The final trail for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has dropped, revealing some thrilling details about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first depiction of Marvel’s first family. The MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps brings the famed superhero team officially into the MCU after a string of sub-par movies made by Sony. After a string of teasers, Marvel Studios has released the official trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which has not only rekindled appeтιтes but also includes some surprising details about the movie.
Certain facts have already been revealed concerning the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie is set on a parallel Earth to the classic MCU timeline (Earth-616), with a retro-futurist tone set in the 1960s. The movie depicts the iconic Marvel hero team, starring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richard (Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnn Storm (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (the Thing). The
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First Look At Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer
The MCU’s Shalla-Bal Is The Silver Surfer
Julia Garner portrays Shalla-Bal in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, who in the comics is the romantic partner of the original Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd. Shalla-Bal is typically depicted as the immortal Empress of Zenn-La, her and Norrin’s home planet. Traditionally, Norrin volunteers to become the herald of Galactus and gain the power cosmic in order to save his planet from Galactus. Presumably, the MCU’s Silver Surfer would have made a similar deal but as the planet’s Empress, which not only makes more sense, but allows for greater female representation. Interestingly, this does have a comic book precedent, as depicted in Marvel’s Earth-X.
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Sue Storm Is Pregnant
In The Comics Sue Storm And Reed Richards Have A Child Named Franklin
Susan Storm is revealed to be pregnant in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is an exciting development as is suggests the arrival of Franklin Richard’s Sue and Reed’s mutant son. It’s revealed earlier in the trailer that Sue is pregnant, and she’s seen later with a notable bump. This is a huge development as Franklin Richards is a mᴀssive character in the comics and presumably exists in the universe’s modern timeline. This means Franklin could be readily introduced in the franchise an upcoming modern-day project while also adding greater jeopardy to Susan and Reed in First Steps.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps Will Include A Time Jump
Sue’s Pregnancy Is Seen Developing
The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer shows Sue Storm announcing her pregnancy after Johnny and Ben trip them up with a reference to Susan being “late.” She’s subsequently shown with a significant baby bump, suggesting she’s between six and eight months. This suggests a time jump in the narrative, with numerous possibilities. Susan and Reed announce their pregnancy while Ben is in rock-form, so it certainly occurs well after their origin story – though this could still come early in the movie.
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Reed Richards’ Stretching Abilities Are Revealed
Reed Richards Powers Were Not Depicted In Previous Trailers
Mr Fantastic’s stretching powers were the only primary powerset not revealed until the official trailer. The Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing have already been depicted using their powers in previous promotional materials. In the official trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Reed is seen stretching and leaping across debris that’s falling from a crumbling building. Reed’s powers have been quite difficult to adapt to cinema, often not translating well from the comics to the screen. This rendition appears less cartoonish and the delayed reveal suggests Marvel have been extra careful in depicting his iconic abilities.
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The Fantasticar Is Revealed
The Fantastic Four’s Iconic Transportation
The Fantasticar is the classic mode of transport for Marvel’s first family, introduced way back in 1962’s Fantastic Four #3. The transport was designed by Reed Richards and several evolutions have occurred throughout the years. The original was a flying mobile with different operation pods for each member. This rendition was previously adapted for the critically panned The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The version depicted in The Fantastic Four: First Steps is seen traveling on the ground and is designed to reflect the 1960s retro futurist tone, appearing like one of the era’s “cars of the future.”
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The Fantastic Four Are The Primary Protectors Of Earth
The Avengers Do Not Exist In The Fantastic Four’s Universe
In The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer, the Silver Surfer asks the eponymous troupe if they are Earth’s protectors, which they affirm. This suggests that they are the primary heroic team in the movie. While there could be other superheroes in their universe, this scene implies that there are no corresponding Avengers in their universe – at least not yet. The 1960s setting could explain this, but regardless, the team do not have a wider hero network to call on. This will of course change as the MCU continues as they appear among the Avengers: Doomsday cast.
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Galactus Has Marked Earth For Death
Galactus Devours Planets
The Silver Surfer states in The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer that Earth has been marked for death. This conforms to Galactus’s normal modus operandi, where he travels across the universe looking for planets to consume. Silver Surfer functions as his herald, scouting out these planets and preparing them for his arrival. Silver Surfer confirms that Earth has been selected next, and the Fantastic Four will need to stop the towering villain from devouring the planet.
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Galactus Walks The Earth
Galactus Is Depicted As A Physical Being
Galactus has been partially revealed in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and his appearance is frankly a relief. It appears as though Galactus is far more similar to his comic book appearance. This is a huge improvement on his previous live-action depiction – the infamous evil cloud from Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer. Moreover, not only does Galactus exist physically, but the final sH๏τ in the trailer shows his enormous feet crashing through the streets of New York City, confirming that an actual Galactus will traverse the Earth. Previous imagery had depicted his silhouette looming over Manhattan.
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The Thing Is Much More Gentle Than Previous Depictions
The MCU Is Highlighting Thing’s Humanity
Unlike his previous gruff depictions in Fantastic Four movies, Ben Grimm is far more gentile. The MCU’s Ben Grimm is depicted in The Fantastic Four: First Steps speaking very softly, responding positively to children cheering and requesting he lift a car, and also appears cooking for his fellow teams. This is a refreshing departure from his previous movie adaptations, which, while effective, struggled to highlight his humanity. This is a key aspect of the Thing’s character which is too easily lost – while he looks like a “Thing”, he is actually an incredibly soft-hearted man.
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Reed Richards’ Work In Space Draws The Attention Of Galactus
Reed Richards Blames Himself
In The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer, Reed Richards is seen having an emotional conversation with Sue Storm, during which he states he is concerned his actions in space have drawn some unwanted attention. He claims to have scratched space and that it was “scratching back,” presumably referring to Galactus and the Silver Surfer’s plans to destroy Earth. This maintains a classic MCU theme, the unintended consequences of scientific hubris – which could come further to the center when Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU as Doctor Doom.
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The World Owes The Fantastic Four A Debt, But Why?
The World Seems To Celebrate the Fantastic Four
In The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer, the Fantastic Four are depicted as celebrated heroes beloved by the public. People are seen lining the streets with banners and children rush to see them on televisions. One child is even seen carrying a plush toy shaped like the Thing and the trailer opens with them invited onto a television chat show. However, the trailer does not reveal what the team have done to earn this reputation, though it presumably occurs before the movie.
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A Planet, Possibly Earth, Is Destroyed
Galactus Devours A Planet
At around the 1:51 mark of The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer there’s a big hole in a planet that looks a lot like Earth. It’s a fleeting glimpse but signals a huge planetary event somewhere in the narrative. This could mean several things, including Galactus successfully devouring Earth (possibly prompting the Fantastic Four to change universe), or another planet that’s strikingly similar – possibly to heighten the stakes. It could also be an illustration/flashforward of the possible carnage if the team fail to halt the giant villain.
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The Fantastic: Four Score Recalls The Classic Animated Series Theme Tune
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Score Is Iconic
One of the most striking elements of The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer is the pitch-perfect musical score. The movie recalls classic sci-fi while remaining fresh and contemporary, exemplifying the retro-futurist tone and evoking a sense of wonder fitting for both superheroes and early space adventures. The music includes a choir singing the words “Fantastic Four.” While pitched higher and slowed down significantly, the melody used for this mirrors the melody used in the Fantastic Four: The Animated Series. The classic 1990s animation featured vocalists singing “Fantastic Four!”, which First Steps has incorporated – further highlighting the vintage theme.
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HERBIE Seems Unable To Talk
HERBIE Was Speculated to Be Played by John Malkovich
HERBIE, the Fantastic Four’s faithful robot companion, is seen in The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer communicating with a series of R2-D2-style clicks and whistles. HERBIE was introduced as a replacement for the Human Torch in the animated The New Fantastic Four series, which was not allowed to include Johnny Storm due to a rights issue with Universal Pictures. He subsequently became a staple of the comics, and many presumed he would be voiced by Jon Malkovich after his casting was announced. Evidently, as per the First Steps trailer, this is not the case.
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The Entire World Knows The Fantastic Four’s Origin Story
The Fantastic Four’s origin Story May Be Skipped
The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer includes a television host discussing the Fantastic Four alongside footage of their original space mission. This footage is presented as archive, framed with a square aspect ratio and on retro filmstock. This suggests that the origin story is already well-known by the public, possibly occurring before the movie. This would explain how they have fostered such a revered reputation so quickly and is the same tactic taken by Spider-Man: Homecoming. This worked well in the past, suggesting that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will likewise be a triumph.
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Thunderbolts*
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday
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May 1, 2026
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
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July 31, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
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May 7, 2027
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