastic Four were the right films to execute a plot like this in.