Since there had been no mention of Marvel's First Family in the almost two-decade history of the MCU, fans had assumed that Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot, now titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, would most likely be set in an alternate universe when it was first announced.
Kevin Feige would later confirm that Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben would indeed be introduced in a different part of the Multiverse, and we may now know exactly which Earth they will hail from.
Spoilers follow.
According to scooper MTTSH, First Steps "will be set in Universe 828."
This designation has yet to be established in the MCU or in the comic books, but if it sounds familiar, it's probably because Stephen Strange and America Chavez paid a visit to Earth 838 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There's been some confusion about this online, but it wouldn't make much sense for the FF movie to be set in a universe that already has (well, had thanks to the Scarlet Witch) a Reed Richards.
We don't know very much about Earth 828 aside from what we've seen in the trailers, but the retro-futuristic reality was devised to allow for the film's '60s-inspired aesthetic.
The team will play a role in Avengers: Doomsday, and we saw their ship enter Earth 616's atmosphere in Thunderbolts*'s post-credits scene.
First Steps stars Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, Freaky Tales) as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place Day One) as Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner (Wolf Man, Ozark) as the Silver Surfer.
Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, and Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser and John Malkovich are also on board in undisclosed roles.
"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."
Matt Shakman directs The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.