Although Marvel Studios hasn’t announced when The Fantastic Four: First Steps will release on Disney+, I have a theory about when it’ll be — and it’s soon. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the final theatrical release of the MCU 2025 slate, and it’s the only one still to be released on Disney+.
The previous 2025 Marvel movies, Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, have both made their debut on the streaming service, so The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the only MCU film not available as of publication. It’s currently available to purchase on digital and was more recently released on DVD and Blu-ray, but the streaming release is highly anticipated.
As such, those hoping to catch The Fantastic Four: First Steps once it hits Disney+ — either to watch it for the first time or to rewatch it after seeing the Marvel film in theaters — are no doubt waiting for updates. While neither Disney nor Marvel have provided a streaming release date for First Steps, I’m convinced I know the release window for The Fantastic Four on Disney+.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Could Follow A Marvel Disney+ Trend
Two important factors to take into account when theorizing when The Fantastic Four: First Steps will release on Disney+ are other Marvel movies that hit theaters at a similar time, and the upcoming holiday season. Since the holidays in November and December mean many folks will be at home with extra downtime, studios often take advantage to get more streaming views with popular movies or shows.
This can best be seen through Netflix’s Stranger Things season 5 release schedule, which will see the three-part release timed with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. These holidays often coincide with higher streaming numbers, so studios try to capitalize on the opportunity that it presents to encourage people to watch new releases — or releases that are new to streaming.
Marvel capitalized similarly last December, when they released a new episode of What If…? season 3 every day between Christmas and New Year’s. Similarly, the studio had another release timed close to Thanksgiving in November 2024: ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine.
ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine released Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, on Disney+, just about two weeks before Thanksgiving. The movie debuted in theaters in July of that year, with a release date that was in the same timeframe as when The Fantastic Four: First Steps released this year. As such, it seems likely Marvel will release The Fantastic Four: First Steps on Disney+ around Thanksgiving 2025, which is on Nov. 27.
It’s possible The Fantastic Four: First Steps could release a few weeks earlier, like ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, which would make its streaming debut around Nov. 11. However, since Marvel doesn’t currently have any new releases timed for Christmas/New Year’s, it’s also possible Disney holds First Steps until December.
Hopefully, we won’t have to wait that long, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps will debut in just a few weeks on Disney+. We’ll know more once Marvel officially announces the MCU film’s streaming release.
