THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Poster, Stills, And New Multiversal Details Revealed By Matt Shakman

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Poster, Stills, And New Multiversal Details Revealed By Matt Shakman

To celebrate 4/4, Marvel Studios has released a new poster and stills for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Filmmaker Matt Shakman, meanwhile, has addressed the Avengers: Doomsday of it all. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - Apr 04, 2025 10:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four

Today is 4/4, and to celebrate, Marvel Studios has released a new poster for this July's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. We'd hoped for a trailer, though that's likely to be saved for closer to Thunderbolts*'s release early next month. 

Empire Online has also shared two new stills from the movie showcasing Marvel's First Family in their spacesuits; this is obviously pre-transformation as Ebon Moss-Bachrach is still in Ben Grimm mode, not The Thing. 

"This is very much about the spirit of the Space Race," filmmaker Matt Shakman told the site. "It's about JFK and optimism. It’s imagining these four going into space instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin."

"This idea is that they are the most famous people in America, because they’re adventurers, explorers, astronauts - not because they're superheroes. And they come back and they're superheroes on top of it. But primarily they're astronauts, they're family."

Expanding on what fans can expect from this reality's take on space, he said it will be more 1960s-inspired than what we've seen in Guardians of the Galaxy, for example. "I really wanted to go with as grounded a version of space as possible," Shakman revealed. "So, no wormholes. Their tech is very much retro-future, but it's also booster rockets. It’s a combination of Marvel and Apollo 11."

Interestingly, that extended to how The Fantastic Four: First Steps was shot. The director says he approached the movie as if it were 1965 (to some extent, at least), taking inspiration from Stanley Kubrick; that extended to using a 14-foot-tall spaceship miniature, similar to how Kubrick filmed 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Last week, it was confirmed that The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast will appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Shakman acknowledged that but reiterated that the reboot takes place "[in] our own universe." 

He added, "Which is wonderful and liberating. There's really no [other] superheroes. There's no Easter eggs. There's no running into Iron Man or whatever. They're it, in this universe. I love the interconnected Marvel Universe, but we get to do something so new and so different. Eventually this world will meet up with other worlds - but for now this is our own little corner."

Check out a new poster and stills for The Fantastic Four: First Steps 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, and Natasha Lyonne have been cast in mystery roles. 

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.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS CinemaCon Trailer Description Reveals Sue Storm Spoiler And Silver Surfer
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Latverian
Latverian - 4/4/2025, 10:48 AM
Hellooooo, new phone background!
AnEye
AnEye - 4/4/2025, 10:54 AM
@Latverian - Right lmfao!?!?
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 4/4/2025, 10:50 AM
It's not too late to change Thing's voice.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 4/4/2025, 10:54 AM
@THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - he's an Emmy actor who is popular right now because of the success of the Bear so we are screwed on an accurate Thing voice. And he's gonna be Thing so often that if he doesn't get to use his voice you might as well get another actor to play the character (they probably should have)
elcapitan
elcapitan - 4/4/2025, 1:40 PM
@McMurdo - What's an accurate voice for a comic book character?
TGDestroyer
TGDestroyer - 4/4/2025, 7:18 PM
@McMurdo - I think we may be overreacting. Calm Thing and angry Thing may well be 2 entirely different things, at least I hope so.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 4/4/2025, 10:54 AM
I have it on good authority that there is a scene in this film by which we witness Galactus eating a planet from the point of view of an alien civilization but in REAL TIME. We see it from their perspective and apparently it's pure horror that immediately sets the stakes for the film's primary conflict
mountainman
mountainman - 4/4/2025, 11:03 AM
@McMurdo - That would be amazing. Too many of the past MCU villains haven’t been shown being villainous enough. We wanted to see Gorr butchering gods, the Leader being smart, Kang manipulating the past, and Taskmaster quipping and emulating other heroes.

Galactus actually eating a planet as shown from the resident’s perspective would be awesome.
MartianManHuntr
MartianManHuntr - 4/4/2025, 11:36 AM
@McMurdo - Is he literally eating like this?

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Or using machines for it?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 4/4/2025, 11:48 AM
@MartianManHuntr - yes and he even smothers it in honey BBQ sauce prior to consumption. He's a villain but a villain with good taste buds.
MartianManHuntr
MartianManHuntr - 4/4/2025, 12:05 PM
@McMurdo - Now we are taking. It would be even better if he would make some zany one liners after eating a planet like that was great or in finally full or something and makes some hand gesture because each planets see galactus in their local image

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ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 4/4/2025, 10:58 AM
"There's really no [other] superheroes. There's no Easter eggs. There's no running into Iron Man or whatever."

This was inevitable but is still disappointing. A comics-accurate '60s-era Marvel universe would have been SO SO GOOD!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 4/4/2025, 11:00 AM
Maybe there's a Secret Wars realm that is like TFF's New York but with all the Silver Age heroes.
KwisatzHaderach
KwisatzHaderach - 4/4/2025, 11:01 AM
@ObserverIO - A 50s-era DCU would’ve been even better, New Frontier style.
Fogs
Fogs - 4/4/2025, 11:51 AM
@ObserverIO - I prefer it to be a standalone adventure tbh. So sick of having glimpses of comic accurate universes that are so much better than the MCU.
Gambito
Gambito - 4/4/2025, 10:58 AM
Hyyyyped
Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 11:02 AM
I like what I'm reading. Visually and aesthetically I love it (just wish Sue had a 60s hairstyle), let's hope the story works.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/4/2025, 11:08 AM
@Polaris - initially I was wondering if they are actually in the 60’s in their reality or a world that is in the present but just looks like the 60’s.

It seems to be the former given Shakman talking about the Space Race which is interesting though I now I also wish Sue had a 60’s hairstyle.

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Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 11:18 AM
@TheVisionary25 - Their 2020s could be like our world's 60s (space race included), but that may be confusing for some so I think it's their 60s too. Also, there was that time magazine in the first concept art they released, which was from 1963.
Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 11:18 AM
@TheVisionary25 - That hair would have been perfect
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/4/2025, 11:33 AM
@Polaris - good point , I forgot about that.

I wonder if it’s because of Reed that the world has advanced so much?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 4/4/2025, 11:50 AM
@Polaris - that's a really good point actually and now that you mention it...she kinda does stick out as a modern woman in a retro environment.
Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 12:23 PM
@TheVisionary25 - He probably has influenced it, but I feel like the world must have been different from the start.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/4/2025, 12:25 PM
@Polaris - perhaps

If there is a Howard Stark for example , perhaps he dud more for the world or Hank pym if he wasn’t Ant Man here?.
Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 12:30 PM
@McMurdo - Yeah. I guess since there are futuristic elements it's not that out of place, but it would have looked better. After all she'll have plenty of time to look modern once the universes merge or whatever it is that happens in secret wars.
Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 12:33 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Maybe, but I was thinking the timeline could diverge earlier, like in the late XIX century. They could have found some new energy source or something.
Robby
Robby - 4/4/2025, 11:04 AM
Funny how people wanted FF in the MCU only for it to take place in a different universe.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 4/4/2025, 11:12 AM
@Robby - They won't stay in an alt universe and most wanted a retro period setting after three failed attempts with a modern setting so...

...the only thing I'd have changed would be they started in 616 working alongside Howard Stark and Hank Pym but got stuck in an alt timeline first prior to getting powers as a work around for why never mentioned in the MCU before. Have it that the intent was to fast track technological advances of that universe in order to create the tech needed to get home but as time passed became settled there until Galactus turns up etc resulting in them forced back to 616 with the destruction of that all timeline.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/4/2025, 11:06 AM
Even though there's no chance of running into Iron Man, I am kinda hoping we get atleast a mention of Howard Stark. Can imagine the branch happens after WWII, so Howard'd be around
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/4/2025, 11:10 AM
@bkmeijer1 - that would be cool!!.

You could have it be that perhaps Reed is an admirer if his work & such.

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bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/4/2025, 11:13 AM
@TheVisionary25 - think it would be great to see them as equals. I'd throw Hank Pym in there too, but that might be too much to ask
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/4/2025, 11:14 AM
@bkmeijer1 - yep , that would be real fun!!.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 4/4/2025, 11:14 AM
@bkmeijer1 - There might be a very strong connection to CA:TFA and all of those characters if this universe is actually the timeline where Cap comes back from the future to make his date with Peggy.
Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 11:22 AM
@bkmeijer1 - I'd love that. Dominic Cooper just casually showing up in a flying car commercial lol
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/4/2025, 11:31 AM
@ObserverIO - oh yeah, Peggy would be around too. I doubt Steve would just keep his mouth shut, so this would be a good reason why the world is the way it is. Maybe he's even President.

What would it mean for that universe though? I'm guessing it won't actually survive Galactus, so I wonder what would happen to Steve considering he's still old in Endgame.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/4/2025, 11:31 AM
@Polaris - I enjoyed both Howard Stark’s but Coopers I guess I liked bit more due to the Agent Carter connection

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Seeing him & Pedro together could be fun!!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 4/4/2025, 11:32 AM
@bkmeijer1 - That's a good point, he would have to have lived to a ripe old age somehow. Maybe it's not that universe then. Although that would've been pretty neat.
Polaris
Polaris - 4/4/2025, 12:37 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Same. Older Howard makes me think of how cold he was to Tony, but the younger him is more likeable and we've also spent more time with him.

They're around the same age too, so he'd be the right choice for this imo.
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 4/4/2025, 11:06 AM
In that art, Thing is like a foot taller than Sue, which is what i expected in the movie. But in the trailer, he's the same height as her. Wonder if he grows like Ang Lee Hulk lol.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 4/4/2025, 11:18 AM
@TheFinestSmack - Thing is only 6' in the comics so...

...admittedly Sue was only 5'6 but that is half a foot difference and don't mind making her more average height plus heals. As it is Vanessa is 5'7 so only an inch taller than the comics and Ebon 6'1 thus similarly one inch taller.
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