Happy Independence Day!
The news cycle has slowed down a little as everyone in the U.S. enjoys the long weekend, but Marvel Studios has managed to assemble the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps to wish fans a happy Fourth of July.
In the promo, Joseph Quinn, the actor who plays the Human Torch, has a hard time getting his "flame on" and is eventually abandoned by his co-stars. The studio has also celebrated the holiday with a new TV spot featuring a fresh look at Galactus. You can see that here.
Disney is likely to go all out promoting the reboot once Superman lands in theaters, and we expect more promos, posters, and hints at what to expect from this iconic team's official MCU debut in the coming weeks.
Critics haven't seen The Fantastic Four: First Steps yet, but it does sound like Marvel Studios has done right by the MCU's First Family. Take this with a pinch of salt, but Jeff Sneider has said today that he's "hearing good things" about the movie.
This lines up with what we've been told about recent internal screenings, as Marvel Studios has continued to make tweaks to the reboot since that first public test screening took place several weeks ago.
Watch this fantastic Fourth of July promo for The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the player below.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles have been cast in mystery roles. Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom is rumoured to appear, though that's surely a given with Avengers: Doomsday on the way.
Director Matt Shakman worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on The Fantastic Four: First Steps' screenplay, with Eric Pearson (Black Widow) later coming on board for a final polish.
The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.