A new commercial for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has found its way online today, and it features our first look at Marvel's First Family doing battle with Giganto, Mole Man's main monster, and the first foe they faced on the page.
This looks like a comic book panel brought to life, and while we're sure there's been some clever editing, it's quite clearly footage taken from the movie that's been repurposed for this pizza promo.
There have been rumours for months that The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens with a flashback to the team's many battles (remember, they've been the Fantastic Four for four years when the movie opens), and this is likely one of them.
It's a clever way for Marvel Studios to show what these heroes can do in a montage that recaps past adventures and better establishes their many wins before facing an insurmountable foe in Galactus.
In the comics, Giganto was one of many Deviant Mutates dwelling on Monster Isle. The Mole Man made him his servant and used him to attack atomic power plants all over the world. The Fantastic Four eventually went to investigate, prompting the Mole Man to unleash Giganto on the heroes in the middle of New York City.
While not confirmed, Paul Walter Hauser is expected to play the MCU's Mole Man and has had nothing but good things to say about his experiences on the movie's set.
"I think, from what I’ve seen, and obviously I can’t say much about it, but I will say the short time I was on set, dude, they’re making a cool movie, man," he teased earlier this year. "This is a smart, chic Marvel movie that really focuses on family as part of the theme. And you really kind of fall in love with those characters, I think."
"And that’s what’s missing is sometimes if you don’t fall in love with these characters, and you keep putting them in peril, we don’t really care," Hauser said of what he believes has hurt recent MCU titles. "You know, you got to make us care first. And I think Marvel’s hopefully getting back to some of that.
You can see The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Giganto in action 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, and Natasha Lyonne 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.