The Fantastic Four: First Steps is just around the corner, and with it comes the MCU’s third attempt at suiting up Marvel’s First Family. The Fantastic Four are among Marvel’s most beloved superheroes, which puts pressure on The Fantastic Four: First Steps to stick the landing. This pressure is especially pronounced given past precedent, with Fox’s two attempts at a Fantastic Four franchise falling short of expectations among fans of the original IP. While 2015’s Fantastic Four still suffers from derision, sentiments have warmed to its predecessors, Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, with time.

After the MCU reacquired the rights to the Fantastic Four in 2019, it began easing into the franchise with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and doubled down with ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, which featured variants of Reed Richards and Johnny Storm, respectively. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the franchise’s first proper foray into the IP, which will culminate with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. The release of two trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps reveals that Marvel Studios is making a bold move with the costume designs, which might pay off in spades.

There are certain parameters that Fantastic Four adaptations should (and often do) stick to when faithfully creating Fantastic Four costumes for the silver screen. Blue in the color palette is a must, with the number 4 clearly displayed on the chest and subtle details to reflect the team’s unique power sets and personalities. Finally, the Fantastic Four are far from grounded, and their super-suits should reflect their distinctly cosmic roots. With that in mind, here’s how the MCU has fared with its Fantastic Four costumes so far.

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Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm Fantastic Four Costume In ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine

Johnny Storm’s Costume Was Altered For A Post-Apocalyptic Setting

Chris Evans first portrayed Johnny Storm in 2005, three years before the MCU commenced with Iron Man in 2008. His costume then was a particularly muted affair, continuing a trend in the superhero genre at the time that strove to make the inherently fanciful concept more accessible to casual moviegoers. Evans reprised his Johnny Storm role, after securing his legacy as the MCU’s Captain America, in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, with a costume that was largely faithful to the original movie.

This costume is simple but distinctly evocative of some of the Fantastic Four’s classic comic book costumes. Nevertheless, the Johnny Storm variant in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine has subsтιтuted the bottom half of the one-piece, skinтιԍнт super-suit with a practical pair of cargo pants. While the post-apocalyptic spin on the costume is perfect for the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine aesthetic, especially with the heavy fabrics concealing his idenтιтy at first, this costume is the greatest departure from the classic Fantastic Four style.

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John Krasinski’s Reed Richards Fantastic Four Costume In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic Costume Was A Typical MCU Take

John Krasinski was at the forefront of fan-casts for Reed Richards for many years before he debuted as the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness​​​​. His cameo was largely well-received (save for his widely lambasted decision to explain Black Bolt’s powers to the Scarlet Witch), but brief, with Pedro Pascal taking his place as another Reed Richards variant in whatever universe The Fantastic Four: First Steps will take place in. Still, Krasinski’s Richards was the first time fans witnessed the MCU’s take on the Fantastic Four.

His suit certainly reflected the MCU’s MO at that point. It is replete with seemingly practical design choices, including a textured leather-like fabric with plenty of black highlights. It is still vibrant enough and matches the more muted color schemes of some comic book designs, but there are certain details, like the black patches, that veer away from Richards’ sleek and classic comic book design.

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps Cast Costumes

The New Fantastic Four Costume Designs Project An Optimistic New Era For The MCU

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in the 1960s (in an alternate universe), the same decade in which the Fantastic Four were created. From the first trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it was clear the MCU is embracing that period’s aesthetic, with brightly colored, whimsical, comic book-inspired costumes. One year after ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine leaned into Wolverine’s garish yellow spandex, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is continuing the trend with its тιтular team.

While this is still a shock to the system for some, the costumes in The Fantastic Four: First Steps illustrate how Marvel Studios is embracing comic book tradition while taking a bold step in a new direction. The bright colors project the optimism that the Fantastic Four embody in their universe and contrast with the muted palettes of prior renditions of the Fantastic Four in the MCU. In an era where the MCU faces criticism for being too samey, this retrofuturistic style feels both fresh and comic-accurate, evoking the feeling of a new era for the MCU.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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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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