When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, it meant Marvel Studios regained the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises.
We've long wondered how Marvel's First Family would be inserted into the MCU, and in the midst of the Multiverse Saga, we'll meet a version of the team that hails from a parallel reality. They're expected to eventually make Earth-616 their home, and like the X-Men, that will likely happen in a post-Avengers: Secret Wars MCU that's been softly rebooted.
Earlier today, we shared details on a new tie-in comic set in the world of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. In Deadline's report about the one-shot, it's revealed that it "confirms a few things that fans have speculated about, including that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not an origin story, but will pick up four years after they become heroes."
It's no secret that The Fantastic Four: First Steps won't be an origin story, but the fact that the heroes have had their abilities for at least four years is very interesting. That makes them a fully established team and should ensure this reboot avoids retreading ground covered in the 2005, 2007, and 2015 movies.
There have been rumblings for a while that the reboot will open with a recap of all the threats the team has faced in that time, while the trailer has pointed to at least some pre-transformation flashbacks courtesy of news footage.
It's also worth pointing out that this appears to confirm a recent plot leak. If you'd like to check that out, you can do so by clicking here.
You can rewatch the awesome new trailer 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. 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.