Marvel Studios has officially released the first featurette for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and it includes new interviews with director Matt Shakman and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
That's not all, though, as there's also plenty of behind-the-scenes action (showcasing the practical sets and stunts) and snippets of footage from the movie itself.
However, it's what we don't see that's causing a stir on social media.
We recently told you that John Malkovich's name has been removed from the cast list attached to press material for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Now, the actor's name has also vanished from the credits included at the end of this sneak peek, lending weight to theories he'll no longer appear in the reboot.
Rumour has it he'd been cast as Red Ghost; it's not like his role has been kept a secret, as he was featured in the first teaser trailer. It seems likely that something about his character wasn't working, with feedback from test screenings perhaps leading to him being removed altogether.
Red Ghost is a classic Fantastic Four villain who pitted his Super-Apes against Marvel's First Family to prove that his country, Russia, was superior to the United States.
There may be other reasons he's not being credited along with the rest of the main cast, including Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles, three actors we've seen nothing of in trailers (who they're playing hasn't even been announced, though Hauser is thought to be Mole Man).
We'll see. For now, watch this new look at The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the players 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.