Kevin Feige shares how The Fantastic Four: First Steps will honor the characters’ comic book roots ahead of their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. When it comes to the Fantastic Four in live-action, the beloved group has not always had the best track record, but the MCU is about to change that. The Fantastic Four: First Steps movie is just around the corner, since there is only a little more than a month left to go before its release, the MCU reboot of Marvel’s First Family has already shown signs of being more accurate to the comics.

While speaking to Empire Magazine in their newest edition, Feige opens up about the lessons he learned from producing the original Fantastic Four movies for Fox in 2005 and 2007 before the MCU franchise kicked off. Since Feige now gets to bring Marvel’s First Family into the MCU through The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the Marvel Studios president shared the following on how the 2025 installment will be different from the original live-action Fantastic Four films:

I was around for those early Fantastic Four movies… and like all of the pre-MCU movies, I learned a lot. I always thought, if we ever got creative autonomy ourselves, we might do things a little differently… It was a different time… there was still a bit of a fear of being silly.

What Kevin Feige’s Comments Mean For The Fantastic Four: First Steps

It’s worth remembering that before the MCU, Hollywood studios were hesitant about investing in the comic book genre, after how the late 1990s resulted in films like Batman & Robin. Even though the Fantastic Four characters are some of Marvel’s most iconic heroes, bringing them to life in the early 2000s was easier said than done, as there was also an attempt to appeal to general audiences who had never read the comics. However, while having memorable moments, it can’t be denied that Fox’s original Fantastic Four films didn’t tap into the beloved elements that Feige is talking about.

With Feige’s commitment to honoring the team’s legacy in the MCU, it also explains why the reboot took as long as it did to get made, after the MCU’s Fantastic Four movie was announced to be in development all the way back in July 2019. Since The Fantastic Four: First Steps is positioning the heroes to have a central role in the MCU going forward, this was never a film that could be rushed. That includes Feige and Marvel Studios figuring out how to elevate the source material while also making it work through the lens of the MCU franchise.

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

Based on Feige’s vision for The Fantastic Four. First Steps and what has been revealed through the trailers and marketing material, it’s clear that the MCU will be the franchise to give a solid depiction of the Marvel icons. Since the Fantastic Four characters will be back in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, there is already so much to look forward to with Phase 6 for these characters. After years of getting The Fantastic Four: First Steps ready for release, it looks like Feige’s hard work will have paid off.

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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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  December 18, 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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  December 17, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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Source: Empire Magazine