The Fantastic Four: First Steps Movie Preview

Finally: The Fantastic Four are celebrating their debut in the MCU: With "First Steps", Marvel is bringing the famous superhero group back to the big screen in a whole new adventure. After the huge flop of the 2015 reboot, things are set to be different this time: The MCU film is focusing on a fresh new approach to storytelling and is already impressing with a top-class cast. In this article, we bring you up to date on the big Marvel blockbuster "The Fantastic Four: First Steps".

Plot

Over the past few months, there has been a lot of speculation about the actual story. Marvel Studios has now cleared up these uncertainties and officially revealed the plot. The movie will be set in a retrofuturistic world heavily inspired by the 1960s aesthetic. Not only does this stylistic choice add a nostalgic touch to the story, but it is also reminiscent of the origins of the Fantastic Four, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the 1960s.

The story centers on the already established team of heroes, consisting of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm. Together they must protect the Earth from a new, powerful threat: the space god Galactus and his mysterious henchman, the Silver Surfer.

Marvel has hinted that the threat of Galactus will become "very personal". This could be related to a potential appearance by Franklin Richards, Reed and Sue's son. In the comics, Franklin is a mutant with tremendous powers who often becomes the target of powerful beings like Galactus. However, it is not yet known whether he will indeed play a role in the movie.

Another exciting question is whether the film will create links to the main MCU universe. There they would meet other superheroes - a good set-up for the appearance of the Fantastic Four in the upcoming Avengers movies. There's also speculation about a brief appearance by Doctor Doom, the archenemy of the four heroes. The villain, played by Robert Downey Jr., isn't supposed to play a major role until "Avengers: Doomsday". However, a cameo appearance would still be a possibility, similar to Thanos in the past.

Cast

Marvel obviously has big ambitions with the actors in the movie, as the cast reads like a list of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood at the moment.

Mr. Fantastic

The biggest surprise is the choice of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards. Pascal became an international superstar thanks to his leading roles in "The Mandalorian" and "The Last of Us". Not only does he possess considerable acting skills, he also has the necessary charisma to believably portray the brilliant scientist and leader of the Fantastic Four.

Richards ranks among the most intelligent people in the world. However, he is best known for his extraordinary ability to stretch his body to extreme lengths in the shortest possible time. Although the exact functioning of this ability is unknown, his maximum stretch length comes to around 1,500 feet, or 450 meters. As he stretches, he moves with impressive speed and he often uses this skill to trap his opponents with his body.

What's more, Richards can change the shape of his body, such as adapting his face to mimic other people. He is also able to transform himself into various objects, such as a sail or a trampoline. He often shapes his hands into weapons such as hammers or clubs and can turn his fingers into any kind of key.

Invisible Woman

At Pascal's side, Vanessa Kirby will take on the role of Sue Storm. She is known from blockbusters such as "Mission: Impossible" and "Fast & Furious".

Susan has the ability to make herself invisible to others by manipulating certain cosmic energies. These powers allow her to make her entire body or just individual body parts disappear. In this way, she can merge with her background in order to remain virtually unnoticed. She is able to make other people or objects invisible as well. Moreover, Susan can generate force fields that allow her to fly and use telekinesis. She can create powerful shockwaves with which she attacks opponents.

Human Torch

Another highlight of the cast is Joseph Quinn, who rose to fame through his role as Eddie Munson in "Stranger Things". Quinn will play the Human Torch and breathe new life into the group. Johnny Storm is known for his humor and hot temper - qualities that Quinn already embodied brilliantly in "Stranger Things".

Johnny has the ability to generate, control and shoot fire directly from his body. This lets him unleash explosive, targeted energy attacks. He is therefore of course entirely insensitive to high heat. He is also capable of flying at an impressive speed - at least as fast as a rocket and almost at the atmospheric speed of the Silver Surfer. Thanks to his help, Johnny was even able to take over his teammates' abilities in some stories by touching them. He was even in a position to use all their powers at the same time.

The Thing

An interesting choice is also Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays the lovable stone giant Ben Grimm aka The Thing. The actor is known from the series "The Bear", for example. There, he has already proven that he can play characters with a hard shell and emotional depth.

Thanks to his modified, rock-hard body, Ben has immense strength that goes far beyond that of a normal person. Over the years, he has further increased this strength through intensive training. His body is extremely resilient, making it very difficult to inflict injuries on him. Moreover, he has developed superhuman stamina, which allows him to withstand prolonged battles with opponents such as the Hulk - even if he doesn't always emerge victorious.

Ben does not age, which theoretically makes him immortal. He is also an experienced astronaut and pilot. He is proficient in the use of various weapons and has a passion for music, playing the saxophone in particular.

Silver Surfer

The biggest controversy so far has been the casting of Julia Garner. However, it's less about the actress herself and more about her intended role: namely that of the Silver Surfer. Many viewers are primarily familiar with the character as a male figure, so there was some discussion as to whether the gender had simply been changed.

In this film, though, she does not play the character Norrin Radd, but his wife Shalla-Bal. In the comics, she also becomes the Silver Surfer in order to free her husband Norrin from the clutches of Galactus. So Marvel seems to be staying true to the comics, even if the so-called "gender-swapping" continues to be the subject of critical debate among fans.

Galactus

The mighty planet-eater Galactus is played by British actor Ralph Ineson, known from movies such as "The VVitch" and series like "Game of Thrones". Galactus is actually a scientist who, as the last survivor of the past universe, existed before the Big Bang. The villain devours entire worlds and travels the galaxy with an unrestrained hunger. Fans are hoping that his portrayal in the new film will be more convincing than the cosmic cloud seen in 2007's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer".

Unknown Characters

Additionally, a number of other actors have been confirmed for as yet unknown roles, including Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich and Natasha Lyonne - best known for the acclaimed series "Poker Face".

Behind the Scenes

The movie is directed by Matt Shakman, who made a name for himself in the world of Marvel with his involvement in "WandaVision". He is supported by screenwriter Josh Friedman, who received many positive reviews for his work on the science fiction series "Foundation".

A First Trailer at D23 Brazil

First scenes from the movie have already been shown - albeit not to everyone. Visitors to this year's D23 in Brazil were treated to the first teaser trailer, which apparently generated a lot of excitement. It showed Reed Richards, played by Pedro Pascal, introducing a school class to the world of science. Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the role of Ben Grimm also made their first appearance. The Fantastic Four then set off on their journey into space to roaring applause. In the very last sequence, the audience also got a brief glimpse of Galactus appearing in front of a building's windows. Particularly striking is the enormous size of the Devourer of Worlds.

The Release Date of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps"

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" promises to be an important milestone for the MCU. The film not only presents an opportunity to introduce Marvel's so-called "first family" to a new audience; it can also add exciting cosmic elements to the MCU's narrative world. With the threat of Galactus and the potential appearance of Doctor Doom, it could set the course for future crossover events.

Until then, our anticipation remains high: it seems that Marvel has learned from its past mistakes and is finally starting a worthy new chapter for the iconic heroes. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" will be released in theaters on July 25, 2025, and we assume that the first proper trailer won't be too long in coming.