THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Set Video Shows Alternate Reality New York As Set Construction Continues

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Set Video Shows Alternate Reality New York As Set Construction Continues

The latest photos and videos from the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps don't reveal much, though we do get to see the finished Times Square set along with a couple of other potentially key locations.

By JoshWilding - Aug 24, 2024 08:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four

Work continues on The Fantastic Four: First Steps set in England and it appears the alternate reality Times Square has finally been completed. 

As you can see in the newly revealed photos and videos below, signage has been added to the buildings along with a giant TV screen and well over a dozen '60s-style vehicles. However, both they and everything else we see have an interesting retro-futuristic spin on them.

That's because the reboot doesn't just take place in the 1960s, but in a world far more advanced than our own which appears to have benefited massively from Mister Fantastic's genius. 

We'd imagine the cast will soon start shooting on this massive set, though it remains to be seen whether we'll get any photos of footage of Marvel's First Family in action. 

We also see that the massive Excelsior launch pad which sits next to the Baxter Building is still being worked on.

Interestingly, Marvel Studios has constructed a physical set for this as well, though they may have learned from the negative reaction to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. That movie relied heavily on The Volume and ended up feeling rather soulless, as a result.

Finally, we have a first look at a mysterious set which may or may not have any real significance. That statue certainly looks interesting and, with rumours swirling that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will take Marvel's First Family into the cosmos, perhaps this is Shalla-Bal's home? 

She'll be Silver Surfer in this movie and, in the comics, took on that role after her and Norrin Rad's planet, Zenn-La, was threatened by Galactus.

Marvel Studios has announced that Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing) will lead The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast.

We'll also see Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, and Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne in mystery roles. The story sees Galactus and Silver Surfer target Earth for destruction. 

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) recently coming on board for a final polish.

The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.

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THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Casting May Confirm Plans For One Of The Team's Most Iconic Foes
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TrentCrimm
TrentCrimm - 8/24/2024, 8:21 AM
Other than the idea of bringing Reed and Sue's kids into this, I'm pretty optimistic about this movie.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 8/24/2024, 10:17 AM
@TrentCrimm - I don’t mind it because Franklin has been a part of some significant events with the 4.
Moriakum
Moriakum - 8/24/2024, 8:24 AM
I´m loving the fact that they´re building pratical sets instead of doing everything in green screen or in the Volume.
RedFury
RedFury - 8/24/2024, 8:31 AM
I can't help but wonder if they're the only Superheroes in their reality. It would be fun if they do have other heroes in their world, and that we get a glimpse maybe of a few variants. I don't want anyone else to be in the spotlight in the film but the F4; but a couple of small variant cameos imo would be fun especially if they're retro versions.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/24/2024, 8:35 AM
@RedFury - that would be cool but I think they might be the only heroes.
comicfan100
comicfan100 - 8/24/2024, 8:49 AM
@RedFury - Like if we got a glimpse at the classic Kirby Avengers and OG5 X-Men on a monitor or something
RedFury
RedFury - 8/24/2024, 8:59 AM
@TheVisionary25 - you're probably right. We most likely would have gotten a rumour about it by now if there was. Here's hoping though.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/24/2024, 9:00 AM
@RedFury - yeah

I mean it could still be the case and like Comicfan mentioned , seeing classic Avengers or X-Men on a monitor would be cool
RedFury
RedFury - 8/24/2024, 9:00 AM
@comicfan100 - yeah that would be really cool. A gallery wall with pictures of them posing with other heroes could work as well. Johnny beside the amazing bag man would be so good.
RedFury
RedFury - 8/24/2024, 9:01 AM
@TheVisionary25 - something subtle like that would be perfect I think.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/24/2024, 9:07 AM
@RedFury - yeah

Isn’t too distracting and keeps the focus on the FF
StSteven
StSteven - 8/24/2024, 3:29 PM
@RedFury @TheVisionary25 @comicfan100 - Wait wait wait, I've got it: OG Nick Fury calls Reed on a holophone to check to see if he's finished building his new whatchamacallit doohickey for Fury and he's played by... David Hasselhoff!
RedFury
RedFury - 8/24/2024, 3:52 PM
@StSteven - lol that would be incredible
StSteven
StSteven - 8/24/2024, 6:29 PM
@RedFury - Totally. And while they're at it, put him in the old skool blue and white uniform chomping on a cigar!
SuperCat
SuperCat - 8/24/2024, 8:34 AM
User Comment Image
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/24/2024, 8:41 AM
Everything about this is potentially brilliant.

However.

PEDRO PASCAL IS NOT REED RICHARDS
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 8/24/2024, 9:41 AM
@Batmangina - yeah, yeah, just like Ledger wasn’t Joker, Affleck and Pattinson, Keaton weren’t Batman, that Evan’s couldn’t be Cap because he was Human Torch, Jackman the pretty boy broadway dancer couldn’t be Wolverine etc. 🥱
HermanM
HermanM - 8/24/2024, 11:40 AM
@Batmangina - just shave his stache and he'll be fine.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/24/2024, 4:39 PM
@HermanM - The promo art has the stache - unless...it's where Henry Cavill's moustache has been ALL LONG?!?!?
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/24/2024, 4:43 PM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - Yeah. The guy from Chile with a moustache isn't Reed Richards.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Iz04jvW7qN4


Part of the Reed Richards character is he's the whitest whitebread MIT egghead science nerd that would rather monkey with the Negative Zone portal than hang with his hot wife.
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 8/24/2024, 5:39 PM
@Batmangina - how does that have anything to do with him being white? Like what defines Reed Richards to be white, in the same vain T’Challa has to be black (for obvious reasons)

Reed has never needed to be white, apart from him being drawn and depicted as a white man. But none of his core values or origin story defines him to be white, not like Superman having to be white as he’s a farmers kid from Kansas.

Reed’s origin has never needed him to be defined white, ever. You were spot on with how you described Reed as; MIT egghead science nerd that would rather monkey with the Negative Zone portal than hang with his hot wife.

But that’s it. Him being or needing to be white has no impact on the rest.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/24/2024, 6:21 PM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - The fact that the character has been a white egghead nerd since 1961 should suffice.

What necessitates the change should be the actual question.

At this point, it's tiresome.

The unnecessary changes to canon and characters and the rush to defend them is played out.

Just make the [frick]ing movies like the [frick]ing comics.

Would a Chinese Batman make sense?
GeneralZod
GeneralZod - 8/24/2024, 7:52 PM
@Batmangina - Pedro Pascal not Reed Richards? Why not?

User Comment Image
GeneralZod
GeneralZod - 8/24/2024, 8:16 PM
@Batmangina - "What necessitates the change should be the actual question."

There was no way Disney with their DEI rules was going to cast 4 individuals of Anglo Saxon descent (i.e., white people) as the 4 lead protagonists. With Pedro, they flash the diversity/Latinx nonsense-card.
GeneralZod
GeneralZod - 8/24/2024, 8:21 PM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - "Him being or needing to be white has no impact on the rest."
User Comment Image
Casting a moustached Chilean dude of Iberian descent (love Iberians, by the way) just kills the authenticity of the anchor protagonist. They're hoping general audiences see past it because general audiences don't read FF comics. The box office will decide.
@Batmangina
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/24/2024, 9:57 PM
@GeneralZod - Only if they hire Henry Cavill's moustache away from WB - then TAKE MY MONEY
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/24/2024, 10:06 PM
@GeneralZod - Agreed. Why it's so difficult to acknowledge that a Chilean dude with a moustache being Reed Richards is an odd choice at best and totally off the mark otherwise is beyond me.

'I want my comic book movies to look like the comics' is somehow a fascist war cry in today's world.

The movie will have to be [frick]ing flawless to succeed but it being flawless is categorically impossible because PEDRO PASCAL IS NOT REED RICHARDS.
HermanM
HermanM - 8/24/2024, 10:23 PM
@Batmangina - Pedro Pascal is white though. He just needs to shave.
Se4M4NSt4ine
Se4M4NSt4ine - 8/25/2024, 2:58 AM
@Batmangina - Chinese Batman? You’ve not ready my comment properly. Which suggests to me you’re pretty stubborn in your beliefs. So to that, good day!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 8/25/2024, 3:35 AM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - When Bruce Wan's parents were gunned down, he left for the Chinese mountains to train under an ancient Kung Fu master. Now while Lucius Fox runs WanTech by day, Bruce Wan is Batman by night.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/25/2024, 2:40 PM
@ObserverIO - That's actually not horrible. It would probably get taken as a parody and called racist. lol
Batmangina
Batmangina - 8/25/2024, 2:47 PM
@Se4M4NSt4ine - You said that it wasn't necessary that Reed Richards is white, so I used another iconic white guy character being changed for unnecessary reasons for the sake of comparison.

Pedro MIGHT actually be good but why start the race limping?
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 8/24/2024, 8:48 AM
That’s cool , looking forward to seeing their retro-futuristic world!!.

Also , say what you want about Quantumania but even in the Quantum Realm they had sets..

People be acting like it was all cg when that wasn’t the case , also how else do you do that place besides VFX?.
LukeCage2155
LukeCage2155 - 8/24/2024, 9:48 AM
@TheVisionary25 - Thank you.
Scarilian
Scarilian - 8/24/2024, 9:06 AM
Whole thing feels like a misstep, perhaps that'll be how the title will be taken after release, the 'first steps' that will define how they'll handle the MCU moving forward and it'll fall flat on its face. I'm sure people will watch specific scenes online such as Galactus devouring a planet or perhaps an action scene that looks good, but I don't have faith in the writing or characters.

We are already skipping the origin story, so we're not going to see how the bond between these characters were formed. The entire family dynamic relies on us caring about them as individuals and as a family, seeing that family form is essential to that. Instead we're skipping to the point where they are already going to be having children so that the main Fantastic Four can be killed off or replaced. Galactus is interested in the children (Like Disney) instead of the core four characters the film should be focusing on. It's embodies a problem of Phase 4/5 which is focusing on trying to skip to pushing the next generation rather than deal with the current or existing generational characters.

Due to us skipping the origin, the explanation and development of their powers is also likely going to be skipped in favor of just showing them at a point where they have acclimatized to their abilities. A lot of the fun of Superheroes is seeing them grow and adapt and we're skipping all of that - and we'll never revisit it. In a similar sense we'll never get Norrin Radd, we're instead doing Shalla-Bal and NEVER doing Norrin because they won't have the time or ability as we're going straight into Avengers 5/6 and Galactus will be defeated in this film.

It's set in an alternative reality and its a timeline that's not going to exist after Avengers 5/6 anyway - so why would the general audience be invested in it? Why does Galactus threatening or destroying planets in that reality matter when the TVA can casually erase entire timelines and Avengers 5/6 is going to erase the entire multiverse?

Every adaptation of the Fantastic Four in the MCU so far has treated them horrifically whether that be the 'smartest man alive' being depicted as an idiot, mocked, shown as incompetent and then proceeding to be horrifically murdered while his powers are demonstrated as extremely ineffective. Then it was the Human Torch who proceeded to be depicted as an idiot confronting Cassandra's goons on his own leaving his team behind, proceeding to fail instantly by attacking the one guy he knows can manipulate his powers, getting mocked, depicted as incompetent and then proceeding to be horrifically murdered. I don't have any faith in the writers treating them with any level of respect.

Even looking back at the history of the Fantastic Four in film, the adaptations and the brand is damaged severely, now rather than give characters the time they needed to grow and be fleshed out we're rushing into Galactus, Silver Surfer and Doctor Doom within the span of a single film to set-up Avengers 5.
ThorArms
ThorArms - 8/24/2024, 2:34 PM
@Scarilian - This is a lot of criticizing and nitpicking for movie that just started filming and we haven’t seen anything of.
Scarilian
Scarilian - 8/26/2024, 10:34 AM
@ThorArms -
Have you been under a rock? We've had a trailer, we've had casting, we've had plot leaks, we've had confirmation of key elements and we've had statements from those involved.
BobGarlen
BobGarlen - 8/24/2024, 9:34 AM
I'll give them props for doing practical sets. I really don't get why it needs to be set in the 1960's if it's set in another Universe. That just seems dumb. It can be a retro future 2020-whatever and still look like that since it is an alternate universe. Still not even remotely optimistic about Pedro Pascal as Reed nor the director or writers.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/24/2024, 9:50 AM
I hate this multiverse gimmick. They're introducing the F4 for the first time, but there from another reality and they most likely won't be the group we know and love going forward. There's an alternate silver surfer and they're using Galactus as a simple villain? Make it make sense. I can't wait until this multiverse shtick is over
ReverseFlasher
ReverseFlasher - 8/24/2024, 12:22 PM
Im guessing those angled grey columns are supports for a monorail or something
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