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Credit: 20th Century StudiosThe Marvel Cinematic Universe’s First Family will finally arrive with a retro-futuristic twist, a genre-bending tone, and a few unexpected character updates.
Marvel Studios is preparing to reintroduce a cornerstone team from the comic book canon in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the long-awaited debut of Marvel’s First Family within the core MCU timeline. Slated for release on July 25, 2025, the film opens Phase Six of the franchise and is helmed by Matt Shakman, best known for his work on WandaVision.
While John Krasinski offered a Multiversal teaser of Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), First Steps marks the first canonical appearance for the iconic foursome within the MCU’s prime continuity.
Pedro Pascal leads the cast as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, joined by Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Rounding out the ensemble are Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as the cosmic devourer Galactus. John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Paul Walter Hauser have also been cast in undisclosed roles.
Production began last summer at London’s Pinewood Studios with a screenplay credited to Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, Josh Friedman, Cameron Squires, Eric Pearson, and Peter Cameron.
The official synopsis teases a visually distinct entry into the MCU canon: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet.”
Director Shakman described Reed and Sue as the emotional and intellectual anchors of the story, explaining that the couple leads the Future Foundation, a philanthropic science organization striving for global harmony. Motherhood plays a central role in the narrative, with Sue confirmed to be pregnant during the events of the film. Vanessa Kirby also shared that she drew inspiration from Sue’s darker comic book persona, Malice, to add greater depth to the character.
“So the new film will be set in the ’60s — just not our ’60s. First Steps is the 37th installment in the MCU, but it won’t be set on the same Earth as Iron Man or The Avengers,” Entertainment Weekly wrote in a recent feature.
Instead, this version of the Fantastic Four originates from a different Earth within the Multiverse—one where the optimistic visions of mid-century futurism became reality. Flying cars, sentient robots, and scientific marvels are part of everyday life, all pioneered by Reed Richards himself.
Having taken over directing duties from Jon Watts in 2022, Shakman elaborated on this alternate take: “We knew that we’d be on another Earth, so we had a chance to reinvent what the ’60s looked like,” he told EW. “I was really interested in imagining the Fantastic Four being astronauts. Instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin going to the moon, what if it was Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben who were really the first to go into outer space, the first to push those boundaries?”
The latest trailer to hit the internet gave a more detailed glimpse at this take on the 60s, but it also revealed the first look at Emmy-winner Julia Garner’s take on Galactus’ Herald, AKA, the Silver Surfer.
When the casting decision first landed, the “anti-woke” mob immediately criticized Marvel’s decision to essentially gender-swap the Marvel Comics character, with some using the “M-She-U” term that has gained steam over recent years thanks to MCU entries like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), The Marvels (2023), She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Ms. Marvel.
However, it’s not the Norrin Radd version of the Silver Surfer that will appear in First Steps, but Shalla-Bal. Shalla-Bal made her debut in “Silver Surfer #1” back in 1968. In Marvel Comics lore, the character was introduced as the love interest of Norrin Radd—the Silver Surfer. Radd, a native of the planet Zenn-La, eventually embraced the role of Herald for Galactus after the cosmic devourer arrived on Zenn-La.
Last summer, reports circulated that Garner’s appearance in the upcoming MCU movie may be a one-and-done deal, but a new interview with Julia Garner suggests nothing has been confirmed yet. After discussing how she met with Matt Shakman and was confused about the Silver Surfer being a man, Garner explained that the role he was after was Shalla-Bal.
“I have to be so cryptic about everything, otherwise I’m going to have Marvel come after me. But it was described as there’s this mystery about her, and there’s this sense of this ambiguous energy going on of whether she’s good or not,” Garner told Entertainment Weekly.
“She is the herald of Galactus, so she works for Galactus, but you’re not sure where she stands. Does she stand with her boss, or is she just doing what she’s told? She has this mysterious energy about her, and slowly that mystery will get solved with the audience throughout watching it.”
While her return following First Steps is unclear, it seems Garner is up for a spin-off of her own. “A hundred percent, I would love to do that. The Silver Surfer is such a cool character, and I feel like it’s so rare to be presented with any sort of mystery in this day and age,” the Ozark and Inventing Anna actress said. “So any kind of energy like that on screen, I know I want to see that, so that would be awesome if that happened.”
Prior to this new knowledge from Julia Garner, Matt Shakman also acknowledged that finding the right chemistry between the four leads was one of the project’s biggest challenges. And fans can expect some key reimaginings—particularly when it comes to Johnny Storm.
Joseph Quinn, the Stranger Things alum, takes on the role previously portrayed by Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan. But this time, the brash and flirty Human Torch is being recontextualized for a modern audience.
“He’s a man that leads with a lot of bravado, which can be an affront sometimes. But also, he’s funny,” Quinn said. “Myself and [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin [Feige] were speaking about previous iterations of him and where we are culturally. He was branded as this womanizing, devil-may-care guy, but is that sexy these days? I don’t think so.”
Quinn added: “This version of Johnny is less callous with other people’s feelings, and hopefully, there’s a self-awareness about what’s driving that attention-seeking behavior.”
Whether fans embrace these character evolutions remains to be seen, but the arrival of the Fantastic Four—particularly as Phase Six kicks off—represents a pivotal shift in the MCU’s multiversal storytelling.
Marvel’s release strategy for the next few years is taking shape, though not without turbulence.
Before First Steps lands in theaters, Captain America: Brave New World premiered in February 2025. The Julius Onah-directed film had a bumpy road, including underwhelming test screenings and public controversy, but it still managed to cross the $400 million global box office threshold.
Following that, Thunderbolts* will wrap up Phase Five in May 2025. The ensemble film brings together characters like Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and others in a gritty, morally gray adventure. Disney has described the film as starring the “least-anticipated group of misfits,” suggesting a tonally different, internal-conflict-heavy narrative.
Looking beyond 2025, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to be a linchpin for Phase Six. The group is already confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) and Avengers: Secret Wars, which arrive in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Kevin Feige outlined the roadmap during San Diego Comic-Con, with the team’s involvement reaffirmed during a record-setting live-stream presentation.
One of the biggest franchise bombshells was also revealed at SDCC: Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU—but not as Tony Stark. Instead, he’ll take on the mantle of Victor Von Doom, setting up a new chapter for the franchise’s most infamous villain. The Russo brothers are also confirmed to return as directors for both Avengers films.
Post-First Steps, the MCU slate continues with Avengers: Doomsday on May 1, 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027. Two additional MCU release dates—February 13 and November 6, 2026—remain unclaimed, though Disney CEO Bob Iger has signaled plans to reduce the annual Marvel output.
Will The Fantastic Four: First Steps chart a bold new course for Marvel’s next era? That remains to be seen—but all eyes are on how audiences respond to this dimensional detour when it hits theaters next July. Let Inside the Magic know your thoughts on the new take in the comments below!