Last year's Hollywood strikes saw many highly anticipated movies slip into 2025, including The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
So far, we've seen only a handful of set photos and a couple of leaked trailers but, as we write this, that's more than enough for us to say this reboot stands a chance of being the best superhero movie released in theaters next year.
It's a bold statement, we know, and that's why we've gone in-depth with the main reasons Marvel Studios' take on its First Family has us so incredibly excited. However, in the interest of keeping things fair, we're also sharing a few concerns we have about the long-awaited reboot.
To check those out, you juts need to click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
It's Unlike Any Other MCU Movie
For years, Marvel Studios has been criticised for delivering different variations of the same movie. We think that's a little harsh, but there's no denying that most of their big and small screen stories end with a big battle in the sky.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, however, is more akin to WandaVision - which is appropriate seeing as Matt Shakman is directing - in the sense that it looks unlike any MCU movie or TV show before it.
Set in a futuristic 1960s New York City in an alternate reality, the movie feels like a big swing for Marvel Studios. Also noteworthy is how much of this world is being created practically, a welcome change after Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania went all-in on The Volume.
There's a strong likelihood we'll get another fight above the Big Apple, but right now, First Steps feels like a step in the right direction.
Galactus Is Coming
There are many routes Marvel Studios could have taken its Fantastic Four reboot down but heading straight to Galactus...well, why not?
While an argument could be made that he's a villain who should be teased over the course of a trilogy, why delay introducing one of this team's most iconic, formidable foes? There are other choices, sure, but outside of Doctor Doom (who has been done to death in this franchise), Galactus remain the best one.
Joining the Eater of Worlds will be the Silver Surfer. However, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps playing out on another Earth, we're getting the female Shalla-Bal version. That's a tad disappointing but there's no reason to believe Norin Radd won't still make his MCU somewhere down the line. So, keep calm!
A leaked trailer confirmed Galactus will be comic-accurate and, let's face it, that's not an easy design to pull off in live-action. The fact this movie is heading down that route is exciting on so many levels.
The Cast Is...Fantastic
Many names cropped up before Marvel Studios officially announced The Fantastic Four: First Steps' cast, but the foursome chosen to bring Marvel's First Family back to our screens is damn near perfect.
The movie will be led by Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic) Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), with Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner taking on the role of Silver Surfer.
As if that wasn't exciting enough, they'll be joined by Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne. Yes, we had our heads turned by names like Adam Driver and Margot Robbie once upon a time, but this is one of the MCU's best ensembles yet.
Crucially, the actors chosen for these roles feel right for their respective characters and we expect big things from all of them.
It Looks Better Than Its Competition
There are four major superhero movies heading our way in 2025 and, as we write this, The Fantastic Four: First Steps simply looks better than all of them...combined?!
It's too early to say that, but following endless reports about reshoots and negative test screenings, we're heading into Captain America: Brave New World hoping it's at least watchable. Thunderbolts* could be a surprise but, as great as those trailers are, it doesn't appear to be breaking any new ground for the MCU.
Then, there's Superman. The first DC Studios movie needs to set the tone for the new DCU and we do think James Gunn will deliver. However, it's too soon to say whether his unique approach to superheroes is the right fit for the Man of Tomorrow...and do we really need another clash with Lex Luthor?
Nothing quite comes close to The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the team's clash with Galactus; not a Red Hulk, the "New Avengers," or even Ultraman.
Now, on to the few concerns we have about this one...
The Multiverse
We've all grown tired of the Multiverse in recent years and, unfortunately, it seems that will be front and centre in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
On the one hand, this team hailing from an alternate reality is what's freed Marvel Studios to tell such a different story, with the alternative being to throw the team into the present-day MCU long after The Avengers first assembled.
There's a risk that much of this movie will be devoted to explaining what's happening in the Multiverse or setting the stage for the Incursions which lead to the destruction of theirs and countless other realities before Doctor Doom creates Battleworld. As a result, Marvel's First Family could become an afterthought in their own movie.
Alternatively, The Fantastic Four: First Steps can do for the Multiverse what Deadpool & Wolverine achieved this summer. We'll have to wait and see.
Post-Secret Wars Concerns
It's already been confirmed that the Fantastic Four will appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, movies we know will turn the spotlight to Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom after Marvel Studios moved on from Jonathan Majors and Kang.
If recent rumours are to be believed, Secret Wars will end with a soft reboot of the MCU. The result will be a new world which includes the X-Men and Fantastic Four, ushering in a new era of storytelling.
That sounds amazing in many ways, but at the same time, does this mean we're getting one 1960-set Fantastic Four adventure before they just become four more MCU superheroes in the present day? We'd rather they exist in the same reality as Spider-Man and The Avengers, yes, but how this will be handled could make or break the franchise moving forward.
Of course, this is less a concern about First Steps and more about how the team will be handled by the Russo Brothers. Let us not forget Captain Marvel's underwhelming roles in Infinity War and Endgame.
What About Doctor Doom?
We've seen Doctor Doom clash with Marvel's First Family in every single live-action Fantastic Four movie. With that in mind, we can't blame Marvel Studios for not heading down this route next year.
The main benefit to another clash would have been creating a history between the team and Downey's Doom Variant, though we have heard the villain will appear in a post-credits scene.
We believe it's imperative for The Fantastic Four: First Steps to make it so that this Doom hails from the same Earth. A few references to a past battle with Victor would go a long way in making it so that he and Reed Richards have a shared history which can be built on in Doomsday and beyond.
Doom hailing from this reality also justifies the Fantastic Four's role in the next Avengers movies, even if it likely means Secret Wars will be the final time they battle him on screen (Downey isn't expected to stick around, remember).