‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’: everything we know about the next Marvel movie (release date, trailer, cast, plot, and more)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is almost here. The third big-screen reboot for Marvel‘s First Family takes flight worldwide on July 25, so you’ve still got time to learn what we know so far before you watch it.

Below, I’ve rounded up the latest and biggest news about the final Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie of 2025. That includes more details about its cast, plot, trailers, and the future of The Fantastic Four in the MCU itself.

Full spoilers follow for Thunderbolts*. Potential spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps also follow, so proceed with caution.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps release date

As mentioned, The Fantastic Four: First Steps lands in theaters on Friday, July 25. It was originally due out last November, but Marvel revised the launch date of its Fantastic Four movie last February.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer

Marvel unveiled The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer in early February, and it revealed official looks at Marvel’s iconic quartet of superheroes, the movie’s Big Bad in Galactus, and John Malkovich’s mysterious character who’s since been cut from the film (more on that later).

Two months later, Marvel debuted First Steps‘ official trailer, which revealed first looks at Reed Richards’ stretchy powers, The Silver Surfer, and other Galactus-sized teases. It contained footage first presented at CinemaCon 2025, with both trailers confirming a big fan theory about Sue Storm. I’ll explain more about that in this article’s plot section later on.

Another trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which confirmed two of the movie’s worst-kept secrets, was released in June before Marvel unveiled First Steps‘ final trailer that raised my fears about the fate of one of the iconic quartet in early July. Watch it below:

The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast: confirmed and rumored

Here’s the confirmed cast for Marvel’s latest Fantastic Four movie reboot. You can learn more about them in my dedicated First Steps cast and character guide, too:

• Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic
• Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman
• Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
• Ralph Ineson as Galactus
• Julia Garner as Silver Surfer
• Matthew Wood as H.E.R.B.I.E
• Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder/Mole Man
• Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman
• Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols
• Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert

Ahead of the first four actors’ official unveiling as the titular team, there were an avalanche of casting rumors that sent MCU fans into a tailspin. However, Moss-Bachrach has since told The Jimmy Kimmel Show that he officially signed on in August 2023. One month earlier, Kirby told TechRadar “it would be an honor” to play Sue Storm, which all but confirmed her hiring.

Pascal reportedly held talks with Marvel about joining the cast in November 2023. Then, a February 2024 report revealed Pascal had signed on to play Richards, so the sting was taken out of that surprise. The only shock reveal was Quinn’s, with the Stranger Things actor announced as Johnny Storm last February.

On the villain front, The Office UK‘s Ralph Ineson voicing Galactus, aka the movie’s villain-in-chief and a regular foe of Marvel’s First Family. Ineson will be joined on antagonistic duties by Ozark‘s Garner, who’ll play a gender-swapped version of the Silver Surfer, aka the Herald of Galactus. Incidentally, Ineson and Garner never filmed a scene together and only actually met once while on First Steps‘ set.

Meanwhile, Hauser, Niles, and Gatiss were later revealed as part of the cast, as was Lyonne. Initially, Marvel fans thought Lyonne would be perfect for a very specific role, but she isn’t playing the character many of us expected.

Another actor who was set to appear was John Malkovich. He was expected to play another Fantastic Four adversary called Red Ghost, but director Matt Shakman told Variety that, much to Shakman’s disappointment, this villain had to be cut from the final edit.

And what of Doctor Doom, another of the team’s legendary villains and one of Marvel’s most iconic villains? With none other than Robert Downey Jr – yes, he of Iron Man and Avengers fame – playing Doom, who is now the Multiverse Saga’s new main villain, he should cameo, right?

For starters, Shakman told TechRadar that, regardless of whether Downey Jr would play him or not, Doom was never considered as First Steps‘ primary villain.

Speaking to Empire magazine (as reported by comicbookmovie.com), Shakman also denied Downey Jr will appear in this movie, saying Doom isn’t “part of my purview”.

However, Shakman has since said (per ScreenRant) that Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo shot this film’s post-credits scene. The pair are also credited with shooting Thunderbolts‘ post-credits scene, which ties into First Steps‘ plot. So, it’s all but confirmed – in my mind, anyway – that Doom will show up before the screen cuts to black for the final time.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps story synopsis and speculation

Here’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ official story brief: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family… 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 and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer. And, if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.”

The first thing to note about this Marvel Phase 6 project is it isn’t an origins story. Other Fantastic Four films have already covered their cosmic radiation-based superpowered beginnings in a live-action capacity, so don’t expect this movie to re-tread old ground.

If you’re concerned about watching it with little to no knowledge of the titular team, don’t fret. Marvel has released a First Steps prequel comic book that’ll explain how the quartet acquire their superhuman abilities, the universe they inhabit, and more. So, be sure to pick up a copy if you need to.

First Steps will not only be a period piece, but is also set in a parallel universe, which has since been confirmed as Earth-828.

That much was made clear in the movie’s first official artwork (see the X/Twitter post above), which depicted a different New York to the one we’re used to seeing in the MCU. Given it’s set in an alternate reality, you won’t have to watch any other Marvel projects because it’s genuinely a standalone story. Indeed, Shakman told TechRadar that fans new and old won’t have to do any MCU homework to enjoy First Steps. Phew!

Anyway, fans have long predicted that The Fantastic Four will eventually cross over into the MCU (designated Earth-616 by Marvel) as part of the ongoing Multiverse Saga. The aforementioned artwork, trailer, and the first poster for Marvel’s new Fantastic Four movie poster suggested this would be the case, but Thunderbolts‘ end credits scene practically confirmed this would happen. For more details, read my Thunderbolts* ending explained article.

There have been plenty more hints about the film’s narrative in the run-up to release.

For one, Marvel teased some key story details about The Fantastic Four: First Steps in April 2024 by making some iconic Fantastic Four comic books available to download and read for free. Those literary works feature Galactus and The Silver Surfer, so Shakman and company have taken plenty of storytelling inspiration from them.

Then there’s the big fan theory about Sue Storm that was proven correct by First Steps‘ second trailer – that being, Sue and Reed will welcome their first child, Franklin Richards, during this movie.

If online speculation is to be believed, he’ll be an important part of the plot, which would tie into the “personal” element of First Steps‘ story synopsis. That rumor was part of a major plot leak that The Fantastic Four: First Steps suffered in late May – but, don’t worry, you won’t find any major spoilers here or the previously linked-to article.

Regardless, The Fantastic Four’s latest silver screen outing will lean heavily into the familial aspect that’s made them such an iconic group in Marvel’s library of superheroes.

Indeed, Shakman and the film’s main cast have stressed the importance of examining the team’s familial dynamics in separate chats with Entertainment Weekly and Collider. Whether it’s Sue and Johnny’s sibling bond, Sue and Reed’s marriage, Reed and Ben’s friendship, or the changes that come following Franklin’s birth, one of The Fantastic Four’s enduring themes will be explored at length in First Steps.

Where can I watch the previous Fantastic Four films?

You can stream 2005’s Fantastic Four, 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and 2015’s Fantastic Four on Disney+ no matter where you live. As long as you’re subscribed to one of the world’s best streaming services, you can watch it whatever region of the world you dwell in.

How will The Fantastic Four impact the MCU?

The short answer is: we don’t have a complete picture yet.

The group will become part of the MCU after The Fantastic Four: First Steps because they’ll have a big role to play in Avengers: Doomsday. Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach were announced as part of Doomsday‘s initial 27-strong cast in late March. Throw in their spaceship-based appearance in the MCU in Thunderbolts‘ post-credits scene, plus Doom’s likely cameo in one of First Steps‘ own end credits stingers, and Doomsday and its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars will be heavily impacted by the eponymous team’s MCU debut.

That won’t be the last time we see them, either. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is reportedly getting a sequel, though it’s unclear when work will begin on it or how it’ll fit into Marvel Studios’ post-Secret Wars plan, which Marvel President Kevin Feige has already referred to as a soft reboot of the cinematic juggernaut (per Variety).

As for potential First Steps spin-offs, a Silver Surfer TV show was reportedly in development for Disney+. We’ve heard little about this possible project since, so nobody knows if it’ll see the light of day. In short: keep your eyes trained on TechRadar for news on all of the above once we know more.

For more Marvel-based coverage, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, read more about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, see if you agree with my ranking of the best Marvel movies, or get the lowdown on Daredevil: Born Again season 2.