The biggest question going into The Fantastic Four: First Steps is whether any other movies are required viewing beforehand. This question is certainly a valid one, given that this is the fourth Fantastic Four movie in the last 20 years. The story of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is also set within the MCU, adding in even more queries.

With upcoming Marvel movies like Avengers: Doomsday set to tie elements of the franchise together, many are wondering whether the projects released between now and then will do the same. The positively reviewed Fantastic Four: First Steps is one such movie, meaning it is only natural for audiences to wonder if anything else needs to be watched before heading off to the theater.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Doesn’t Require A Marvel Movie Rewatch

Thanks To The Film’s Special Placement In The MCU

As alluded to, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is made by Marvel Studios, thus placing it in the MCU as the franchise’s 37th film. Therefore, the question of whether the previous 36 need to be viewed to understand the 2025 Marvel movie is certainly a valid one. That said, no other MCU movies need to be watched before viewing The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The reason for this is the film’s setting. The MCU has introduced the concept of the multiverse, meaning several universes exist simultaneously, each with its own active heroes and villains. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in a universe where no other heroes exist, rendering it a completely standalone story in the MCU multiverse.

The universe known for housing heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, and Thor is a separate one, meaning no prior Marvel movies tie into The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This film will tie into the future of the franchise, though, as evidenced by Thunderbolts*‘ post-credit scene, yet it works on its own as a point for audiences to check in to the wider story.

First Steps Is Unconnected To Past Fantastic Four Movies

The Fox-Era Films Stand Alone

Concerning the prior three Fantastic Four movies, some may wonder if First Steps is a sequel to those. However, just as was the case with the MCU’s other movies, no other Fantastic Four movies connect to First Steps. 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer are part of their own universe, with the same cast of characters.

2015’s Fantastic Four is the same. All three of these movies were produced under 20th Century Fox, meaning they were separate enтιтies from the productions of Marvel Studios. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is yet another reboot of the IP, starring four new cast members as new iterations of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm.

This means that, putting aside the ways in which the MCU’s future movies will tie into the movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a complete standalone. No other movies need to be watched before it, meaning anyone wishing for a fun time at the movies with a retrofuturistic spin on Marvel’s First Family can see The Fantastic Four: First Steps without the need for homework.