Marvel Drops ‘Fantastic First Look’ Featurette for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’
Marvel Studios is finally bringing the Fantastic Four into the MCU, and fans just got a real look at what’s coming. In a new behind-the-scenes featurette called Fantastic First Look, director Matt Shakman and Marvel boss Kevin Feige talk about what it took to bring Marvel’s first superhero team to life on the big screen. The movie is called The Fantastic Four: First Steps and it comes out in theaters on July 25, 2025.
This version of the Fantastic Four isn’t like the ones from before. It’s set in a world that looks like the 1960s but with a sci-fi twist. The four heroes, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm, are already working as a team when the movie begins. So there’s no long origin story this time.
Pedro Pascal plays Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic. He’s described as the smartest man on Earth, and Pascal said that what drew him to the role was Reed’s brain more than anything else. “It was always the way he thinks that mattered to me,” Pascal shared.
Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm, who can turn invisible and create force fields. She’s not only Johnny’s sister but also Reed’s wife—and she’s pregnant in the movie. Kirby said she wanted to bring out different sides of Sue. “I didn’t want her to be just a mother figure. There’s power in all parts of her, even the darker ones,” she said. Director Matt Shakman added that Sue is “the most emotionally intelligent person in the movie.”
Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, is played by Joseph Quinn. He can fly and control fire, and Quinn said he wanted to show that the character has grown. “He still has his humor, but he’s more aware of how he affects people,” Quinn explained.
Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing, is played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach. He’s a big rock-covered guy with a tough exterior but a strong heart. The role was done with motion capture, and Moss-Bachrach said The Thing reminded him of another character he played who also cared deeply about his chosen family. “His loyalty is what really stood out to me,” he said.
The team isn’t just fighting random bad guys this time. Their enemy is Galactus, a giant space god who wants to eat the Earth. Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, and he sees the character in a different way. “Galactus isn’t really evil. He’s more like a cosmic force that just exists to do what he does,” Ineson explained. His right-hand being is the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner.
Some big names also have roles in the movie. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles are all in it. Matthew Wood voices the helpful robot H.E.R.B.I.E., and a baby actor plays Reed and Sue’s son, Franklin Richards. Mark Gatiss and other surprise appearances are expected too.
There’s even a rumor that Robert Downey Jr. might pop up as Doctor Doom in a post-credits scene, but Shakman made it clear: “Doctor Doom is not a part of this film.”
The featurette shows some real movie footage, scenes from the sets, and stunts being done practically instead of using all CGI. Marvel Studios seems to be going all in to make this movie feel fresh, even though these characters have been around for decades.
Before Marvel took over, the Fantastic Four were owned by 20th Century Fox. Their last attempt at a reboot in 2015 didn’t do well, and when Disney bought Fox in 2019, the characters officially came under Marvel Studios. That’s when plans for this new movie began.
Now, with a whole new cast and a story that skips the usual beginning and jumps straight into the action, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is shaping up to be something fans haven’t seen before in the MCU.
And if the featurette is anything to go by, Marvel’s First Family is finally getting the movie they deserve.
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