Nearly 20 years after Weta Digital replaced actor Doug Jones with a CG-animated Silver Surfer in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Marvel Studios is using motion capture to transform actress Julia Garner into the Sentinel of the Spaceways. The Ozark Emmy winner and Wolf Man star is playing the Shalla-Bal version of the character in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is also using the technology — used in everything from Gollum in The Lord of the Rings to the Na’Vi in Avatar to the Hulk in The Avengers — for co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s own rocky transformation into the Thing.

Opening up about her closely-guarded Marvel role in an interview with the fashion and lifestyle publication Who What Wear, Garner confirmed that the Silver Surfer will be a motion-capture creation (rather than just CGI).

RELATED: MCU Schedule: Every Marvel Studios Movie and TV Show Release Date in 2025 and Beyond

“You have to imagine everything when you’re doing it, as if you’re auditioning,” she said. “Even though we had the sets, I didn’t have my costume or hair and makeup or anything.”

Performance capture, like superhero fare, is new territory for Garner. The actress is known for her roes in dramas like The Americans and The Assistant, and will next be playing the spacefaring herald of the planet-devouring Galactus (Ralph Ineson).

“Going into the Marvel space was a big interest,” she said. “I feel like what a lot of actors don’t value enough is trying to reach every kind of audience. I think that’s really important. I’d be crazy to expect that everybody is going to watch Inventing Anna or Ozark or The Assistant. But to reach all kinds of people and build fans from everywhere? I was really excited to step into that universe.”

Garner’s gender-swapped Silver Surfer is a departure from the character who debuted in 1965’s Fantastic Four #48: Norrin Radd, who volunteered to serve Galactus as his herald to spare his homeworld Zenn-La — and Shalla-Bal, the woman he loves — from Galactus’ hunger. (An alternate-universe female Silver Surfer appeared in the Earth X series.)

“With the Silver Surfer, there’s still something very mysterious about it,” Garner said. “That mystery is very important to me as an actor. It’s such an iconic character, and it felt very different for me. I’ve never played a character like that.”

Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot, directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision), is “set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world,” per the synopsis, and introduces 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 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 Fantastic Four: First Steps is in theaters July 25.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps Star Confirms Marvel Character Is 100% Motion Capture appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four are one of Marvel’s most venerable teams. They kicked off what has been called the “Marvel Age of Comics,” when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby changed superheroes forever. For years, Fantastic Four was called “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine,” but the team’s success outside of the comics has been lesser than many of Marvel’s other franchises. There’s a few animated series, two movies from the ’00s, and one major flop, Fant4stic.

The FF are getting their chance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie releases July 25th and many MCU fans want to know more about the FF. Well, they need to look no further. These ten stories will give them a primer on the best FF stories, ones that will better acquaint MCU fans with Marvel’s First Family.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1

For MCU fans, it’s not always good to start at the beginning. Oftentimes, characters have changed a lot since their first appearance. Not only that, but comics have also changed a lot since then, and older books may not appeal to modern readers. However, for the Fantastic Four, the best place to start actually is the beginning. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s vision for the series is on display immediately in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1, which tells the story of how Marvel’s First Family gained their powers and then pits them against the Mole Man.

Lee and Kirby hook readers immediately with this classic. Its Cold War setting shows off the creators’ beliefs in American exceptionalism, but it still does a tremendous job of showing the direction this team is going to take as the years go on. This issue sets the standard for every FF story that has come after it. With the rumor the Fantastic Four: First Steps is going to take place in the past, this is the best place for MCU fans to start.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #5

Doctor Doom is going to play a massive role in the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and the best place to start with the character for MCU fans is Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #5, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This issue sees Doom attack the FF for the first time, using his time machine to send the team back in time to the age of pirates. On this jaunt, the Thing becomes the basis of the legend of Blackbeard before the team returns to the present and defeats Doom.

Lee and Kirby created one of comics’ greatest villains in this story and began a rivalry that would define the Marvel Universe. This comic harnesses the energy of two comic greats and is the definition of fun superhero action. Lee’s dialogue can be a little much, but it perfectly illustrates who each character is. Kirby’s art is amazing as always, jumping off the page at the readers. This is classic Marvel and MCU fans will find the kernels that grew into the universe they loved here.

“The Galactus Trilogy”

Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ villain is Galactus, so the best place to start for MCU fans may be the first Galactus story. Running through Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #48-50, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it’s gone down in history as “The Galactus Trilogy.” This story sees the Watcher, familiar to MCU fans, warn the Fantastic Four about the coming of Galactus and his powerful herald Silver Surfer. The team is nearly helpless against the all-powerful cosmic power of Galactus, with the Earth seemingly doomed.

The Galactus Trilogy is exactly the kind of cosmic spectacle that inspired the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lee and Kirby are on fire here, presenting a story that dips into cosmic horror as Galactus is, after all, an unfeeling force of destruction, not caring about the lives on the planets he devours. Lee gets to write one of his favorite characters, Silver Surfer, and Kirby’s art is as bombastic as ever. This is one of the greatest comic stories ever, and perfect for MCU fans who want to see Galactus before his MCU debut.

“The Man, This Monster”

The tragedy of the Thing is one of the most important parts of the Fantastic Four mythos. While the other three members of the team got great powers and could bask in the glow of celebrity as scientists who saved the world, Ben Grimm was transformed into a monster. Mister Fantastic did everything he could to cure his old friend but always failed. Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #51, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, titled “This Man, This Monster,” puts the Thing on full display, when an evil scientist takes his power and pretends to be the Thing in order to destroy the Fantastic Four, forcing Ben to save the day and eventually transform back into the monster he hates being.

Lee had quite a grip on the pathos of Ben Grimm, and this issue puts it on display perfectly. This issue has gone down as one of the best Fantastic Four comics ever. It’s full of drama and pathos, rendered beautifully by Kirby. It cuts to the soul of the Thing and shows the powers of the bonds between the FF. This is the one issue that will help MCU fans truly understand the Thing and how far he will go to save the day, making it a must-read.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #242-244

While the first Galactus story is generally considered the best, there’s another one that many fans love. Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #242-244, by John Byrne, brought Galactus and his new herald Terrax to Earth. Galactus was at his lowest, not fed in ages, and the FF teamed with the heroes of New York City to stop the World Devourer. After they defeat Galactus, though, instead of destroying him, the FF comes up with another solution that leads the cosmic god to get another herald and leave the Earth.

John Byrne is probably the greatest comic creator to work on Fantastic Four after Lee and Kirby. His run on the book has gone down as one of the best comic runs of all time and is full of brilliant stories (several of which are on this list). This Galactus story is unlike any other MCU fans could experience, and it shows that the FF aren’t typical superheroes either, with the surprising ending of this story reveals exactly what kind of heroes the FF are and has repercussions down the road for the FF. More on that later.

[RELATED: Marvel Is Reprinting These Classic Fantastic 4 Comics — Do They Hint at The Fantastic Four: First Steps Plot?]

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #258

Doctor Doom is an amazing character readers have learned to love over the decades. A big reason for that is how well the character has been fleshed out, and one of the best examples of this comes in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #258, by John Byrne. This comic showed readers a day in the life of Doctor Doom, telling the story from his perspective. Comics about villains were rare in the early ’80s, and this comic does an amazing job of showing why Doom is one of the greatest villains of all time. The issue’s most well-known sequence sees Doom’s young ward Kristoff asking a question that sees the monarch show his petty true colors.

Doctor Doom is a complicated character, and this comic shows that. Byrne is on fire in this issue, and this book is often considered one of the greatest Doctor Doom comics of all time. If MCU fans want more Doom, then this issue is perfect for them. It captures all sides of the character, and it’s one that MCU fans should read to better understand the villain.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262

The Fantastic Four saved Galactus when he was at his lowest ebb, something that showed the core of goodness that defines the FF. However, saving him would allow him to continue committing genocide on a massive scale, something which the rest of the universe wasn’t exactly happy about. This caused them to arrest Mister Fantastic leading to the trial of Reed Richards in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262. Richards has his defenders and detractors alike, including his family, the Watcher himself, and many survivors of Galactus. However, a most surprising being comes to the trial, one who is there to speak for Richards — and is also the last person most of the jury wants to listen to.

MCU fans have barely gotten a taste of how big the Marvel Universe truly is, which makes this comic perfect for them. It shows some of the greatest alien races in the Marvel Universe and goes into the terror that Galactus has caused over the years. This is truly epic cosmic Marvel and is perfect for MCU fans who want to see the grandeur of a great FF story.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #268

The Fantastic Four are first and foremost a family. Reed is married to Sue, Sue’s brother is the Human Torch, and the Thing has been like a brother to Reed since the moment they met. Reed and Sue even had a child by the 1980s, Franklin. Sue later finds herself pregnant again, but problems with the radiation in her system lead Reed to a villain in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #268, by John Byrne. Reed asks Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus for help. Doc Ock agrees and the two race to the hospital. However, when Ock’s arms break out of a secure facility and look for their master, things are about to get tragic.

This issue is completely heartbreaking and shows the problems with being a superhero with a family in the Marvel Universe. Byrne does an amazing job of this issue, balancing drama and action beautifully, playing with the reader’s expectations and giving them a suspenseful journey. It’s a brilliant use of the comic storytelling medium, and it’s something that MCU fans need to experience.

“Unthinkable”

Doctor Doom can be a noble monarch, and for this reason, many readers forget that he is also a monster. Doom has done heroic things over the years, but he’s also done terrible things. Nowhere is this more on display than the story “Unthinkable,“ by Mark Waid and the late great Mike Wieringo. This story sees Doom embrace the occult like never before to finally destroy his hated enemies in the Fantastic Four. However, to get the power he needs to destroy his enemies, he has to make a terrible sacrifice that will change the way readers look at him forever.

Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom is going to make it hard for many MCU fans to hate him. RDJ is Iron Man, after all, and these fans have been conditioned to love him. This is why they need to read “Unthinkable.” It shows just how far Doom’s hatred will make him go, containing his most ghastly act. This story shows Doom is the ultimate villain — a man who can make everyone think that he’s not that bad but is capable of acts that would freeze the blood of any person who witnesses them.

Secret Wars (2015)

Secret Wars (2015), by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, isn’t technically an FF story. It’s an event that shook the Marvel Multiverse, pulling in characters from many Earths. However, at its core, Secret Wars is all about the FF. The story’s main character is Doctor Doom, and the members of the FF play massive roles. Secret Wars is about the end of the Multiverse and what comes next, with Doom standing tall as the savior of all. However, even when doing something altruistic, Doom is still evil, and a group of survivors of the old multiverse — led by two different versions of Reed Richards — decide to overthrow God Emperor Doom and try to rebuild creation as it should be.

Doom’s hatred of the Fantastic Four, and his grudge against Reed Richards, are central to this story, making it an FF story at its core. The MCU is likely going to take a lot from this tale in the years to come, and in many ways, it’s the ultimate Fantastic Four story, which should put it on every MCU fan’s list.

The post 10 Fantastic Four Stories Perfect for MCU Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios may have just cracked the code on one of its trickiest casting puzzles – and it comes from an unexpected place: The Fantastic Four: First Steps. With Marvel’s First Family hitting screens in July 2025 with a cool retro-futuristic 1960s vibe, this throwback adventure might be the perfect way to bring T’Challa back to the MCU. The timing couldn’t be better, with buzz building about Marvel looking to recast the beloved character for future films, possibly through the Multiverse. And here’s the kicker – the film’s setting just happens to line up perfectly with Black Panther’s original comic debut in Fantastic Four #52 back in 1966.

Let’s talk history for a second. Black Panther and the Fantastic Four go way back. T’Challa actually made his first appearance in the pages of Fantastic Four, where comic legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced him as a mysterious African ruler who decided to test his skills against Marvel’s top team. This was huge – especially considering it happened in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. From the start, T’Challa proved he meant business by taking down the whole team single-handedly.

The new Fantastic Four movie looks like it’s giving a respectful nod to these roots. According to the official synopsis, we’re getting a story set in “a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world” that exists outside the main MCU timeline. This clever setup could let Marvel bring in a new version of T’Challa without stepping on the toes of Chadwick Boseman’s incredible legacy or messing with what happened in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Rumor has it that Marvel’s seriously thinking about recasting T’Challa. Industry insider Jeff Sneider dropped the news that Marvel already tried to get someone for the role last fall, but the actor passed. As you might expect, fans are split on this one – some think it’s too soon after Wakanda Forever‘s beautiful tribute to Boseman, while others feel it’s time for T’Challa’s story to continue.

Here’s where First Steps’ Multiverse angle could save the day. Sneider mentions that Marvel’s pretty open to bringing back T’Challa through the Multiverse, kind of like how they’re bringing Robert Downey Jr. back as Doctor Doom for those upcoming Avengers films. It’s a smart play – they can honor what Boseman did while still exploring new takes on the character.

[RELATED – Marvel Is Reprinting These Classic Fantastic 4 Comics — Do They Hint at The Fantastic Four: First Steps Plot?]

The timing here is perfect when you look at the comics. T’Challa’s original debut showed him putting the Fantastic Four through their paces using Wakanda’s sophisticated tech while dealing with big questions about whether the country should stay hidden or engage with the outside world. First Steps could recreate this classic moment while exploring what Wakanda was like in its alternate 1960s setting.

Plus, with the movie dealing with heavy hitters like Galactus and cosmic threats, it makes sense to bring in Wakanda’s amazing technology. The retro-futuristic vibe is ideal for showing off Wakanda’s hidden advanced society and diving into why they chose to stay isolated during such a crucial time in history.

Of course, bringing back T’Challa needs to be handled with care. Any new version would have to be its own thing while still respecting what came before. Setting it in the ’60s could help with this – we could see a younger, maybe more cautious T’Challa who learns to open up through his run-in with the Fantastic Four.

This could set up some really cool stuff down the line. Marvel’s got two big Avengers movies coming up – Doomsday and Secret Wars – and having a Multiverse version of T’Challa already established would fit right in. With Ryan Coogler still working on Black Panther 3, there’s potential for this ’60s T’Challa to cross paths with our modern MCU heroes through some Multiverse shenanigans.

Bringing T’Challa back through the Fantastic Four is smart for another reason. In the original comics, he proved how formidable he was by taking down Marvel’s biggest superhero team. Recreating that moment in the movie would be a great way to establish a new actor in the role while tipping the hat to that historic first appearance.

There’s no getting around the fact that this decision might ruffle some feathers. But by setting it in an alternate timeline, Marvel could give themselves enough breathing room to make it work. They could keep Boseman’s version sacred in the main timeline while still letting T’Challa’s character live on in the bigger Multiverse picture.

The July 2025 release could end up being perfect timing as well. It could bridge the gap between different MCU phases and set up T’Challa’s role in the upcoming Avengers films. Marvel’s clearly betting big on the Fantastic Four, and their connection to Black Panther might be key to where the MCU goes next.

First Steps might be exactly what Marvel needs to bring back one of their most important characters while showing respect to both the comics and what came before in the movies. We’ll have to wait and see if they actually go this route, but you’ve got to admit – they’ve laid the groundwork pretty nicely for making it happen.

The post How Marvel’s Fantastic Four Reboot Could Introduce a New Black Panther appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The MCU’s new Ben Grimm got help from one of the industry’s best when preparing for the role — The Lord of the Rings’ Andy Serkis. Serkis became a pioneer in the art of motion-capture acting by playing Gollum, and he continues to work on the process to this day. In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday, Moss-Bachrach explained how Serkis helped him become The Thing for Fantastic Four: First Steps, even if he couldn’t see the animation while filming.

“Andy Serkis, who is sort of the Godfather of motion-capture in a way — he’s got this company called The Imaginarium, which is at Pinewood Studio where we shot Fantastic Four,” Moss-Bachrach said. “He was very generous. They have a room that they call the ‘magic mirror’ where you put on the motion capture suit, and you put on sensors, and they set up monitors, and you can see in real time a rendering — kind of a beta rendering, not fully realized, and you can’t see the face too much — but you could see the physics. How big the character is.”

Motion-capture was a relatively new concept when Serkis was cast as Gollum, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy was one of the most extensive uses of it in a popular film at that time. Its success helped spur other productions to use it as well, and many turned to Serkis for his expertise. Serkis would go on to play the part of King Kong in motion-capture, and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy from 2011 to 2017. He reprised his role as Gollum in The Hobbit trilogy, and played Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

[RELATED: Silver Surfer Actress Teases Expansive Universe for the MCU’s Fantastic Four]

Serkis co-founded The Imaginarium Studios in 2011, along with film producer Jonathan Cavendish. These days, Serkis is known as a director as much as an actor — he directed and starred in the 2018 adaptation Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage that same year. Last spring, Warner Bros. announced that Serkis will direct and star in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum — an interquel set during Fellowship of the Ring.

The strength of all this hybrid CGI work is behind Moss-Bachrach, which bodes well for Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie is not expected to be an origin story for Marvel’s First Family, meaning Grimm will probably be in his stony form for the entire runtime. First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post MCU Fantastic Four Star Got Help From a Lord of the Rings Legend for Thing Role appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Julia Garner reveals what it’s like to portray Silver Surfer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The first Fantastic Four movie under the Marvel Studios banner promises to reintroduce Marvel’s First Family in a whole new manner. Garner plays Shalla-Bal, the female Silver Surfer, whereas Doug Jones and Laurence Fishburne portrayed the Norrin Radd version in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Fans are excited to learn more about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Garner is giving an inside look at what it’s like to step into such an expansive universe.

ComicBook spoke to Silver Surfer actress Julia Garner in support of her new movie Wolf Man. We asked Garner her thoughts about playing Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps and if anything stood out or surprised her about prepping for the role. “I mean, just how big it is. It’s a big universe, and I feel so grateful I get to be a little part of it to be honest,” Garner told ComicBook. “Everybody on that job, I think the casting is phenomenal and they’re so wonder. And [director] Matt Shakman is amazing. I’m very excited.”

[RELATED: The Fantastic Four: First Steps Celebrates Christmas With Brand-New Poster]

The Emmy Award and Golden Globe winning actress was officially confirmed as Silver Surfer back in April following reports she was playing Shalla-Bal. Created by Stan Lee and John Buscema in 1968’s Silver Surfer #1, Shalla-Bal is initially established as the Empress of the planet Zenn-La, as well as the love interest of Norrin Radd / Silver Surfer. When Norrin was banished to Earth by Galactus, Shanna became a pawn in a conspiracy against him, briefly being brainwashed by Mephisto into believing she is a human woman from Latveria. Simultaneously, Galactus began to destroy the planet of Zenn-La, and Norrin gave Shalla part of the Power Cosmic by the end of the story so she could help restore it to its former glory. 

Julia Garner joins a cast that includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, Ralph Ineson as Galactus, with Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich in undisclosed roles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25th.

The post Silver Surfer Actress Teases Expansive Universe for the MCU’s Fantastic Four appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel’s First Family is celebrating the holidays along with the rest of us this week. On Tuesday evening, the official Fantastic social media account shared a new poster for Fantastic Four: First Steps featuring the team’s logo on a Christmas ornament hanging from a pine branch. It read: “Happy holidays from our family to yours.”

The MCU debut of the Fantastic Four is scheduled for July 25, 2025, and Marvel has been building it up with holiday-themed promotions for nearly a year now. Fans have received old-fashioned cards from the Richards-Storm-Grimm family on Valentine’s Day, the Fourth of July, and now Christmas. Each one has a retro theme, and this may be the most nostalgic of all. It matches the 1960s inspired retro-futuristic aesthetic of the movie itself.

Sadly, this post didn’t give us any new information about the movie itself. On Valentine’s Day, we learned the main cast of the new movie — Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. We also know that Ralph Ineson will play Galactus while Julia Garner will play his herald, the Silver Surfer. Other stars include Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne and Sarah Niles.

[RELATED: Marvel Is Reprinting These Classic Fantastic 4 Comics — Do They Hint at The Fantastic Four: First Steps Plot?]

First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman and produced by Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige. It is executive produced by Lous D’Esposito, Grant Curtis and Tim Lewis. The movie filmed from July 30 of this year to the end of November, at various locations in England and Spain. So far, the holiday cards have held fans over while we wait for more news, but in 2025 we can finally expect to see some real footage.

First Steps will be a momentous occasion in the world of comic book movies — not only will it finally introduce the Fantastic Four to the MCU, it will kick off the franchise’s Phase Six. There are three MCU movies hitting theaters in 2025, but Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts will both be a part of Phase Five. First Steps is the first of five movies in Phase Six, which will close out the Multiverse Saga. That includes two new Avengers titles, a new Spider-Man movie that hasn’t been titled yet, and the MCU reboot of Blade.

Brave New World comes to theaters on February 14, 2025. followed by Thunderbolts on May 2, 2025. The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps Celebrates Christmas With Brand-New Poster appeared first on ComicBook.com.

With 2024 winding down, the year’s big box office winners are clear. Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and It Ends With Us were just a few of the many movies that flourished over these 12 months of cinema history. Even with a pair of labor strikes from 2023 and other external factors inhibiting the amount of movies that hit theaters in 2024, the annual domestic box office is headed for a solid end-of-year total. Even better, 2025 is poised to be (knock on wood) the first post-March 2020 year at the domestic box office that resembles something like a pre-2020 “normal.”

With studios cramming the calendar with new titles and multiple fresh releases opening over the same weekend, 2025 is shaping up to be a mighty year at the box office. But what titles might make the most money? That’s what we’re gathered here today to explore. 2025 could be a year for the history books if things go right, and these projected biggest movies of 2025 will play a critical role in this year living up to expectations.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

In 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water returned audiences to Pandora after 13 years of the franchise being M.I.A. from theaters. Despite years of jokes about the original Avatar leaving “no pop culture impact,” The Way of Water grossed over $2 billion worldwide to become one of the biggest movies ever globally. It’s a foregone conclusion Avatar: Fire and Ash will be one of 2025’s most lucrative titles, especially since key foreign territories have more readily returned to moviegoing since December 2022. In other words, the box office run of Fire and Ash will have all the might of an Ikran, Eywa, and Payakan combined.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Ironically, the 2025 Marvel Studios property with the most box office potential is the one starring characters that have technically never appeared in this saga (at least this universe’s forms). The Fantastic Four: First Steps has several advantages at its back, including a late July release date that will allow it to run throughout August with minimal competition. That approach certainly worked for Deadpool & Wolverine and early August juggernaut Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus, if First Steps gets positive buzz, it could skyrocket at the box office, like the first solo Venom and Deadpool movies, over excitement surrounding seeing comic book characters finally “done right” on the big screen. Keep an eye on The Fantastic Four: First Steps to finally give Marvel’s First Family a box office sensation.

[RELATED: Is 2024 the Worst Year for Superhero Movies?]

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Sure, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning failed to hit lofty box office expectations. However, its domestic haul was still only 20% below its predecessor. With a more competition-free Memorial Day weekend (not to mention exclusive control over IMAX screens for three weeks), Mission: Impossible -The Final Reckoning has a good shot at restoring the saga’s box office prowess. If Reckoning comes anywhere close to being as big as the franchise’s most successful installments, then Ethan Hunt is going out in style.

Michael

If Elvis could reach $150+ million domestically, the mind staggers to think what a movie about Michael Jackson like Michael will do in October 2025. The King of Pop is coming to the big screen in what’s allegedly a flashy, crowd-pleasing fashion that’ll give audiences plenty of razzle-dazzle and reprises of their favorite songs. Jackson’s appeal as a musician was global. Michael is bound to similarly resonate globally, producing one of the year’s biggest hits in the process.

Zootopia 2

Moana 2 has officially brought Walt Disney Animation Studios back to the level of box office powerhouse. Next Thanksgiving, the label will try to keep the momentum going with another sequel, Zootopia 2. Though not as heavily streamed over the last eight years as Moana, Zootopia actually made more money than that musical back in 2016 with over $1 billion worldwide. This box office sensation returning with a new adventure is bound to excite audiences. Plus, since, unlike Moana 2, Zootopia 2 was always made with the big screen in mind, its long-term word-of-mouth could be exceedingly better than 2024’s big Disney Animation smash.

Wicked: Part 2

This one’s a no-brainer for being a 2025 box office smash. With Wicked on track to become only the second live-action musical in history to exceed $400 million domestically, audiences are clearly stoked to spend more time with Elphaba and Glinda. Wicked: Part 2 won’t have as many feel-good bubbly songs as “Dancing Through Life” and “Popular,” so it likely won’t inspire as many rewatches as its predecessors. However, it’s still guaranteed to be one of 2025’s largest hits, especially given the euphoric word-of-mouth greeting the first Wicked. Here is the rare “part one” movie that leaves audiences excited for a follow-up rather than feeling frustrated over getting only half a film.

The post Predicting the Biggest Movies at the Box Office in 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2025 is shaping to be an exciting year for superhero movie fans, with Marvel and DC set to release highly anticipated films. Thanks to Superman, DC Studios will finally bring their new cinematic universe into theaters, kicking off what we all hope will be a decade of good DC movies. Marvel Studios is also cranking things up by offering the most projects in a single year ever — all to restructure and prepare for the next Avengers movies. It has been a while since Marvel and DC brought out the big theatrical guns at the same time. The winner of this clash is obviously the fans, who get to enjoy movies featuring iconic characters from both classic comic book editors.

Captain America: Brave New World

Director: Julius Onah
Writers: Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson
Release Date: February 14, 2025 

Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) journey as Captain America takes the silver screen with Brave New World, a politically charged thriller that promises to bring the franchise back to its Winter Soldier’s peak. The story centers on Wilson navigating a complex web of international conspiracies while dealing with President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross’s ambitious plans to militarize the Captain America position and establish a new Avengers team. The film introduces adamantium to the MCU and features a star-studded cast, including Harrison Ford as President Ross, who undergoes a dramatic transformation into the Red Hulk. Adding to the tension are villains The Leader and Sidewinder, played by Tim Blake Nelson and Giancarlo Esposito, respectively. The movie also explores themes of legacy and racial inequality that were established in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as Sam works closely with Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) while training the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez).

Thunderbolts*

Director: Jake Schreier
Writer: Eric Pearson
Release Date: May 2, 2025 

Thunderbolts* is an unconventional team-up film that brings together Marvel’s most complex antiheroes under the leadership of Bucky Barnes, whose role has been compared to Jack Nicholson’s character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The ensemble includes Florence Pugh’s sharp-witted Yelena Belova, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen’s newly-controlled Ghost, and Wyatt Russell’s complicated U.S. Agent. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, now the CIA director, assembles the team with her own agenda for power and control. Recent footage suggests that Bucky joins the team after they’ve already formed, hunting them down for mysterious reasons. Newcomers Geraldine Viswanathan and Lewis Pullman join the fray, with Pullman rumored to bring the powerful Sentry to life. The story explores themes of redemption and unlikely alliances as these former adversaries must work together under increasingly dangerous circumstances.

[RELATED: James Gunn Reveals Key Difference Between DC Universe and Marvel Studios’ MCU]

Superman

Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn
Release Date: July 11, 2025 

James Gunn’s fresh take on the Man of Steel promises to deliver a Superman story unlike any we’ve seen before. David Corenswet steps into the iconic role alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, with the film exploring Clark Kent’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. While not an origin story, the film focuses on Superman as a young reporter navigating his relationships with key characters in Metropolis. Gunn has emphasized that this version of Superman will be driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. The director has also teased that the film will showcase previously unseen aspects of Superman’s life and incorporate significant elements from Silver Age comics, promising to deliver epic action sequences while maintaining the character’s fundamental optimism.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Director: Matt Shakman
Writers: Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer
Release Date: July 25, 2025 

Marvel’s First Family finally makes their MCU debut in a unique period piece set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race. Pedro Pascal leads the cast as Reed Richards, alongside Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The film blends family drama with cosmic stakes as the team faces off against the planet-devouring Galactus, voiced by Ralph Ineson, and his herald, the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner. The retro-futuristic setting provides a fresh take on the team’s origin, while the story promises to explore how these four individuals balance their newfound powers with their strong family bonds. With Avengers: Doomsday closing in, First Steps is also expected to explain how Robert Downey Jr. will take on the mantle of Doctor Doom, the archnemesis of the Fantastic Four.

The post Every 2025 Marvel and DC Movie Confirmed to Release (And When You Can See Them) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When it comes to superhero movies, things have felt pretty depressing for a bit now. The DC and Marvel universes have had their share of struggles trying to rebuild over the years, even though they’ve gotten it right with the likes of Wonder Woman and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The big problem is that because these universes are so big and complex, a lot of care is needed to make sure the result is as close to what the audience wants as possible. Along the way, for a bunch of reasons, both entertainment giants DC and Marvel have lost their way, but with changes announced this year, 2025 could finally be the year of rebirth.

Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are gearing up to restart the genre, but the question is why a reboot was the choice. Maybe DC Studios and Marvel Studios have realized that, with productions like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) and The Marvels (2023), taking a chance on sequels might be too risky now. The same goes for new releases. The best move is to cut things off early and start fresh, because it’s clear that disorganization played a big role in the issues. Good management is the key, but above all, picking the right story to restart with is crucial. With some exciting prospects ahead, 2025 looks like it will be the year for both the DCU and the MCU.

Why Superhero Reboots Are a Good Thing

With the announcement of the new phase of the MCU and James Gunn taking over as co-CEO of DC Studios, it’s clear that both companies have recognized the mistakes that were causing their productions to struggle. External factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes disrupted the entire film schedule, but beyond that, the lack of clarity about the future has also hurt them. The MCU has always stood out for its interconnected productions, but even the once-gold standard of cinematic universes has started to falter. This situation isn’t too different from the DCEU’s failure either, since Gunn has already pointed out that the inconsistency between films and series in the universe is one reason he believes audiences lose interest.

These have been tough years for superheroes, to the point where the public has pessimistic feelings whenever a new project is announced. The truth is, expectations shot up so much after Avengers: Endgame that any film after that was always going to struggle to top it. However, by recalculating their approach, both giants now understand that there’s no point in looking too far ahead and getting ahead of themselves, nor should they dwell too much on the past trying to fix what’s already happened.

[RELATED: Superman Cast: Who’s Who in the First DC Universe Movie?]

Remakes and reboots have long been trendy in Hollywood, but in the case of the superhero genre, it’s a logical move. New takes on the same characters offer a fresh approach that can appeal not only to loyal fans, but to a new generation of viewers. It also makes it easier to integrate characters into shared universes, helping to clean up the franchises and avoid issues like timeline inconsistencies. Reinventing things is the most sensible option right now, especially considering that, when it comes to the superhero genre, it’s practically impossible to keep track of all the details these days, which can be overwhelming for both fans and the universes themselves.

In the case of the DCU, the Superman reboot has a greater influence, as it also represents a restart of the universe, and allows for better organization of the cast, with actors appearing across all productions without changes. Some familiar faces may return, but they’ll likely play different versions of the characters they once portrayed. The goal is to not acknowledge the DCEU. It’s also important to note that Gunn has made it clear this new beginning won’t require audiences to watch every single project in order to understand everything, which is another key reason why the reboot is such a smart move.

In the case of the MCU, a full reboot of The Fantastic Four isn’t entirely necessary, although it is essential to retell their story. Phase 6 is set to begin next year, but for that to work – since it will likely involve a crossover of many characters – it’s important to get the audience on the same page. Bringing together the X-Men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, other heroes, and possibly even characters from the Spider-Man universe, all while the main timeline has only expanded in recent years, complicates things. It’s time to simplify the plots so that audiences can follow what could be a 2.0 version of the historic 2019 era.

Why the Superman and Fantastic Four Reboots Are So Promising

Although the new DCU has already kicked off with Creature Commandos, it’s Superman that holds the potential for a true official start. Zack Snyder introduced a modern take on the iconic hero with Man of Steel in 2013, but it ended up being a bit too dark and serious. However, that might not be exactly what fans are expecting to see more of. The new Superman has already dropped a teaser trailer that shows exactly what Gunn is aiming for – lightness. The goal is to stay true to the source material while also giving Clark Kent a bit more humor and a lighter vibe.

The new version of Superman is expected to capture the same energy that the first film adaptations brought to the screen. It’s about highlighting essential values like justice, hope, and courage, which have always been at the heart of the superhero’s story. Plus, his selection to kick off the restart of the DCU adds a layer of symbolism, as he’s one of DC’s most iconic – if not the most iconic – characters. Not only is it the safest choice, but it’s also the one that’s sure to satisfy eager fans.

Not far from what’s considered classic and represents a fresh start is The Fantastic Four. The story has had three film adaptations, but while the 2005 version is the most remembered, fans and critics are nearly unanimous in agreeing that there has never been a truly great film adaptation of the team. There isn’t much information about the new movie’s plot yet, other than that it won’t be an origin story, and that it will take place in a retro-futuristic New York from another universe. But after so many attempts, a reboot is more than deserved. The Fantastic Four has always been a beloved story, and it’s also recognized as the foundation for everything that came after in Marvel’s history.

Kevin Feige has already emphasized the importance of the film, stating that the team of heroes will be a key element of the MCU moving forward, as it could also introduce Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Because of this, it’s clear that the production will offer something fresh, more faithful, and could shape the next phases of the universe in ways we’ve never seen before. It makes sense, as part of a strategy for innovation and simplification, to use their story to kickstart everything from here. The title The Fantastic Four: First Steps even hints at this direction.

Superman hits the big screen on July 11, 2025, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps following on July 25, 2025.

The post Superhero Movies Are Getting a Reboot in 2025 (and That’s a Good Thing) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s not a stretch to picture Pedro Pascal as the gray-templed, sometimes bearded Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. While fans in attendance at San Diego Comic-Con and Disney’s D23 convention were treated to the first footage from Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps — which revealed Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) with their iconic looks styled after the 1960s — those at home had to imagine what the four might look like in this retro-futuristic version of the MCU.

Now, thanks to a video recorded on set and submitted by the Gladiator II star on behalf of the CNN Heroes program, fans can get a look at Pascal as Reed Richards with the pencil mustache similar to his looks in Game of Thrones, Narcos, and The Mandalorian.

RELATED: MCU Schedule: Every Marvel Studios Movie and TV Show Release Date in 2025 and Beyond

The mustachioed Reed Richards differs from his ’60s comic book counterpart, however: Reed was primarily clean-shaven until the mid-’90s, when a time-displaced (and bearded) Reed rejoined the team following a two-year absence in 1995’s Fantastic Four #407.

He returned to his clean-shaven look issues later in Fantastic Four #413, but Reed would adopt the bearded look once more when Marvel relaunched the Fantastic Four comic run post-Secret Wars in 2018. Reed was rarely drawn with facial hair in the ’60s, although the Galactus Trilogy (Fantastic Four #48-50) depicted an overworked Reed with beard stubble, as did 1967’s Fantastic Four #67.

Inspired by the classic Stan Lee and Jack Kirby comic books that ushered in the Marvel Age of Comics, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will mark the beginning of the MCU Phase 6.

The movie from director Matt Shakman (WandaVision) is “set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world,” per the synopsis, and introduces 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.”

“More than just the visual aesthetics, the ‘60s to me is all about optimism,” Shakman said at San Diego Comic-Con. “It’s about looking to the stars and dreaming about traveling into space. It’s about how with the right heart and the right mind, you can do anything — which is what the Fantastic Four is all about. And so it’s more about capturing the spirit and the tone [of the 1960s].”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to open in theaters July 25, 2025.

The post See Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards Look in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Thing will find himself a wanted man, just in time for the Fantastic Four’s arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ben Grimm is headlining an all-new solo series in March, just a few months before The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters in July. Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays The Thing, and while he’s a part of Marvel’s First Family on the big screen, his comic book counterpart becomes a wanted man when he gets involved in a criminal conspiracy with ties to his past and childhood on Yancy Street.

The Thing is a five-issue limited series by writer Tony Fleecs, who made his Marvel Comics debut in Venom War: Wolverine, and legendary Fantastic Four artist Leonard Kirk (Star Wars: Battle of Jakku, Sabretooth). Ben steps away from the Fantastic Four to take down a criminal conspiracy, but whoever the mastermind is behind the scheme, they put a bounty on the FF’s resident bruiser. This results in Thing battling a Who’s Who of classic Marvel villains like Bullseye and Juggernaut.

[RELATED: The Fantastic Four: First Steps Reveals New Details on Showdown With Galactus]

“THE THING CLOBBERS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!” a description of the series reads. “Ben Grimm may be the strongest member of the Fantastic Four, but once upon a time, he was just a scrawny kid from Yancy Street. When an unexpected visitor from his past sends him on a search for a missing child, the Thing must unravel the mystery even if that means becoming a wanted man! Get ready to see the Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing versus every super-powered criminal and bounty hunter in New York City! Fleecs and Kirk give a glimpse into the history of the Thing that reminds you why Ben Grimm is the heart of the Marvel Universe…and why you don’t want to let him hear you say that!”

“What I love about Ben Grimm is that he’s just a regular hardworking guy–who happens to have super powers,” Fleecs shared. “He’s Jack Kirby. He’s not easily impressed by all of the outlandish, cosmic stuff constantly going on around him.

“The fun thing about this book is trying to figure out– ‘okay, then what WOULD surprise the Thing? What WOULD catch him off guard?’ In that spirit, we’re throwing every villain in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe at him. Trying to pit him against some opponents that you wouldn’t expect. We’ve got Leonard Kirk drawing The Thing! Believe me, you’re gonna see ol’ Benjy clobber some guys he’s never clobbered before.”

“It’s been a decade since my run on Fantastic Four and I am thrilled as punch (pun intended) to be working on this series with everyone’s favorite orange, pugilistic paragon of heroism, Ben Grimm,” Kirk said. “The villains he goes up against range from the, let’s just say, less than serious, to the absolutely iconic, and I am very much looking forward to drawing all of them. The first issue has already been a fun romp and I know I will love the rest.”

Ebon Moss-Bachrach teases Thing suit for Fantastic Four movie

Ebon Moss-Bachrach appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in February and spoke about his upcoming Marvel debut. During the interview, the actor revealed his version of The Thing will be motion capture, and said the character’s signature catchphrase, “It’s clobberin’ time.” 

“In the past, I think they’ve done a suit. Michael Chiklis wore a suit that apparently was really uncomfortable, and it’s kind of… we’re past that,” Moss-Bachrach explained. “It’s a little kind of cosplay, kind of amateur that kind of stuff now with the technology we have.” 

“No, I found out at the beginning of August,” he added when asked about being cast in the MCU. “I was taking a walk in the city… this was in the middle of the writer’s strike and I got a call from my agent. I wasn’t thinking about work at all. They said, ‘They asked you to play The Thing.’ I was so shocked.”

Moss-Bachrach then revealed that there’s already a Fantastic Four group chat for the cast’s foursome. “There is a group text,” he shared when asked if he’s met the cast. “Pedro started [it] a couple of days ago … everyone has said something … everyone put a little image, gif, or sticker.  So people are invested. No one is being coy.”

The Thing #1 (of 5) by Tony Fleecs and Leonard Kirk goes on sale March 5, 2025. The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post A Member of the Fantastic Four Becomes a Wanted Man (But Will They Be One in the MCU?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Actor and playwright Colman Domingo has earned some massive fan cred thanks to his role in Fear the Walking Dead and has long been a fan-favorite pick of actors who could join one of the big franchise universes. Marvel fans sort of got their wish when Domingo was cast as the voice of Norman Osborn in the upcoming animated series Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man – but it seems he’s been discussing a possible role in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well. In a new interview, Colman Domingo makes it clear that he is talking with Marvel Studios – but that it is currently more of a carte blanche offer he’s more than willing to consider!

“I have had a meeting with Marvel, yes. But it wasn’t specifically about anything,” Domingo revealed to Screen Geek. “They literally sat down and said, “What do you want to do?” And I said, “I don’t know. What do you got for me?” So we’re having engagement, of course. Who would not want to be a part of the MCU? I just wouldn’t want it to be right. And something that is created for me and something where I feel like I can give something of myself to. So we’ll find out what that is. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m patient.”

Colman Domingo’s name has been circulating around the MCU rumor mill for about a year now. It was around the holiday season of last year when we started hearing that Domingo would replace Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror after Majors was embroiled in a major relationship scandal and trial. For his part, Domingo was very demure about the whole thing, claiming to know as much as we do (rumors), and that while his “team” had had talks with Marvel, there was nothing concrete to discuss, in terms of specific roles:

“It’s funny how people are online talking about this… And I was like, ‘What rumor? Who? Where’s this coming from?’ I just didn’t think about it. The next day I woke up, it’s everywhere,” Domingo told Vanity Fair early this year.

“ My team has had conversations with Marvel about some aspect of the MCU for years. Do I know this to be true or not? I actually don’t know,” he added. “I feel like my team doesn’t bring me something unless it’s real. So I don’t know. I could be in conversation, but I’m not sure. I would welcome a conversation around it.”

That quote was from back in March of 2024, so it seems there was definitely some forward motion across the year, where Colman Domingo went from hearing rumors about his MCU involvement to having actual meetings with the studio. The question remains: what was discussed?

Will Colman Domingo Be The MCU’s New Kang?

The question of Kang’s presence in the MCU Multiverse Saga is a heavy one looming over the franchise. Jonathan Majors was dropped by Disney immediately after receiving a guilty verdict in his initial trial for assault and harassment – but his accuser later dropped an assault and defamation lawsuit against the actor, which has re-galvanized his career (to some extent). Disney has fired and re-hired prominent Marvel figures before (see: James Gunn), so there’s been speculation about whether or not Majors would be allowed to return and give his arc as Kang proper closure, avoiding the need for recasting.

We do know that Robert Downey Jr. has been brought back as Doctor Doom for Avengers: Doomsday – but how Doom snatches the reigns of Marvel Multiverse dominance from the Council of Kangs is another story element we need to see resolved. There is a window of opportunity for Colman Domingo to still step in and finish out the Kang story arc – and plenty of fans would love to see him onscreen opposite RDJ in Avengers 5.

[RELATED: 8 THINGS WE WANT FROM RDJ’s DOOM IN THE MCU]

There are also a wide and wonderful assortment of Marvel characters Colman Domingo could play in the MCU. We could eventually need a live-action version of Miles Morales’ Uncle Aaron (aka The Prowler); the Blade movie could need a charismatic actor to play the MCU Whistler; while the X-Men corner of the MCU could feature Domingo in roles as big as Bishop, or even a re-imagined Magneto. And if Denzel Washington is already discussing Black Panther 3 with Marvel, then adding Colman Domingo into that mix as well would be electrifying. If Domingo wows Marvel fans with his Norman Osborn voice performance, the MCU could also use a live-action version of the character…

For now, rumor and speculation about Colman Domingo’s MCU role is all we have to go on, as well as his performance as Norman Osborn in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

The post Colman Domingo Confirms Marvel Studios Talks (but Is He the New Kang?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fantastic Four: First Steps will wrap filming next week, according to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. Feige spoke at a Disney event in Singapore on Wednesday, according to a report by Deadline. Feige said that The Fantastic Four will be finished filming in the final week of November, leaving just under eight months for post-production before the movie hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

Feige appeared via video chat on stage at the 2024 Disney APAC Content Showcase, wearing a baseball cap with the Fantastic Four logo on it. He said: “Finally, [we’re] bringing Marvel’s First Family into the MCU. They wrap next week, the movie comes out next summer, and then all those characters go right into the next Avengers movies, so I’m very excited for the future of the Fantastic Four.” Feige said this is the MCU movie he is most excited about in 2025.

First Steps is a reboot of The Fantastic Four, which has been adapted for the big screen several times in the last few decades. This time around, it stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. We know that the world-eating cosmic entity Galactus will appear in the film – played by Ralph Ineson – as well as his herald, the Silver Surfer – played by Julia Garner.

According to Marvel’s official synopsis of the movie, it will be set in a retro-futuristic version of earth with aesthetic inspiration from the 1960s. In it, the Fantastic Four will try to protect the planet from Galactus and the Silver Surfer. It doesn’t sound like the movie will cover the team’s origin story, and because they’re in an alternate timeline they won’t have to contend with any other MCU characters. The newly-cast Victor von Doom – played by MCU veteran Robert Downey Jr. – will not appear in the main story, but may make his MCU debut here.

Feige’s Look Ahead

Not playing favorites, Feige spoke to the crowd in Singapore about Marvel’s other big projects for 2025 as well. He said that Thunderbolts is “what Marvel is all about… It’s taking characters from all different types of places and franchises and putting them together. That’s what Avengers is, that’s what Guardians of the Galaxy is.” He also spoke openly about finally incorporating the X-Men into the MCU’s main continuity.

“I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize,” he said. “Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men. Again, [it’s] one of those dreams come true. We finally have the X-Men back.”

[RELATED: Fantastic Four: Marvel Fans Celebrate “Comic-Accurate” The Thing]

Marvel Studios’ next movie is Captain America: Brave New World, in theaters on February 14, 2025. Thunderbolts follows on May 2 and The Fantastic Four: First Steps comes after that on July 25. In the meantime, you can stream previous MCU entries on Disney+.

The post Kevin Feige Confirms Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Wrap Date (and It’s Soon) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In 1961, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby birthed the Marvel Age of Comics with The Fantastic Four #1. The issue introduced the quartet who would be bombarded by cosmic rays during an unsanctioned space flight at the height of the Space Race: scientific genius Reed Richards, his fiancée Sue Storm, her kid brother Johnny Storm, and test pilot Ben Grimm. After finding themselves transformed by the cosmic radiation that gave them their powers, they named themselves the Fantastic Four: stretchy and super-malleable Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the blazing-hot Human Torch, and the orange, rocky-hided man-monster the Thing.

Over the first dozen issues published between 1961 and 1962, the adventurers faced such threats as the Mole Man and his subterranean army of monsters, the alien shape-shifters the Skrulls, the resurfaced Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Reed’s university nemesis Victor Von Doom, who became the metal-masked monarch called Doctor Doom.

RELATED: Everything We Know About Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps Movie

The foursome would eventually gain their matching uniforms, Baxter Building base, and their flying Fantasti-Car (in The Fantastic Four #3), and subsequent adventures would pit the dysfunctional family against the likes of the hypnotizing magician Miracle Man, the would-be conqueror Kurrgo from Planet X, the mind-controlling Puppet Master, the molecule-manipulating Impossible Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the diabolical duo of Namor and Doctor Doom.

Starting with Fantastic Four #1 on Jan. 8, Marvel Comics will reprint the first 12 issues of The Fantastic Four as facsimile editions — exact replicas complete with the magazine’s original advertisements. The Fantastic Four Facsimile Editions are timed to the release of Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps movie, which is set in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world and brings Marvel’s First Family into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Director Matt Shakman has named the classic Lee-Kirby run of Fantastic Four as one of the influences on First Steps (along with John Byrne, who wrote and penciled the title for five years during the 1980s, and more recent runs scripted by Mark Waid, Ryan North, and Secret Wars architect Jonathan Hickman).

Recently revealed plot details teased that the family of imaginauts — 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) — will “face their most daunting challenge yet”: the planet-devouring space god Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his cosmic-powered herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

While the Eater of Worlds and his herald, Norrin Radd, didn’t debut until 1966’s Fantastic Four #48 — part of the Galactus Trilogy that helped define the 108-issue Lee-Kirby run on the book that introduced such colorful characters as Agatha Harkness, the Mad Thinker and his Awesome Android, the Soviet supervillain Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, and the Black Panther — the reprints could hint at some of the other characters who might appear in First Steps.

RELATED: How to Watch Every Marvel Movie and TV Show in Order on Disney+

John Malkovich (Space Force), Paul Walter Hauser (Inside Out 2), and Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face) have been cast in undisclosed roles, and it’s unknown who is voicing the Fantastic Four’s robot sidekick H.E.R.B.I.E. Malkovich could be playing Puppet Master (who debuted in 1962’s Fantastic Four #8 alongside his step-daughter, Alicia Masters, a blind woman who falls in love with the Thing), with Lyonne playing Alicia. Hauser might be Harvey Elder, a.k.a. Mole Man, the subterranean supervillain who made his debut in the pages of Fantastic Four #1 as the first villain to battle the newly-formed Fantastic Four when they traveled to Monster Isle and the Mole Man’s kingdom of Subterranea.

Another possibility: Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. The Iron Man actor will be returning to the MCU as Victor von Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, inspired by the 2015 storyline of the same name that saw the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four reign as God Emperor Doom after the destruction of the multiverse.

The Fantastic Four Facsimile Editions will release monthly starting with Fantastic Four #1 on Jan. 8. Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres in theaters July 25, 2025.

The Fantastic Four #1 Facsimile Edition

First appearance and origin of the Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch, the Thing) and the Mole Man.

The Fantastic Four #2 Facsimile Edition

First appearance of the Skrulls.

The Fantastic Four #3 Facsimile Edition

The Fantastic Four debut their “4” uniforms for the first time; the issue also features the debut of the Baxter Building, the Fantasti-Car, and Miracle Man.

The Fantastic Four #4 Facsimile Edition

The Fantastic Four encounter Namor the Sub-Mariner, who makes his first Marvel Age appearance in the modern age — decades after his first official appearance in 1939’s Marvel Comics #1. This also also marks the first use of the “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” branding.

The Fantastic Four #5 Facsimile Edition

Doctor Doom makes his first appearance and becomes the Fantastic Four’s frequent nemesis. ‘Nuff said.

The Fantastic Four #6 Facsimile Edition

Following Doom’s defeat and escape in the previous issue, he forms a “diabolical duo” with Namor to get their revenge against the Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four #7 Facsimile Edition

The Fantastic Four travel to “Planet X” (Xantha) and save the inhabitants of Xantha from Kurrgo and his mentally-controlled robot.

The Fantastic Four #8 Facsimile Edition

This issue introduces Alicia Master and her step-father, Phillip Masters, who uses a unique form of radioactive modeling clay to create puppets which can control the living persons they’re modeled after. Puppet Master would become one of the FF’s recurring foes, while Alicia would become Ben’s girlfriend — and eventual wife.

The Fantastic Four #9 Facsimile Edition

Forced to declare bankruptcy due to their financial troubles, the Fantastic Four accept an offer to star in a movie for “SM Studios.” The Namor-owned movie studio turns out to be a ploy of Namor’s to destroy the male members of the Fantastic Four and take Sue as his bride, but when the Fantastic Four defeat the Sub-Mariner once more, he honors the deal and the subsequent blockbuster reverses their fortunes.

The Fantastic Four #10 Facsimile Edition

In “The Return of Doctor Doom,” the villain uses his newfound ability to switch bodies to swap his mind with Reed’s. Doom impersonates Reed, but he’s eventually found out and is once again defeated by the Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four #11 Facsimile Edition

The issue introduces the Impossible Man, an impish alien from the planet Poppup who can change his body into anything with just a thought.

The Fantastic Four #12 Facsimile Edition

In another first, the Fantastic Four meet the Hulk when U.S. Army General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross enlists the four to find and destroy the monstrous Hulk. The issue also marks the first appearance of the four-sectioned Fantasti-Car Mark II, which no longer resembled “a flying bathtub.” The Fantastic Four fight the Hulk to a standstill, but their mutual enemy is Karl Kort: the “Wrecker” who is sabotaging military bases and letting the Hulk take the blame.

The post Marvel Is Reprinting These Classic Fantastic 4 Comics — Do They Hint at The Fantastic Four: First Steps Plot? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios pays homage to the late, great Stan Lee with the wrap gifts they gave to the Fantastic Four: First Steps cast and crew. On Twitter, star Ralph Ineson (who plays Galactus in the film) shared a photo of himself showcasing his swag: a shirt sporting an extravagant decal of a spaceship taking off amongst the stars. Around the image, the names of the Fantastic Four team members are written out alongside the word “excelsior,” which was Lee’s famous catchphrase.

“Marvel do the coolest wrap gifts,” Ineson captioned his image. Check it out in the space below:

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to premiere in July 2025 and will be the first movie released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 6. The film, which began production back in July, marks the arrival of Marvel’s First Family in the MCU. Ineson’s Galactus is set to play a major role; a recently revealed synopsis indicates he and the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) will be the primary antagonists, as the Fantastic Four attempt to protect Earth. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach portray the eponymous team.

[Related: Vanessa Kirby Praises Pedro Pascal & Fantastic Four Co-Stars]

Lee and Jack Kirby co-created the Fantastic Four for Marvel Comics, launching the series in 1961. Lee, who passed away in 2018, made cameos in previous live-action Fantastic Four movies; he played Baxter Building mailman Willie Lumpkin in the 2005 film and a rejected wedding guest in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He did not appear on screen in the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot.

After Lee’s death, Marvel productions have found ways to honor him, primarily through background details, like a license plate in WandaVision with “excelsior” on it, or a taxi in Spider-Man: No Way Home numbered 1228 (Lee’s birthday was December 28th). More recently, Deadpool & Wolverine found a humorous way to pay tribute via a bus advertisement for the company “StanLee Steemer,” which featured a characterized illustration of the icon. It goes without saying that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Co. have tremendous respect and reverence for Lee, who created a multitude of characters that have been featured in the MCU. It will be interesting to see if The Fantastic Four: First Steps includes any nods to Lee.

As for the film itself, Marvel has a lot riding on it as the studio looks to get the Multiverse Saga back on track. Those earlier Fantastic Four movies were widely panned and struggled at the box office, and the hope is the third time will be the charm. The Fantastic Four have been among Marvel’s most popular characters for decades, meaning there’s a lot of interest in seeing a film adaptation done “right” — especially since the characters are poised to play key roles in upcoming Avengers movies. The First Steps seems promising in the early going; the cast is top-notch, and the 1960s-set story will help it stand apart from other MCU entries. Whether it has a Lee Easter egg or not, finally delivering a fulfilling Fantastic Four movie would be a great way to remember his legacy.

The post Fantastic Four Honors Stan Lee With Out of This World Wrap Gifts appeared first on ComicBook.com.

There’s a new synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps that teases a showdown with Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Marvel’s First Family officially joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe next year, yet there’s still much we don’t know about the project. What we do know is Galactus is the villain’s Big Bad, and he’s bringing his herald Silver Surfer with him. Whenever Galactus is around, devouring of worlds is always in the forecast, and that appears to be the case with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. A new listing of the film’s synopsis breaks down what we can expect when the FF join the MCU.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps reads, “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.”

Galactus’ role in Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie revealed

It’s not too surprising to hear that Galactus plans to come to Earth with plans on eating the planet, but it’s good to have some confirmation on what to expect in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Julia Garner steps into the role of Silver Surfer, who fans first met on the big screen in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Doug Jones played Silver Surfer in that movie, with Laurence Fishburne voicing the cosmic hero. As for Galactus, he was merely a purple cloud of space dust.

[RELATED: SDCC 2024: The Fantastic Four: First Steps Director Teases MCU Galactus: “Go Big or Go Home”]

The Fantastic Four and the characters in its orbit will be important parts of the MCU moving forward. Galactus is one of the most feared villains in the Marvel Universe, and other bad guys in the FF’s trajectory are just itching at the chance for their big screen debuts. The Fantastic Four and the X-Men are primed to be the next heroes to carry the torch in the MCU, with veteran Avengers like Steve Rogers, Iron Man, and Black Widow no longer around.

Of course, Robert Downey Jr. revealed he’s not done with the MCU just yet, returning to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Doom is synonymous with the Fantastic Four, so expect some intense scenes between Downey’s Doom and Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps Reveals New Details on Showdown With Galactus appeared first on ComicBook.com.

We’re less than a year out from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated reboot of the beloved super team. The new take on the ensemble features a star-studded ensemble cast, including Stranger Things‘ Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch. Thanks to promotional art from Marvel Studios, behind-the-scenes photos, and footage screened at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo, fans have incrementally gotten a look at Quinn’s take on Johnny — and it definitely has them excited to see more. In particular, there is excitement to dive into Johnny’s long and storied history in the pages of Marvel Comics.fa

So, which Johnny Storm-centric comics deserve your attention before First Steps? Keep reading to check out our picks.

Fantastic Four #214

Published in 1979, Marv Wolfman and John Byrne’s Fantastic Four #214 delivers an intense sort of comedy of errors for Johnny. After the remainder of the Fantastic Four appear to have died from old age due to Skrull technology, Johnny goes to great lengths to revive his teammates, all while reflecting on his role on the team.

Arguably, the issue’s biggest goal at the time might have been to de-age Reed, Sue, and Ben to fit the present Marvel moment — but the installment still gives Johnny a unique opportunity to shine.

Fantastic Four #285

Similarly, Byrne’s Fantastic Four #285 provided an emotional reckoning of Johnny’s role as Human Torch. After a young fan lights himself on fire (and suffers third-degree burns) trying to emulate his hero, Johnny debates giving up superheroics altogether.

The issue not only acknowledged some of the real-world urban legend that surrounded Johnny by the time the issue was published in 1985, but brought fans a uniquely poignant character study.

Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms

Jumping ahead a few decades, Terry Kavanagh and Charles Adlard’s Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms took a new perspective on Johnny’s family life. The three-issue miniseries showed the siblings in their early years, as they are pulled into a larger-than-life fight tied to Dracula.

Before the Fantastic Four: The Storms is a quick, rewarding read filled with heartfelt moments for the two siblings — and for Johnny as a character.

Human Torch (2003)

Fan-favorite creators Karl Kesel and Skottie Young helped forge a new solo standing for Johnny, with the help of a twelve-issue ongoing series that began in 2003. The title not only updated Johnny’s design for the cartoony younger era, but pitted him against bizarre and personal threats in his community.

While this Human Torch miniseries is undeniably a product of the 2000s, it still has plenty of charm.

Spider-Man / Human Torch

Another wild adventure Johnny took at that time was courtesy of the Spider-Man / Human Torch miniseries from Dan Slott and Ty Templeton. The five-issue crossover united the two close friends in an array of madcap moments, with cameos from an array of villains.

While the history between Johnny and Peter Parker is a whole separate list in and of itself, this 2005 miniseries is a fun standalone entry point.

Marvel 2-in-One

In 2017, Chip Zdarsky and a number of artists revived the team-up book Marvel 2-In-One, with Johnny and Ben at the center. Across the ensuing year of issues, the friends worked together to save the rest of their found family, with all of the hijinks that that ensues.

Zdarsky’s work in the Marvel Universe already has plenty of high points, but Marvel 2-in-One is an especially fun component of that.

Fantastic Four: Marvel Snapshots

An entry in the string of Marvel Snapshots one-shots, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, and Benjamin Dewey’s Fantastic Four: Marvel Snapshots centers Johnny in some fun ways. Revolvng around his ten-year high school reunion, the issue places Johnny’s past, present, and future through a wacky proverbial wringer.

Published in 2020, Fantastic Four: Marvel Snapshots gives fans a fun modern distillation of who Johnny is, all while folding in some unexpected cameos.

Fantastic Four (2022) #25

While Ryan North and Carlos Gomez’s Fantastic Four #25 is among the most recent reading options tied to Johnny Storm, having only been published in September of 2024, it is already quickly and easily a must-read. The issue follows the team on a seemingly-ordinary excursion that leaves them stranded on a colorful alien world, only for Johnny’s budding romance with one of the aliens to complicate their efforts to return home.

While that premise might sound simple or silly, it not only produces some truly tender moments between Johnny and his new love, but it brings attention to the fact that he has periodically gotten the short end of the stick in the team’s world-saving efforts.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released exclusively in theaters on Friday, July 25, 2025.

The post Fantastic Four: The Best Johnny Storm Comics to Read Before the MCU’s Reboot appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel’s First Family are making their way back into the spotlight, thanks to the forthcoming blockbuster movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The new live-action reboot will not only place the team squarely within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but will bring the 1960s aesthetic of their first appearances to life onscreen — and fans have been especially excited to see what that means for Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).

Set photos from earlier this summer appeared to show the MCU’s take on The Thing — a somewhat-practical design that seems to be directly inspired by his appearance in the pages of Marvel Comics. This news has not only made fans excited, it has led them to look back on the decades worth of comics that The Thing and his teammates have appeared. While countless Marvel Comics artists have brought The Thing to life over the years, quite a few have stood out for their approach to the character’s unique physiology. Here are a few of our favorites.

Jack Kirby

This list truthfully can not exist without the man who started it all — Jack Kirby. Kirby and Stan Lee’s original run on Fantastic Four is a landmark of comic book storytelling for a multitude of reasons, with Kirby’s distinct art style arguably being chief among them. Before his passing in 1994, Kirby was open about his personal connection to The Thing, arguing that the two of them share many mannerisms and personality traits.

Kirby’s art on Fantastic Four puts that love on full display, as he renders The Thing with an expressiveness and attention to detail that still feels unprecedented in mainstream comics. If you read enough of that first volume, you will come across so many wacky facial expressions or lumbering action poses that shouldn’t even be possible, but end up being brilliant.

John Buscema

In the aftermath of Kirby’s exit from Marvel, John Buscema took over art duties on Fantastic Four, and brought his own sense of cartoony energy to The Thing.

From his interior art to a number of pin-ups to his crossovers with the Hulk, Buscema helped further establish The Thing’s stature in the larger Marvel universe.

George Pérez

While George Pérez is best known for his work on DC titles like The New Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, and Crisis on Infinite Earths, one of his big breaks in the industry was on Fantastic Four.

Pérez’s work takes Kirby’s established visual language for The Thing into Marvel’s 1970s house style, but with some fun flourishes. The approach to The Thing’s rocky exterior is dynamic enough, almost bringing each orange stone into the third dimension.

John Byrne

The Fantastic Four’s run in the 1980s is arguably defined by writer-artist John Byrne, who not only shook up the team’s roster, but spun The Thing off into his own solo series. Across both books, Byrne leaned into The Thing’s unrealistic, but emotive, aesthetic, all while putting him in some delightful outfits.

If you want an indication of just how well Byrne understood The Thing’s character design, look no further than his official “How to Draw The Thing!” instructions from 1983’s The Thing #5.

Mike Wieringo

Jumping a few decades to the Fantastic Four relaunch of the 2000s, Mike Wieringo’s approach to The Thing helped define the character for a new millennium.

The character’s massive frame and outlandish proportions were still present, but with an increased elasticity to his facial expressions. This proved to be a perfect match for the equal balance of heartfelt and heartbreaking moments from Mark Waid’s scripts.

Mike Allred

Some of the best The Thing art of the 21st century doesn’t even include Ben Grimm himself, but rather Darla Deering / Miss Thing. The pop star-turned-unlikely superhero of 2012’s FF run sported The Thing’s rocky body with her human head, resulting in some hilarious and goofy images.

Mike Allred, who co-created the character of Darla alongside Matt Fraction, brought crisp lines and a pop art sensibility to her superhero career that few could imitate.

Alex Ross

Over the years, Alex Ross has put his photorealistic and incredibly detailed stamp on nearly every character in the Marvel universe, but his work on The Thing is something special.

Both in standalone covers and in the recent graphic novel Fantastic Four: Full Circle, Ross translated the massive eyebrows established by Kirby into a “real world” sensibility, which is a marvel in and of itself.

Steve Skroce

And finally, Steve Skroce’s recent work on Marvel’s The Thing-focused Clobberin’ Time miniseries is a delightful translation of the character into a modern era.

Skroce’s work is expressive, absurdly detailed, and even ventures into some light body horror.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released exclusively in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post Fantastic Four: Marvel Comics’ 8 Best The Thing Artists appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Before Marvel’s first family take their first steps into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four movie — and before Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU, now as Doctor Doom, in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — Marvel Comics is giving the Fab Four and their armored arch-nemesis the spotlight with old and new comics. Starting in 2024 and continuing into 2025, Marvel is set to publish Doom-centric events in addition to reprinting classic Fantastic Four comics featuring Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Human Torch, the Thing, and Victor Von Doom.

That includes some of the earliest issues of the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby run of The Fantastic Four that influenced the “retro-future” 1960s setting of the new movie from director Matt Shakman (WandaVision). Marvel will revisit the Four’s first adventure with a facsimile edition reprinting 1961’s The Fantastic Four #1, and a new printing of the Fantastic Four Vol. 1 Omnibus collects the first 30 issues of the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine, plus Fantastic Four Annual #1, featuring Namor the Sub-Mariner.

In addition to the Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 5, which collects issues from the Roy Thomas-Gerry Conway run with art by John Buscema and Ross Andru, plus issues of Giant-Size Fantastic Four, Marvel will collect more of the ’70s run in the Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 6. That volume will release with Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott’s iconic cover for Fantastic Four #173 (not coincidentally, it features the planet-devouring Galactus ahead of his MCU debut).

Also available in 2025 is the Fantastic Four by Waid & Wieringo: Imaginauts trade paperback, collecting the first seven issues of Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo’s essential and influential run on Marvel’s first family. A modern reimagining of the team for the new millennium is Ultimate Fantastic Four by writers Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man) and Mark Millar (The Ultimates) and artist Adam Kubert (Uncanny X-Men), a good jumping-on point for readers who want to read FF without decades of continuity. Ultimate Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 1 contains the series’ first 31 issues and nearly 900 pages, with the first appearances of such characters as Ultimate Doctor Doom (Victor Van Damme), Mole Man, Nihil (Annihilus), the Mad Thinker, Marvel Zombies, and Namor.

After new Sorcerer Supreme Doom gives Spider-Man a magical Doom-inspired spider-suit in November’s 8 Deaths of Spider-Man event by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness in Amazing Spider-Man, the Marvel Universe will submit to Doctor Doom in the 2025 event One World Under Doom. Marvel will launch a series of Doom variant covers in October that will adorn upcoming issues of Fantastic Four, X-Men, Venom, and more titles, and Earth’s mightiest heroes will face their doom when Sorcerer Supreme Doom guest stars in Jed Mackay and Farid Karami’s Avengers #19 on Oct. 23rd.

The Doom paperback collects the complete 10-issue Doctor Doom series by Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larocca, and Doctor Doom: Books of Doom collects the six-issue limited series penned by Ed Brubaker that explores Victor’s origins and his ascendancy to the throne as ruler of Latveria.

We’ve rounded up these books and more below:

THE FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 1 (New Printing)

The debut and early adventures of the Fantastic Four, which laid the foundations for the Marvel Universe as we know it today!

Theywere visionaries. Explorers. Imaginauts. They were Stan Lee and JackKirby. And like the Fantastic Four, they continually strove to overcomethe impossible and achieve the extraordinary. Now, the first three yearsof their landmark run are collected in one oversized volume — includingthe FF’s thrilling first battles with the Mole Man, the Skrulls, theSub-Mariner, the Puppet Master, the Molecule Man, the Hulk and theirarch-nemesis, the tyrannical Doctor Doom!. This keepsake edition alsoincludes all original letters pages and pinups, critical commentaries, ahistorical overview and other timeless extras!

COLLECTING: Fantastic Four (1961) 1-30, Fantastic Four Annual (1963) 1

FANTASTIC FOUR #1 FACSIMILE EDITION (New Printing)

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby changed super-hero storytelling foreverwhen they introduced Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Susan and JohnnyStorm. Together, the adventurous quartet blast off on an experimentalrocket flight – only to be bombarded by life-altering cosmic rays! Reedbecomes the elastic Mister Fantastic! Ben transforms into the rockyThing! Sue turns into an Invisible Girl! And Johnny flames on as theHuman Torch! They’ll use their incredible powers to help humankind –starting by fending off the menace of the Mole Man! The book thatstarted it all is re-presented in full – including its original ads!It’s the next best thing to buying FANTASTIC FOUR #1 off the stands backin 1961! Reprinting FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #1.

MIGHTY MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 4 – THE FRIGHTFUL FOUR

More early adventures of The Fantastic Four from the MarvelAge of Comics, collected in a smaller format that’s perfect for newreaders!

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are the greatest storytellers that comics have ever known. And in the fourth Mighty Marvel Masterworks starringthe Fantastic Four, they’ll continue to earn that reputation withadventures that plumb the backstories of hero and villain alike. Mosticonic amongst this collection of adventures is the FF Annual #2origin of and battle with Doctor Doom. Doom is at his most chilling—andthat’s just the beginning! The FF’s first adversary, the Mole Man,returns; the Invincible Man’s shocking identity is revealed; we divedown into Atlantis to battle Attuma and Prince Namor; Diablo debuts;Dragon Man stomps the quad on campus; and the FF’s opposites, theFrightful Four, begin their reign of terror.

COLLECTING: FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #30-36 & ANNUAL (1963) #2

THE FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 5

You didn’t think we were going to stop with Vol. 4, did you?Marvel presents a fifth oversized Omnibus of the series that started itall! Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, John Buscema and Rich Buckler continuethe FF’s adventures as the Frightful Four launch a surprise attack withtheir newest member – Thundra – that pushes Reed and Sue to the breakingpoint! And when Sue leaves the team, an Inhuman joins the FF. Who willit be?

Also featuring Agatha Harkness, world’s creepiest babysitter;Annihilus’ plan to harness the enormous powers of Franklin Richards; thereturn of the Silver Surfer; Namor’s invasion of New York; a royalwedding; and, of course, Doctor Doom! Plus: All four of the FF’sGiant-Size adventures, letters pages and more!

Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR(1961) #126-163, GIANT-SIZE SUPER-STARS #1, GIANT-SIZE FANTASTIC FOUR(1974) #2-4 and AVENGERS (1963) #127.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 6

The beloved omnibus series collecting the classic adventures of the Fantastic Four continues!

Fantastic Four launchedthe Marvel Age of Comics in the 1960s and in the 1970s the seriesremained a creative force under the guidance of Marvel’s top writers,the artistry of the brothers Buscema, Keith Pollard and break-out talentGeorge Pérez. This Omnibus edition presents FF adventures on a massivescale like Galactus vs. the High Evolutionary, while seating the dramain the closeness the team as a family. All families have their strugglesthough, and when the FF break up, it really could be the end. Theirgreatest enemy will bind the team back together and the return of theMole Man and the Inhumans channel the mythology that makes Fantastic Four the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine. 

COLLECTING:THE FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #164-203 & ANNUAL (1963) #11-13, MARVELTWO-IN-ONE (1974) #20 & ANNUAL (1976) #1 and WHAT IF? (1977) #1, #6& #11.

FANTASTIC FOUR EPIC COLLECTION: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE…(New Printing)

An era of transformation for Marvel’s First Family beings as the team sees a myriad of shakeups!

TheThing is still adjusting to his new role as leader of the FF, whoselineup now includes the Human Torch, Crystal and Sharon “Ms. Marvel”Ventura! But as Crystal’s presence complicates Johnny’s marriage, thingsget extra rocky for Ben and Sharon — literally! When more cosmic rayschange the two in unexpected ways, how will they react to theirmonstrous new mutations? Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four get involved inDoctor Doom’s war with Kristoff Vernard — but on whose side? And a tripto the Mole Man’s realm leads to an adventure across time and space —and to encounters with Belasco, Master Pandemonium and…the Beyonder!Plus: Hulk and Thing throw down in two supersized slugfests!

COLLECTING:Fantastic Four (1961) 308-320, Fantastic Four Annual (1963) 21,Incredible Hulk (1968) 350, Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) 29

FANTASTIC FOUR BY WAID & WIERINGO: IMAGINAUTS

See the FF on the big screen in FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, in theaters July 25th, 2025!

Oneof the greatest creative pairings on FANTASTIC FOUR since Stan Lee andJack Kirby, Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo brought Marvel’s First Familyinto a golden era!

Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo take the reinsof FANTASTIC FOUR and deliver some of the most daring and humorousadventures Marvel’s First Family has ever seen! Giant bugs! Livingequations! Johnny Storm, CEO! Exploding unstable molecules! The secretbehind the Yancy Street Gang! And watch as the antics between the Thingand the Human Torch heat up like never before! Prepare to laugh andcheer at once!

COLLECTING: Fantastic Four (1998) 60-66; material from Avengers (1963) 400

FANTASTIC FOUR BY CHIP ZDARSKY: FATE OF THE FOUR

The Thing and the Human Torch star in the series that set the stage for the Fantastic Four’s glorious return to comics!

Withtheir family torn apart, the Thing and the Human Torch are theFantastic Two! The world mourns Reed and Sue Richards, missing andpresumed dead. Meanwhile, something is wrong with Johnny Storm, and onlyBen Grimm can help him! But what monumental secret has Doctor Doom beenhiding, and how will it completely change Ben and Johnny’s lives?Things go multiversal as the Thing and the Torch look for answers totheir family tragedy on other worlds — but they’ll end up powerless andlost, fighting to survive in a savage wasteland! The Thing allieshimself with an old enemy in new armor — and get ready for thetwo-in-one team-up that everybody’s been waiting for! But will Ben andJohnny discover the true fate of the Four?

COLLECTING: Marvel 2-in-One (2017) 1-12, Marvel 2-in-One Annual (2018) 1

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 1

The modern reimagining of Marvel in the Ultimate Universetook the early 2000s by storm, and the Fantastic Four were one of thebiggest stars of the initiative!

When high-school genius ReedRichards enrolls at a secret, government-sponsored school for theworld’s most gifted minds, he unwittingly embarks on the journey of alifetime! And the experience will be transformative for Reed and hisfriends: Ben Grimm and Susan and Johnny Storm! But before they can evenbegin to get accustomed to their incredible new abilities, formerclassmate Victor Van Damme — forever altered by the same experiment —returns to exact his revenge! Plus: The nascent FF explore the N-Zone,meet Namor and the Inhumans and discover another reality very like theirown. Is it the Marvel Universe we know and love, or home to a deadlythreat set to lay waste to the Multiverse?

COLLECTING: Ultimate Fantastic Four (2003) 1-32, Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual (2005) 1

DOCTOR DOOM: BOOKS OF DOOM

The full origins of Marvel’s most iconic and enduringvillain, Doctor Doom, are revealed – as told by Doctor Doom himself!Doom was recently revealed to be portrayed by Robert Downey Jr in theupcoming Avengers Doomsday film!

From the black steppes ofEastern Europe, to the college campuses of New York City, and finally tothe throne of Latveria — this is the life of Victor Von Doom! From hisearliest disasters to his scientific triumphs to the tragedy of thefractured man he would become, this is the story you know, and the oneyou don’t. PLUS: AN ALL-NEW INTRODUCTION BY ED BRUBAKER!

Collecting: BOOKS OF DOOM #1-6

DOCTOR DOOM BY CANTWELL & LARROCA

Marvel’s greatest villain, Doctor Doom, stars in his ownblockbuster series! Recently revealed to be portrayed by Robert DowneyJr in the upcoming Avengers Doomsday film!

Victor Von Doom isat a crossroads. Wrestling with visions of an entirely different life,the lord of Latveria offers mankind a stark warning about the folly of atrillion-dollar global effort to create the first artificial blackhole. But when a catastrophic act of terrorism kills thousands, theprime suspect is…Doom! Left with no homeland, no armies and no allies —indeed, nothing at all — will Doctor Doom’s reign come to an abruptend? Forced to seek out an old “frenemy” for help, Victor will gothrough hell — literally! And his old foe Mephisto is waiting for himthere! Doom will have to battle Taskmaster, M.O.D.O.K., the Blue Marveland more — but to clear his accursed name, he must embark on a deadlycovert mission with unlikely ally Kang the Conqueror!

COLLECTING: DoctorDoom (2019) 1-10, War of the Realms: War Scrolls (2019) 3 (B story),King In Black: Iron Man/Doctor Doom (2020) 1

Fantastic Four The Ultimate Guide

The full, skyrocketing story of the Fantastic Four—Marvel’s original superhero family!

Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, the Thing…Individually they all have incredible powers, but together they are theFantastic Four—legendary heroes whose legacy has shaped the MarvelMultiverse.

Before the Avengers ever thought of assembling, theFantastic Four were busy safeguarding Earth against a rogues’ gallery ofsuper villains, such as Doctor Doom, the Frightful Four, the Wizard,Mole Man, and many more.

In this latest addition to DK’scomprehensive, in-world superhero Ultimate Guides, you’ll findeverything you need to know about Marvel Comics’ first-ever hero team.Following a foreword by top Fantastic Four writer Ryan North, a timelineof the FF’s adventures, detailed character studies, key storylines, andin-depth explorations of iconic comics bring the team’s thrill-packedstory right up to date.

The post Marvel’s Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom to Get Galactus-Sized Spotlight in 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is coming next year and some new comments from a Marvel Studios executive should make some fans really excited about the future of the franchise. Asad Ayaz is the chief brand officer for all of Disney now and he joined Fast Company to discuss their whirlwind 2024 projects. During this conversation, the executive looked ahead to 2025 and heralded an accessible slate featuring Captain America: Brave New World, Fantastic Four’s MCU debut and Thunderbolts*. Each one of these has a distinct flavor for the MCU. And, excitingly for some viewers, there’s very minimal preparation to get into the stories and connect with the characters.

“If you’ve seen our first trailer, it’s a very grounded political thriller. It couldn’t be more different [to Deadpool] in every way. When you see our work for Fantastic Four or Thunderbolts, they’re going to feel very unique,” Ayaz explained. “And while, yes, there is a connection between these characters in the same universe, it is creatively very unique, and feels like you could come into any one of these movies.”

Thunderbolts* is still shrouded in mystery and all we know about The Fantastic Four: First Steps is that it’s a period piece. (In fact, Marvel’s First Family could originate in another universe entirely.) So, the barrier to entry is very low. You could pretty easily imagine someone walking into Thunderbolts* because Florence Pugh is doing cool stunts and they like David Harbour from Stranger Things. The same might be true for a Fantastic Four viewer as they might remember the 2000s movies and be intrigued by the retro vibes from a trailer. There’s also the goodwill from Deadpool & Wolverine in a lot of Marvel fans’ minds as well.

Marvel Studios Pulls Back & Reloading After 2023

In the year leading up to 2020, Marvel Studios had marching orders to produce a bunch of content to help Disney+ launch. While a lot of fans enjoyed having a new MCU show to obsess over every other month. Some viewers felt like it was too much too fast. (Although a lot of that pushback can be understood as a reaction to other outside factors that are not as easy to get online and marshall anger at.) So, now, the studio has pulled back a bit. There are less movies coming out and less shows. (But, there are still a bunch of excellent animated programs on the horizon.) ComicBook’s Phase Zero asked Marvel TV executive Brad Winderbaum about the much-ballyhooed pivot. He says that the extra time is already paying dividends.

“I mean, frankly, in all honesty, there was a mandate to kind of create as much as we could for Disney+ as quickly as we could,” Winderbaum told us during the Phase Zero podcast. “And then there was a shift. And all of a sudden, we have to start spreading our release dates out. So, that really accounts for a lot of the delays. 

“Now, we’re using that time. We’re not sitting idle. So, it’s like it stays in the oven. You can bake certain things a little more,” he added. “It’s actually, I think, ultimately, it’s only going to make things better. But, most of it is just frankly shrapnel from the business.” 

It’s a moment of frank honesty from someone entrenched in the MCU’s braintrust. But, it’s also a sign that they think the new approach is already doing good things for the brand. If you look at the recent releases, there hasn’t really been anything the audience vehemently disagreed with since Loki Season 2. X-Men ’97 drew universal acclaim, Echo surprised the fans who gave the series a chance, Deadpool & Wolverine proved to be absolutely massive at the box office in their only 2024 outing. So, there’s a lot of positive momentum behind the MCU right now. Agatha All Along just got rolling and should get a bump as Halloween stretches closer and closer.

Do you like that the movies are being billed as more standalone now? Did you want more connection? Check out all the pop culture discussion at @ComicBook!

The post Fantastic Four: Marvel Executive Comments Should Excite Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four are the next set of Marvel heroes to get the Disney treatment. Next year brings the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the first Fantastic Four movie to fall under the Marvel Studios banner. While all eyes are on that project, the comics are mashing up your favorite Marvel and Disney characters in special one-shots. These What If…? stories have pondered the questions of what would happen if Donald Duck became Wolverine, what if Minnie Mouse was Captain Marvel, or what if Donald Duck became Thor? Mickey Mouse gets the headline on the next release, as Mickey and his friends give their take on Marvel’s First Family.

Marvel & Disney: What If…? Mickey & Friends Became the Fantastic Four is the newst collaboration between Marvel and Disney storytelling. The tale is written by Steve Behling and Riccardo Secchi and drawn by artist Lorenzo Pastrovicchio, and puts a modern spin on the Fantastic Four’s origin story that was told in 1961 by legendary creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Mickey Mouse is the leader of the FF and has Reed Richards’ stretching powers, Minnie Mouse is the Invisible Woman, Goofy is the Human Torch, and Donald Duck is The Thing. Readers will watch the Disney gang undertake the fateful space voyage and cosmic storm that granted the FF their extraordinary powers, while also teaming up for their first superhero battle against Pete, aka Mole Man.

“As a huge FF fan myself, I can tell you this issue will tickle your nostalgic funny bone, bringing the spirit of Marvel’s first family to a story I can only describe as Funtastic!” Editor Mark Paniccia shared.

Who Stars in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.

In addition to the titular four, the movie will also feature Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird, Cruella) in an unknown role in addition to Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, and Natasha Lyonna and John Malkovich in unknown roles. 

What is Marvel & Disney: What If…? Mickey & Friends Became the Fantastic Four about?

YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY CHARACTERS AS MARVEL’S FIRST FAMILY!!!

Mickey has stretching powers! Minnie can turn invisible! Goofy can burst into flame! Donald has become some kind of rocky…THING! With these incredible powers they vow to help those in need as — the FANTASTIC FOUR. And they’ll need all their awesome abilities if they are to succeed in their first mission together to stop Mole Pete from destroying Duckburg! But how did they get their super-powers? Find out in this fantastic origin special!

You can find covers to Marvel & Disney: What If…? Mickey & Friends Became the Fantastic Four #1 below. The issue goes on sale January 8, 2025.

Main Cover

Phil Noto Variant

Chrissie Zullo Variant

The post Marvel Transforms Mickey Mouse and Friends Into the Fantastic Four appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is on the way in 2025 and Kathryn Hahn says she would love to work with Marvel on that project. The Inside Total Film Podcast talked to the Agatha All Along star ahead of the show’s big premiere on Disney+. San Diego Comic-Con this year made it clear that Marvel Studios views Fantastic Four as a priority. Some fans might have forgotten, but the man behind the camera for the 2025 movie has a history with Hahn. Matt Shakman directed WandaVision and that means he helped birth the Agatha-mania that created Agatha All Along. It’s not exactly a surprise that they would want to work together again.

“I would love to play with that cast. They are all incredible,” Hahn told the podcast. “And Matt Shakman, who is incredible too, he’s directing the film and did all of WandaVision. I’m very excited for that movie.”

It’s clear Hahn still holds Shakman’s work in high regard. With the retro trappings of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the kind of sitcom magic they perfected together in that earlier series would translate well. Adding fuel to the fire, there is speculation surrounding Marvel’s First Family being introduced with Franklin Richards in tow during this MCU blockbuster. Agatha Harkness took care of the Fantastic Four’s son in those books, and could serve a similar purpose in the upcoming movie. While she wouldn’t have to be a main character, it would be a fun nod that would delight comic fans.

Agatha Has A History With The Fantastic Four

Agatha Harkness is a character that has some significant comics moments. But, she can also be regarded as a bit of a blank slate for newcomers. One of the big moments that everyone can point toward is her taking care of Franklin Richards. She actually debuts in Fantastic Four #94 back in 1969! As a governess, she protected him from intruders and helped identify his powers as emerging. (This is all old-school comics shenanigans and kind of delightful. Some light hints at her having powers in the alternate reality of the new movie would be hysterical.) So, there’s some light text to draw from there.

Previous interviews with Matt Shakman have shown the director to be thinking about how to take comic moments and bend them a bit to serve the MCU. Seeing as how she wouldn’t have to be in too much of Fantastic Four: First Steps, it would be interesting for this little factoid to get a little shine. The filmmaker talked to Inverse about the team’s comics history and how the earliest days have really appealed to his creative process.

Shakman began, “I couldn’t say too much about direct comic precedent and what we’re building off of, but I would say that every new MCU project is kind of like its own new comic run, none of them are adaptations strictly of any particular issue and much like many of these famous comic books, whether it’s Vision & Scarlet Witch or Witches’ Road or House of M.“

“Each one of those was building on what had happened before as well, so that’s really what we’re doing. We’re taking everything that’s existed about Wanda in the past and osmosing it and thinking about it, but making something new, original, now,” the director added. “Something created in this moment, responding to this moment and that’s what’s exciting about it.”

Retro Vibes From Fantastic Four: First Steps Would Only Help

Agatha All Along is going back to the well of TV and movie references for the Disney+ series. Shakman and writer Jac Schaeffer really hammered home the throwback elements in WandaVision. Now, everything we’ve seen from The Fantastic Four: First Steps also has a decidedly “retro” tilt. Everything gleams with a sort of 50s futurism with white enamel and atomic age furniture details. Getting Kathryn Hahn back into some period-costuming probably wouldn’t be that difficult.

But, having her pop-up in next year’s summer extravaganza would allow the star to shine in a similar way to WandaVision. Namely, with the comedy of a family dynamic. Hahn has some absolutely killer line reads as Agatha Harkness in the Disney+ show. Her bouncing off of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bacharach and Joseph Quinn would be a delight. 

Back when Monarch: Legacy of Monsters was stomping around on Apple, Shakman talked about how his Fantastic Four were going to take some cues from another famous family. Of course, the director was associated with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and learned a lot from that chaotic mix of characters.

“I’ve learned so much from working on It’s Always Sunny over the years,” Shakman explained to ComicBook. “Those guys bring a unique combination of playfulness and precision, and I think you have to have both of those things in everything you make. You have to still be a kid in the sandbox playing and inventing, but you also have to be rigorous about what you’re doing and comedy is even more rigorous than anything else. The precision of making something funny is often way harder than making something really complicated with special effects work. So, playfulness and precision.”

Do you think Hahn will get a chance to cameo in Fantastic Four? Check out all the pop culture conversation at @ComicBook!

The post Why Fantastic Four: First Steps Could Bring in Agatha All Along Star Kathryn Hahn appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s about to be clobberin’ time across Marvel Comics. On Thursday, Marvel unveiled a series of variant covers themed around Ben Grimm / The Thing, which will appear throughout the publisher’s November 2024 books. These covers not only aim to celebrate The Thing’s beloved status in the comic space, but hype up Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s upcoming portrayal of the character in next summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The variant cover series will kick off on November 6th with an Avengers #20 variant cover by Paco Medina, with subsequent covers debuting weekly through a Fantastic Four #27 variant cover by Luciano Vecchio. You can check out the full list of issues and artists below.

On Sale 11/6

• AVENGERS #20 The Thing! Variant Cover by PACO MEDINA

On Sale 11/13

• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #61 The Thing! Variant Cover by AARON KUDER
• CAPTAIN AMERICA #15 The Thing! Variant Cover by PETE WOODS
• UNCANNY X-MEN #5 The Thing! Variant Cover by JAVIER GARRON

On Sale 11/20

• DAREDEVIL #15 The Thing! Variant Cover by ANDREI BRESSAN
• PHOENIX #5 The Thing! Variant Cover by ELIZABETH TORQUE
• SPIDER-GWEN: THE GHOST-SPIDER #7 The Thing! Variant Cover by TODD NAUCK
• WOLVERINE #3 The Thing! Variant Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI 

On Sale 11/27

• DAZZLER #3 The Thing! Variant Cover by ARIO ANINDITO
• IRON MAN #2 The Thing! Variant Cover by IBAN COELLO
• SPIDER-BOY #13 The Thing! Variant Cover by CHRISSIE ZULLO

On Sale 12/18

• FANTASTIC FOUR #27 The Thing! Variant Cover by LUCIANO VECCHIO

What Is the New Fantastic Four Movie About?

Plot details have not been revealed for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman, the film stars Moss-Bachrach, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, with Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer, and Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich in currently-unknown roles. 

“It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman explained in a 2023 interview. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

Keep scrolling to get the first look at Marvel’s The Thing variant covers!

Amazing Spider-Man #61 by Aaron Kuder

Avengers #20 by Paco Medina

Captain America #15 by Pete Woods

Dazzler #3 by Ario Anindito

Uncanny X-Men #5 by Javier Garron

Fantastic Four #27 by Luciano Vecchio

Spider-Boy #13 by Chrissie Zullo

Iron Man #2 by Iban Coello

Wolverine #3 by Guiseppe Camuncoli

Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider #7 by Todd Nauck

Phoenix #5 by Elizabeth Torque

Daredevil #15 by Andrei Bressan

The post The Thing Becomes Spider-Man and More Marvel Heroes in New Variant Covers appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps star Vanessa Kirby had some love for her co-stars this week. She talked to Entertainment Tonight at TIFF and described her friendship with the Mister Fantastic actor. Kirby said, “He’s everything. I love him. We’re having such a good time. I can’t say enough amazing stuff about him.” So, clearly the vibes on Matt Shakman’s set are off the charts. The Sue Storm actress also revealed that she would be heading straight back to London to keep filming right after this red carpet appearance. After all, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to hit theaters in July 2025. So, the clock is ticking quietly in the background. 

For her part, Kirby seems thrilled with how things are going with Ebon Moss-Bacharach, Joseph Quinn and Pascal so far. Their early interactions as Marvel’s first family have seen all these actors express some excitement. But, The Fantastic Four is becoming more real by the day.

“I just came from set,” she said. “I’m flying back tonight in about two hours to go back onto set. It’s quite surreal. I’m loving [Sue]. I love her so much. I love her in the comics, I’m honored to play her. I love Ebon, Joe, and Pedro. We’re having a great time.”

The Fantastic Four Teases Score

Fantastic Four fans have been eating good recently as Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga concert gave them their first impression of how The Fantastic Four: First Steps will sound. Composer Michael Giacchino provided a post-credits scene for the ages when he and the orchestra did four minutes of the theme from the upcoming MCU blockbuster. Before that happened, the music man joined Nerd Reactor to talk about his approach for this Fantastic Four movie.

“They’re similar and different in many, many ways,” Giacchino began when comparing The Incredibles to his upcoming work.. “There’s definitely room for both in the world. Those are two where I’ll have my feet in both of those. The challenge for me is how do I differentiate them? Because you don’t want them to just be the same thing. You want them to be different. And I think what Matt Shakman, who is directing The Fantastic Four, is bringing so the table is very fresh, very fun, very different. Even on the outside, you go all, ‘this is this and this is that.’ Well, they’re not, and they’re very different, and very unique in different ways. I’m really excited to work on that project and it’s going to be a fun one for sure.”

Are you stoked for The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

The post Fantastic Four: Vanessa Kirby Praises Pedro Pascal & Co-Stars appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios has put forth a lot of renewed effort this year, trying to assure its fanbase (and Disney shareholders) that the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise still has promising years ahead of it. Numerous reports broke alleging widespread trouble behind the scenes of the MCU after Avengers: Endgame, while fans and insiders both seemed to agree that the franchise had begun putting out too much quantity, at the high cost of quality. Then there have been real-life events like celebrity scandals (Jonathan Majors) and Hollywood politics (Actors and Writers strikes), which have forced Marvel to make big pivots with production timetables and the overarching story of the current MCU Multiverse Saga.

But now, big changes have been made. Disney CEO Bob Iger stepped back in; the entire content strategy for franchises like the MCU or Star Wars is changing back to ‘quality over quantity’. Marvel Studios has started to have major PR successes with its previews for upcoming 2025 projects like Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, or Daredevil: Born Again, but there still so many unanswered questions facing the franchise, moving forward. One of the biggest questions is, without a doubt: Can the MCU Multiverse Saga land this nose-diving plane? 

The End Is Nigh

Let’s take a look at how much runway we have left: 

Phase Five of the MCU will conclude next year, following the releases of Agatha All Along, Captain America: Brave New World, Daredevil: Born Again, Thunderbolts* and Ironheart (in that order). 

Phase Six of the MCU will end the Multiverse Saga, and is currently scheduled to run 2026-2027. Confirmed projects in that phase include Fantastic Four: First Steps and Blade (in 2025); Avengers: Doomsday and the Vision Quest Disney+ series (in 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. 

There is room in that schedule for other projects to be added, like the Wonder Man Disney+ series already in development, or any number of Marvel Special Presentation features. However, there’s not a lot of runway between now (Fall 2024 at the time of writing this) and the summer of 2027, when the Multiverse Saga will end. Given how many characters and storylines will have been introduced in MCU Phases 4 – 6, it feels nearly impossible that this Multiverse Saga can pull off a massive, well-earned climax like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame did; or that the franchise can even find a way to make the Multiverse Saga feel like a tight, interconnected story like the Infinity Saga (mostly) was.

Why The Multiverse Saga Ending Will Be A FAIL

It’s hard to see how the Multiverse Saga can do little more than pull together many of the characters that were introduced in Phases 4 – 6, but that will (in many cases) be only the second (third, tops) time we see those characters operating in the MCU. We haven’t had multiple projects featuring Shang-Chi, Shuri/Black Panther II, or The Eternals; meanwhile, veteran franchises like Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man have seen massive status quo shifts that haven’t been addressed, while the Fantastic Four will be a very new set of characters and mythos in the MCU. 

Equally unsure are the relevance and importance of the Disney+ series and their characters. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Anthony Mackie’s Captain America are obvious sure bets for the climatic Secret Wars event – but Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Hawkeye, and Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, Peggy Carter or even Daredevil are far less certain to make an appearance. Even if they do, again, it will be only the second time dedicated fans see many of those characters onscreen – and it will be a first introduction for all those fans who only watch movies and skip the TV shows. 

…That’s not even counting Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom and the work needed to re-introduce the Multiverse Saga’s main antagonist and replace Jonathan Majors’ Kang. 

Can Marvel Studios bring the Multiverse Saga to an end by Summer 2027? Certainly. And frankly, the sooner the franchise moves past this quagmire of character variants and alternate timelines, the better. But the ending is most likely going to feel rushed and the larger interconnect story will likely still look riddled with plot holes, logical inconsistencies, and dangling plot threads for individual franchises that are not sufficiently answered – and a soft reboot into Phase 7 will look more like an escape hatch, rather than another hard-earned win. 

The next MCU release will be the Agatha All Along Disney+ series on September 19th. 

The post Can Marvel Studios Still Bring The MCU Multiverse Saga to a Satisfying End? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Between blockbuster new movies and landmark Disney+ series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is headed into some major uncharted territory in the next few years. The next project confirmed to be in the pipeline is Agatha All Along, a new Disney+ series centering around the continued adventures of WandaVision‘s Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn). While the spooky vibes and larger mystical connections have dominated the conversation around Agatha All Along thus far, there is also the question of Agatha’s potential long-term future in the MCU, especially when juxtaposed with her brief Marvel Comics tenure. In particular, especially for those who know Agatha’s comics history — could she maybe make a cameo in 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

First Steps, which is scheduled to be released in the summer of next year, aims to reintroduce Marvel’s First Family to a whole new generation of viewers, while also leaning into the team’s 1960s aesthetic in their initial run of the comics. As such, it has been confirmed that First Steps takes place in a different universe than the main MCU, which theoretically opens the door for a number of MCU characters to make radical new appearances in the film. In the comics, Agatha was originally introduced in 1970’s Fantastic Four #94 as a babysitter for Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s young son, Franklin Richards. 

Considering the fact that that element of Agatha’s character has yet to be explored in the MCU (outside of her joking in WandaVision about being bad at babysitting children), and the proximity of Agatha All Along and First Steps‘ release, a cameo from Hahn could be a fun way to surprise viewers and differentiate the Fantastic Four’s world from our own. While there’s still no telling at this point if Franklin does factor into First Steps, even a brief cameo from Agatha in Reed and Sue’s world could accomplish the same thing. After all, we already saw a version of what ’60s Agatha would look like through WandaVision‘s sitcom-themed warps in reality. Hahn herself recently said that she would only cross over into larger parts of the MCU if it were “necessary and juicy” — and something as visually distinct and thematically different as The Fantastic Four: First Steps could very well fit the bill.

What Is The Fantastic Four: First Steps About?

Plot details have not been revealed for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman, the film stars Moss-Bachrach, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, with Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer, and Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and John Malkovich in currently-unknown roles. 

“It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman explained in a 2023 interview. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently scheduled to debut in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post Could Agatha Harkness Cameo in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Elizabeth Olsen has become one of the most beloved veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch across the franchise’s various movies and television shows. While we don’t know at this point when or where she will be returning to the MCU, Olsen’s next onscreen appearance is in the upcoming drama Three Daughters, which she stars in alongside Russian Doll and Poker Face star Natasha Lyonne. Lyonne is headed to the MCU pretty soon herself, and has been cast in a mysterious role in 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, Olsen was asked if she has any advice for her recent onscreen sister’s MCU debut, and gave a pretty frank answer.

“No, she needs no advice,” Olsen revealed. “She can handle her own in the world. She’s a very tough broad. She knows she can navigate any situation, I think.”

When Will Elizabeth Olsen Return to the MCU?

Despite rumors of Scarlet Witch’s potential return in the forthcoming Agatha All Along and Vision Quest Disney+ series, nothing surrounding Olsen’s next MCU appearance has been confirmed.

“I think it’s been almost 10 years of playing her,” Olsen said in an interview last year. “And I’ve loved it. And I think the reason why l am not calling Kevin Feige everyday with ideas is because I’m really proud of what we were able to do. I think ‘WandaVision’ was a really surprising opportunity. If someone were to tell me that I’m fired from Marvel movies, I will feel proud of what we made. And I really am just trying to figure out how to load up other films and characters, so it becomes less about the Marvel of it all.”

What Is The Fantastic Four: First Steps About?

Plot details have not been revealed for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman, the film stars Moss-Bachrach, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, with Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer, and Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and John Malkovich in currently-unknown roles. 

“It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman explained in a 2023 interview. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently scheduled to debut in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post Elizabeth Olsen Shares Her MCU Advice for Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Natasha Lyonne appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The ComicBook Nation crew reviews the new Netflix Terminator Zero series and then jumps into all the big news from the week, including Marvel’s Fantastic Four, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Jurassic World Rebirth, and Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power season 2. We then deliver a full preview of this weekend’s WWE Bash in Berlin and NXT No Mercy, getting you everything you need to know for a big weekend of wrestling! 

Terminator Zero Reaction

ComicBook Nation host Kofi Outlaw had this to say about Terminator Zero: “MAN… #TerminatorZero is the exact kind of story this franchise needs. Deep, compelling, fit for modern times and an exciting new spin on the timey-wimey franchise lore.“

Subscribe to ComicBook Nation!

ComicBook Nation is now a whole Nation of Podcasts! Make sure you get the latest from:

• COMICBOOK NATION LIVE SHOW  
• BONUS! Rings of Power Season 2 Recap Show
• ANIME – Anime Initiative
• GAMING – Quick Save
• COMICS – The Pull List
• MCU – Phase Zero

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below. BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE as we drop all sorts of BONUS MATERIAL on YouTube and/or audio platforms, in addition to our main shows!

1. SUBSCRIBE to our Official YouTube Page
2. Listen via the media player embedded below.
3. Check us out on Spotify or Stitcher
4. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio

After every show we’ll keep the discussion on Twitter:

@ComicBookNation
@MattAguilarCB
@KofiOutlaw
@JanellWheeler

Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!

The post Netflix’s Terminator Zero Review & WWE Bash in Berlin Preview appeared first on ComicBook.com.

This weekend, Marvel Studios paid a special tribute to the Infinity Saga with a brand new concert experience at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. The first night of the event featured some exciting surprises, including a “post credit scene” that saw The Fantastic Four: First Steps composer Michael Giacchino taking the stage to introduce some music from the highly-anticipated film. At the start of the show, Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, showed up to announce some exciting news: Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience is going on a world tour! While dates and locations have yet to be released, Marvel fans across the globe are eager to find out where the concert will go.

“Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience will make its global premiere on Friday, August 30, and Saturday, August 31,” Marvel.com previously shared. “Conducted by the LA Phil’s Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the Infinity Saga Concert Experience features the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing the specially created score live to picture. This film concert event will transport audiences on a cinematic journey through the studio’s first 23 films, weaving together the legendary characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) into one story from an all-new perspective.”

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Tracklist:

If Marvel-releated music is your thing, you’re in luck, because the Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack is now available to buy on vinyl. While the vinyl is filled with fan-favorites ranging from *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” to Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You,” you will notice some bops featured in the film aren’t on the vinyl, including Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” You can check out the tracklist below:

1. Only You (And You Alone) – Performed by The Platters
2. Bye Bye Bye – Performed by *NSYNC
3. Angel of The Morning – Performed by Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts
4. SLASH – Performed by Stray Kids
5. Glamorous – Performed by Fergie
6. Iris – Performed by The Goo Goo Dolls
7. The Power Of Love – Performed by Huey Lewis & The News
8. I’m a Ramblin’ Man – Performed by Waylon Jennings
9. You Belong To Me – Performed by Patsy Cline (Featuring – The Jordanaires)
10. The Lady In Red – Performed by Chris de Burgh
11. I’m with You – Performed by Avril Lavigne
12. The Greatest Show (From “The Greatest Showman”/Soundtrack Version) – Performed by Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya and The Greatest Showman Ensemble
13. You’re The One That I Want – Performed by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta
14. I’ll Be Seeing You – Performed by Jimmy Durante
15. Make Me Lose Control – Performed by Eric Carmen
16. You’re All I Need to Get By (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) – Performed by Aretha Franklin
17. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Performed by Green Day
18. LFG (Theme from “Deadpool & Wolverine”/Edit) – Performed by Rob Simonsen

Stay tuned for more updates about Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience world tour. 

The post Kevin Feige Announces Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Is Going on World Tour appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience debuted Friday night at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, but fans got more than just an orchestral journey through the cinematic adventure that is the Infinity Saga. Fans in attendance were also treated to a major surprise with what one can only call a post credits tease: the debut of The Fantastic Four: First Steps theme. According to The Wrap, after the concert concluded, complete with fireworks, composer Michael Giacchino came out on stage with music for conductor Gustavo Dudamel and asked for “four more minutes”.

And in those four additional minutes? Fans were treated to the theme for the eagerly anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe film which won’t debut in theaters until July 25, 2025 — you can check the score out for yourself here. And the debut of the Fantastic Four theme wasn’t the only surprise fans in attendance Friday night got. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige made an appearance earlier in the evening asking that fans stay to the end and also announced that the concert experience will be going on world tour next year.

What is The Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience?

Here’s the official description of the Infinity Saga Concert Experience according to the Hollywood Bowl’s official site: “Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the global premiere of a new Marvel Studios film concert that will take you on an epic on-screen cinematic journey that covers 23 films in one momentous concert experience. Revisit the earliest days of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor as they discover their place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—each accompanied by their own unforgettable heroic music. Then recapture the excitement as Earth’s mightiest heroes join forces for the first time and open the door to the next wave of Avengers: Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and more. The Guardians of the Galaxy don’t miss this party either, dropping in to deliver a taste of their iconic mixtape backed by the LA Phil. Finally, the spectacle culminates in a revisiting of the ultimate trials of the Infinity Saga. It’s time for fans—new and old—to assemble and relive every iconic moment from this defining canon of films, all accompanied by live orchestra, fireworks, 3D Mapping by Xitelabs, light-up PixMob wristbands, surprises, and a crowd of thousands.”

Michael Giacchino Has Previously Teased the Vision for Fantastic Four

Speaking with Nerd Reactor previously, Giacchino teased the vision for the Marvel film, sharing that the music and story for Pixar’s The Incredibles — which Giacchino also did music for — may be similar in some aspects, but they are also very different as well.

“They’re similar and different in many, many ways,” Giacchino opined. “There’s definitely room for both in the world. Those are two where I’ll have my feet in both of those. The challenge for me is how do I differentiate them? Because you don’t want them to just be the same thing. You want them to be different. And I think what Matt Shakman, who is directing The Fantastic Four, is bringing so the table is very fresh, very fun, very different. Even on the outside, you go all, ‘this is this and this is that.’ Well, they’re not, and they’re very different, and very unique in different ways. I’m really excited to work on that project and it’s going to be a fun one for sure.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post Fantastic Four: First Steps Score Debuts at Infinity Saga Concert Experience appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While it is still a year away, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of the most eagerly anticipated upcoming films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe largely because the film will deliver unto fans something that they’ve wanted for a long time: Marvel’s First Family arriving as part of the MCU. Anticipation for the film keeps rising, too, with production underway and fans starting to get more glimpses of the film — this week, set photos got fans excited for the possibility of the most comic-accurate take on The Thing to date. But fans are also excited for how the Fantastic Four will fit into the larger MCU, especially with some major movies coming after it, specifically Avengers: Secret Wars. While we don’t know much about The Fantastic Four: First Steps — or even really about how the MCU will approach Secret Wars — we do know that the Fantastic Four will be a part of both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars and the Fantastic Four film could very easily set up for Secret Wars with just two actors: Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller.

One of the things we do already know about The Fantastic Four: First Steps is that it takes place in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s in a different world than what most of the rest of the MCU inhabits. Since the MCU has already established its Multiverse, the opportunity is there to have previous incarnations of Reed Richards appear as part of the Council of Reeds — Gruffudd played Reed in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer while Teller played Reed in 2015’s Fantastic Four — and it wouldn’t necessarily have to be something that would have a major direct impact on the actual plot of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

All The Fantastic Four: First Steps would really need to do is do what the MCU often does and that’s utilize its post-credits scenes to lay the groundwork for future installments of the overall franchise. All the film would need to do is use one of those post-credits scenes to introduce the idea of the Council of Reeds with Pedro Pascal’s Reed meeting Gruffudd and Tellers’ versions in the scene. In comics, the Interdimensional Council of Reeds is a group that is composed of various versions of Reed Richards from across the multiverse who, have come together to “solve everything” — including dealing with major threats such as Galactus and Doctor Doom.

Could Robert Downey Jr. Appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

Of course, Avengers: Secret War isn’t the only future Marvel film that The Fantastic Four: First Steps could set up for in a post-credits scene. The film could also introduce Downey’s Doctor Doom. Victor Von Doom just so happens to be a major enemy of Marvel’s First Family so an appearance in their film would make a lot of sense, but it would also help set the stage for the film before Avengers: Secret Wars. With the Fantastic Four set to appear in both upcoming Avengers films, using those post-credits scenes to lead into the future films seems almost like a no-brainer in terms of using the Fantastic Four to bring the whole Multiverse Saga together.

About The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025. The film is directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman and stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The cast also includes Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer. Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich also appear.

The post How Marvel’s Fantastic Four Could Set-Up Avengers: Secret Wars With Just Two Actors appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios has officially begun a comeback campaign with Deadpool & Wolverine’s success – but that’s just one step forward. The Marvel Cinematic Universe still has a lot to prove its upcoming TV and movie projects, which currently include the new Disney+ series Agatha All Along this fall, and a packed 2025 slate that includes pivotal releases like Daredevil: Born Again, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and Fantastic Four: First Steps. 

As more information and promotional material for the upcoming MCU slate continues to roll out, we’re getting exciting new details about what these new films and TV shows will be all about. 

See for yourself, below! 

Agatha All Along

Release Date: September 18, 2024

Synopsis: When a new series of tragedies strike the city of Westview, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power when a suspicious goth teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road.

Wandavision writer Jac Schaeffer returns as showrunner for Agatha All Along, with Schaeffer, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum and Mary Livanos serving as executive producers for the series, with Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg, and Gandja Montiero all serving as directors for Agatha All Along. 

The cast of Agatha All Along features Kathryn Hahn returning as Agatha Harkness, leading a cast that includes Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili and Debra Jo Rupp.

Agatha All Along will stream on Disney+. 

Captain America: Brave New World

Release Date: February 14, 2025 

Synopsis: Sam Wilson, who’s officially taken up the mantle of Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident.

The cast of Captain America: Brave New World includes Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / Falcon, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns / The Leader, Harrison Ford as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Shira Haas as Sabra, and Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker / Sidewinder. 

Captain America: Brave New World is directed by Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox, Luce), with a script from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman, as well as Dalan Musson and Matthew Orton.

Daredevil: Born Again

Release Date: March 2025

Synopsis: A reboot of the Daredevil Netflix series set within the MCU.

Charlie Cox returns as Matt Murdock / Daredevil and he’ll be joined by Vincent D’Onofrio (Wilson Fisk / Kingpin), Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle / Punisher), Wilson Bethel (Benjamin Poindexter / Bullseye), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson), Ayelet Zurer (Vanessa Fisk), Margarita Levieva, Michael Gandolfini, Genneya Walton, and Arty Froushan. 

Thunderbolts*

Release Dates: May 2, 2025

Synopsis: A Group of antiheroes goes on missions for the American government – so far, that’s the only official synopsis for Thunderbolts*, but teasers have hinted at the team going on a mission involving The Sentry (Lewis Pullman), one of Marvel’s most powerful (and dangerous) characters. 

Jake Schreier (Paper Towns, Beef) is directing Thunderbolts* from a script by Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow), Lee Sung Jin (Beef), and Joanna Calo (Bojack Horseman). Harbour is joined in the film by Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier), Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr / Ghost), Wyatt Russell (John Walker / US Agent), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Valentina Allegra de Fontaine), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Olga Kurylenko (Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster), Lewis Pullman (Bob), Gerladine Viswanathan (Mel).

Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date: July 25, 2025

Synopsis: This MCU reboot of The Fantastic Four is set in an alternate timeline where the world has developed into a retro-futuristic vision. A family/team of scientists ends up getting transformed by cosmic forces and must use their powers and smarts to defend Earth against a world-consuming entity (Galactus). 

Fantastic Four: First Steps will star Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman; Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) as Ben Grimm/The Thing; and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. Julia Garner will appear in the film as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, with Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne will appear in as-yet-unannounced roles. Matt Shakman (WandaVision) will direct the movie.

Ironheart

Release Date: 2025 (TBD) 

Synopsis: In Ironheart, the teenage super-genius who created the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man “returns from MIT to her hometown of Chicago and begins to unravel threads that bring danger and adventure right to her doorstep.”

Dominique Thorne reprises her role as Riri Williams, after first appearing in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ironheart will also star  Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) as Parker Robbins, a.k.a. the mystical misfit known as The Hood. Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) will play Joe McGillicuddy, a (supposedly) new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, serves as executive producer on the series via his Proximity Media banner. Chinaka Hodge, a writer on TNT’s Snowpiercer and Netflix’s The Midnight Club, is Ironheart’s head writer and series creator. The show is based on the Marvel Comics character created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato.

Avengers: Doomsday

Release Date: May 1, 2026

Synopsis: Avengers: Doomsday will be the beginning of the end for the Marvel Multiverse Saga, and will feature Robert Downey Jr.’s return, as the titular Doctor Doom. 

Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo will also be returning to direct Doomsday, from a script by Michael Waldron (Loki) and Stephen McFeely (Endgame). No word yet on which MCU characters and actors will be featured in the film. 

Avengers: Secret Wars

Release Date: May 7, 2027

Synopsis: The culminating event of the MCU Multiverse Saga, based on the comic book storylines that saw different Marvel realties pulled together for a massive battle royale. 

No word yet on the cast of Avengers: Secret Wars. Like Avengers: Doomsday it will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, from a script by Michael Waldron (Loki) and Stephen McFeely (Endgame)

The post Marvel Cinematic Universe: Everything to Know About Upcoming Movies & TV Shows appeared first on ComicBook.com.

We’re officially less than a year away from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel’s highly-anticipated new film inspired by Marvel’s First Family. The 1960s aesthetic and all-star ensemble cast have already intrigued fans thus far, but the fervor hit a fever pitch on Wednesday thanks to leaked photos from the film’s set, which show a practical life-size model being used for Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The Thing’s design has taken the Internet by storm — and along the way, it has driven fans to want to know more about the character’s comic history.

Considering the fact that The Thing has been a key part of Marvel Comics since the 1960s, there are plenty of places you could dive into to start appreciating his adventures — here are just a few of our favorites.

“This Man… This Monster!”

From 1966’s Fantastic Four #51, “This Man… This Monster!” is easily regarded to be one of the most iconic Marvel stories of all time — and for good reason. The issue sees Ben grappling with his role as a reluctant, mutated hero, after a mad scientist steals his powers to get revenge on Reed Richards. This scientist then poses as The Thing to infiltrate the Baxter Building, and sacrifices himself in the exploits that follow. The real Ben, meanwhile, prepares to propose to his girlfriend Alicia Masters, before being transformed back into his superhuman self upon the imposter’s death.

“This Man… This Monster!” helped establish The Thing as a heartbreaking and emotional part of the Marvel Universe, and it is a must-read for anyone trying to better understand the character.

Marvel Two-in-One

Switching gears from a single issue to a years-long ongoing series, a cornerstone of The Thing’s comic tenure is the anthology series Marvel Two-in-One. As the name suggests, each issue saw Ben be partnered up with some costumed hero or villain from across the Marvel mythos, and chronicled the hijinks that often ensued.

There are countless great issues of the first volume of Marvel Two-in-One, and the series helps lay the groundwork for his friendship with She-Hulk.

The Big Change

The Thing and The Hulk are often brought up in the same breath among Marvel fans, thanks to their massive statures and tragic backstories. 1987’s The Big Change, an installment in Marvel’s graphic novel line, partners the duo up in a wacky and truly unexpected way.

As Ben and The Hulk are abducted by a wish-granting alien, a madcap adventure ensues, one that not only highlights the fun of both characters, but features fun art from Bernie Wrightson.

Night Falls on Yancy Street

An installment in 2003’s Startling Stories imprint, The Thing — Night Falls on Yancy Street took Ben’s journey into the 21st century. The series deals with both Ben’s personal life, as he falls in love with a mysterious woman named Hazel, and his superhero life as he engages in a fight against Absorbing Man.

While the miniseries’ connection to the main Marvel universe remains nebulous, Night Falls on Yancy Street is a short and relatively-standalone chapter that will help better familiarize fans with Ben as a character.

Fantastic Four #511

A chapter in Mark Waid and Mike Weiringo’s “Hereafter” arc, 2004’s Fantastic Four #511 is an emotional cornerstone of Ben’s comic history. The issue sees the Fantastic Four venturing into heaven to save Ben’s soul, only for things to get even more complicated.

What ensues from there is a poignant and bizarre manifestation of what the afterlife might have, as well as a unique tribute to what Ben offers his teammates and found family.

Clobberin’ Time

Finally, Steve Skroce’s 2023 miniseries Clobberin’ Time serves as a wacky and modern homage to The Thing’s history, particularly his Marvel Two-in-One days. Across the series’ five issues, Ben teams up with everyone from The Hulk to Doctor Strange to Doctor Doom, as a multiversal plot begins to reveal itself.

Both for the hijinks of the series itself, and the pure fun of Skroce’s art, Clobberin’ Time is a must-read.

***

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released exclusively in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post The Fantastic Four: Best The Thing Stories to Read Before the MCU Reboot appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Wednesday brought a big surprise for Marvel fans when new set photos from Fantastic Four: First Steps leaked and revealed our first look at what might be the upcoming film’s most eagerly anticipated character — Ben Grimm/The Thing. Played by The Bear star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, the new images revealed a glimpse of the beloved orange-hued team member that may just be the most comic-accurate that we’ve seen in live-action to date and fans are excited.

In the photos — and subsequent video — we get a glimpse of what appears to be Moss-Bachrach being assisted into a The Thing mask. The actor is also in what appears to be full costume, with a Fantastic Four suit and even rocky orange hands that are briefly visible as well. While it remains unclear if this is how the character is going to ultimately appear in the film — Moss-Bachrach has previously indicated that his performance may be mostly motion capture, indicating that there will be use of CGI — this look certainly seems to be a strong indicator that Fantastic Four: First Steps is trying to be as comic-accurate as possible. It’s that possibility that has fans online excited.

“Comic book come to life!!!!!” @WAVHistheMOC wrote. @whtbllnking offered two “thumbs up” emojis and invoked The Thing’s iconic catchphrase for their reaction: “It’s Clobberin’ Time!!!!!”

Others were a bit more pragmatic about their reactions, noting that they like what they see, but still understand that CGI will have a place in the final product. “While CG replacements are gonna be as inevitable as Thanos, I actually really like the design for Thing’s face!” @oneofmanyryans wrote. “I just hope the CG design will be more or less the same.”

“The Thing looks classic,” @MattBCTucker wrote. “Assume they are going to CGI on top of the physical mask. But I like that it’s a practical effect on set, as well. Size looks good.”

What is Fantastic Four: First Steps About?

Right now, details about Fantastic Four: First Steps remain few, but director Matt Shakman has previously said that the film, which is set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s — won’t be an origin story for Marvel’s First Family.

“One of the things we decided early on was not to do an origin story,” Shakman said. “One of the ways we’re making it our own thing is we’re not telling the story of them going up and being changed and starting our story [there]. There’s a lot of well-known narrative that leads into that moment, right? And then you’re making up your new story starting basically at the end of the first act, and we thought, ‘Well, let’s just start this thing off on a completely new foot.’ So, we are beginning after that.”

Fantastic Four: First Steps will star Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman; Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) as Ben Grimm/The Thing; and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. Julia Garner will appear in the film as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, with Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne will appear in as-yet-unannounced roles. Matt Shakman (WandaVision) will direct the movie.

Fantastic Four: First Steps has a theatrical release date of July 25, 2025.

The post Fantastic Four: Marvel Fans Celebrate “Comic-Accurate” The Thing appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel’s First Family are finally headed back to the big screen, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps lined up to debut in theaters next summer. The live-action film will fold the beloved comic characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and early looks have hinted that the execution will be something special. Early promotional art released by Marvel Studios, as well as test footage that was screened at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo, have confirmed a distinct 1960s aesthetic, paying tribute to the decade when the team first debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics. These early glimpses, as well as leaked set photos that surfaced on Wednesday, have also teased the film’s design for Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the fan-favorite orange-hued member of the team. While we still have to wait eleven months until First Steps arrives in theaters, there is the potential that the film could deliver the most comic-accurate adaptation of the character that we’ve seen yet in live-action.

Granted, at the time of this writing, we have yet to see footage The Thing in action, as his only appearance in the convention-exclusive footage is either in his human form, or sitting down in silhouette in his superhero form on a Dating Game-like television show. Moss-Bachrach has previously teased in interviews that his portrayal of the character will be done in motion-capture, and we’ll have to wait and see what practical elements might be used in addition to that. Either way, the actual design for the character — who is known for his imposing frame and his rock-like textured orange skin — has been unbelievably accurate to how he is portrayed in the pages of Marvel Comics. In particular, he looks like a spitting image of how he was drawn by Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby in the comic’s early stages, as evident by the over-exaggerated eyebrows and impossibly-massive shoulders. The choice to emulate Kirby in The Thing’s design not only conveys First Steps‘ reverence for the comics, but it provides a bit of a poignant full-circle moment, as Kirby repeatedly confirmed, prior to his passing in 1994, that he modeled the character after himself.

“The Thing was really myself,” Kirby told Prisoners of Gravity in 1992. “If you’ll notice the way the Thing talks and acts, you’ll find that the Thing is really Jack Kirby. He has my manners, he has my manner of speech, and he thinks the way I do. He’s excitable, and you’ll find that he’s very, very active among people, and he can muscle his way through a crowd. I find that I’m that sort of person.”

While those design traits might seem easy to render into live-action, the previous Fantastic Four adaptations have had varying levels of success. Roger Corman’s infamously low-budget 1994 version brought The Thing to life in a rubber suit, which carried the character’s expressiveness into an uncanny valley. Michael Chiklis’ portrayal in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer remains beloved among fans — in part because it utilizes a detailed practical suit — but it is missing the eyebrows and some aesthetic flourishes. Jamie Bell’s portrayal in 2015’s Fantastic Four was brought to life utilizing CGI, which allowed for a technically-better rendering, but still came across as more cold and brutal than the character fans know and love. 

Again, we’re still a ways away from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, or even the film’s first trailer. But it’s hard to deny that the project’s approach to The Thing is promising, and has the potential to both reintroduce a lovable character to mainstream audiences, and perfectly pay tribute to his comic roots.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released exclusively in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post Is Marvel’s Fantastic Four Reboot Finally Getting The Thing Right? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently filming, and even though Marvel Studios wants to keep their Fantastic Four reboot wrapped in secrecy, it’s not possible with the film shooting on outdoor sets. Today new set photos have leaked which reveal our first look at the character design and some surprising practical visual effects (makeup, prosthetics) being used to create Ben Grimm – aka “The Thing” – who is played by The Bear star Ebon Moss-Bachrach. 

CLICK TO VIEW: First Look At The Thing In Fantastic Four Reboot Revealed (Photos)

This set photo revealing The Thing is certainly surprising to see. Early details of Fantastic Four: First Steps pointed to the idea of Moss-Bachrach going the route of Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo, and creating his character through motion-capture performance, which would then be completed through the use of CGI. 

“In the past, they’ve done a suit, Michael Chiklis wore a suit. Apparently, the suit was really uncomfortable. And it’s kind of… We’re past that , I think it’s a little kind of cosplay kind of, you know, it’s a little amateur, that stuff, now with the technology we have,” Moss-Bachrach told Collider back in February. “So yeah, I think it’s mostly performance captured – motion capture, performance capture.”

However, Moss-Bachrach may not have been aware that there would be practical visual effects and makeup that will be used to create the look of The Thing when he said that. We could also be seeing one version of The Thing that will be used in slower scenes of dialogue and such, in order to avoid prolonged shots of CGI close-ups, which threaten to dip into the ‘uncanny valley’ where viewers don’t buy the character. Marvel Studios kind of hit that wall with the She-Hulk Disney+ series, which was often criticized for its CGI rendering of She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), so maybe bolstering the creation of MCU Thing with practical effects on top of CGI isn’t a bad thing. 

Fantastic Four: First Steps will star Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman; Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) as Ben Grimm/The Thing; and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. Julia Garner will appear in the film as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, with Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne will appear in as-yet-unannounced roles. Matt Shakman (WandaVision) will direct the movie.

Fantastic Four has a theatrical release date of July 25, 2025. When the inevitable Marvel Legends figure of The Thing launches, you’ll be able to find it here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon. 

The post Fantastic Four Reboot Set Photos Reveal First Look at The Thing appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently filming in the UK, and now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot of The Fantastic Four is officially a real thing, it’s interesting to hear from some of the veterans of the franchise. Actress Jessica Alba starred in The Fantastic Four (2005) and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) as Sue Storm, aka The Invisible Woman. In a new interview for her new Roku series Honest Renovations, Alba was kind enough to pass on some advice to actress Vanessa Kirby, who is the new MCU version of Sue Storm. 

When asked what Kirby needs to know about stepping into the world of The Fantastic Four (and Marvel fandom), Alba had this to say: 

“I think just have fun. The fans are so amazing. It was probably one of the best times of my life, going around the world and meeting all of the people that just love The Fantastic Four and love these comic books and can relate to these stories, Alba shared with Collider. “That, to me, and to be able to meet so many different people that you can touch and bring joy to them, I would say that’s first and foremost for anyone who gets the honor of playing one of these awesome characters. So I’d tell her to just have fun and soak in the moments.”

Tim Story’s Fantastic Four movies of the 2000s are now looked at as early pioneers of the blockbuster era of superhero movies, following the release of Wesley Snipes’ Blade, X-Men (2000), and the game-changing first Spider-Man (2002) movie. 20th Century Fox was hoping the Fantastic Four would be a strong enough IP to support its own franchise universe, alongside the X-Men films (the only two Marvel movie properties Fox owned). Instead, director Tim Story (Barbershop) never quite achieved the massive breakthrough success of Spider-Man or X-Men with both of his F4 films; the property sat dormant for years as Fox continued building out the X-Men movie universe, and eventually gave it a soft-reboot with X-Men: First Class in 2011. The studio tried to do the same with Fantastic Four, tapping filmmaker Josh Trank (Chronicle) to do a full-fledged reboot (Fant4stic)  which crashed and burned, earning just $167 million at the box office on a budget of $120. 

Even worse than the loss of profits were the embarrassing stories of the film’s production. It has been rumored that Trank and Fox had major conflicts during the making of the film, with conflicting reports indicating that Trank was “erratic” on set, while others claim his original cut of the film was too dark for the Fox executives, leading to an infamous series of reshoots that changed the movie’s latter half completely and resulted in a final cut that was a Frankenstein mess of mismatched ideas, tones, and style. The reboot was received so poorly that Fantastic Four has remained dormant in the decade since – despite the global domination of the Marvel Studios brand. 

So, while Alba’s words to Kirby are nice, her experience doing the film (which wasn’t without its own casting controversy) and meeting the fans was probably a lot different than the ugly legacy Vanessa Kirby and co. have to now overcome.

Fantastic Four: First Steps has a release date of July 25, 2025. 

The post Fantastic Four’s Jessica Alba Offers Advice for Vanessa Kirby Taking on Sue Storm Role appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman shared some of his influences for the upcoming Marvel movie. The filmmaker is headed back to the MCU for next summer’s massive blockbuster. Inverse asked him about possible influences from the previous on-screen incarnations of Marvel’s First Family. But, it would seem that Shakman is more interested in the comics experience of The Fantastic Four than those early 2000s entries. The director name drops Jack Kirby and even manages to get a little Jonathan Hickman in there. This all tracks with the retro focus that Marvel Studios has been teasing for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. As always, we wait for more images of what Shakman and company are building over there in the UK.

“I’m not so much looking at the other movies. I’m looking at the comics themselves. I’m a huge comic book fan. I’ve been a big fan of the Fantastic Four since I was a kid,” Shakman explained. “So going back to Kirby and Lee and Byrne and following all the way up to what’s happening, certainly Hickman and Waid and Ryan North, what he’s been doing. I’m trying to figure out who these characters are to me and how to bring them to life in the best possible way, and that’s really where I’ve started and how we’ve approached it.”

What Does The Retro Future Feel Like?

As fans clamor for more information about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, composer Michael Giacchino has started to hint at what he’s planning for the score for the movie. Nerd Reactor’s John Nyguen spoke to the Werewolf By Night director about how he’s taking audiences back to the future for The Fantastic Four‘s entry into the MCU. While that kind of gleaming past will figure heavily in the iconography for this film, Giacchino’s also making sure the things feel fresh as well.

“They’re similar and different in many, many ways,” Giacchino opined. “There’s definitely room for both in the world. Those are two where I’ll have my feet in both of those. The challenge for me is how do I differentiate them? Because you don’t want them to just be the same thing. You want them to be different. And I think what Matt Shakman, who is directing The Fantastic Four, is bringing to the table is very fresh, very fun, very different. Even on the outside, you go all, ‘this is this and this is that.’ Well, they’re not, and they’re very different, and very unique in different ways. I’m really excited to work on that project and it’s going to be a fun one for sure.”

What comics would you like to see pulled into the mix? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

The post Fantastic Four: First Steps Director Shares Comics Influences appeared first on ComicBook.com.

At D23 this weekend, Marvel Studios released a short video featuring the cast of Fantastic Four, speaking to the audience from the movie’s set in London. The retro-futuristic set shows the four stars at a dinner table, with Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) wearing his Fantastic Four uniform. Rather than being a high-tech kevlar or tyvek-style suit, the costume looks more like a sweater and spandex pants, with a wide, white belt. That matches with the vibe of everything we have seen from the movie so far, which appears to be set a few decades in the past (and likely in another world of the Marvel multiverse).

The other three characters are in relatively ordinary outfits, with Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) in a black turtleneck and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) wearing a cardigan over a white button-down shirt. Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach)  is wearing a zip-up hoodie, although it seems likely that if Johnny is wearing a uniform, by this point in the story Ben should be a big hunk of orange rock anyway.

View on X

In addition to a retro set and fabrics, the logo on the Fantastic Four logo is has a look that feels like it would be at home between the 1960s and 1980s. It isn’t clear whether the Fantastic Four will all wear the same uniform or if the costumes will be at least slightly customized to each character. That Reed and Sue are in street clothes while Johnny is in his costume could be a sign that Johnny embraces the celebrity of being a superhero in a different way than his family does…or that he needs to wear the unstable molecules to keep from flaming on all the time.

Fantastic 4 will land in theaters on July 25, 2025, two weeks after Superman: Legacy hits the big screen. For comic book fans, that means the genesis points for both the DC and Marvel comics universes will be in theaters at the same time next year.  

Fantastic Four: First Steps will star Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman; Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) as Ben Grimm/The Thing; and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. Julia Garner will appear in the film as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, with Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne will appear in as-yet-unannounced roles. Matt Shakman (WandaVision) will direct the movie.

The post Fantastic Four’s MCU Uniforms Revealed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios’ reboot of The Fantastic Four is finally on the horizon, with the upcoming film wowing the crowd at San Diego Comic-Con with first-look footage and new details. The film, which is operating under the full title of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, will bring Marvel’s First Family into a new cinematic era, with a story set in the 1960s and in a separate universe from the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. Questions surrounding The Fantastic Four: First Steps will surely grow as the theatrical debut of the film draws closer, but even the film’s full title raises one possibility — could the First Steps subtitle hint at the cinematic debut of Franklin Richards?

The eldest son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, Franklin’s birth and arrival in the comics revolutionized Marvel storytelling when it occurred in 1968. The character has grown up before readers’ eyes in subsequent decades, becoming one of the strongest Omega-level mutants in history, with reality-manipulating and psyonic superpowers. He was subsequently joined in the comics by his younger sister, Valeria Richards, and their family dynamic with Reed and Sue has become a core element of the Fantastic Four’s storytelling.

Will The Fantastic Four: First Steps Introduce Franklin Richards?

The subtitle First Steps inherently provokes multiple interpretations — the film’s idealistic 60s setting, the franchise’s literal first steps into the MCU, the team’s early tenure as superheroes, and potentially even their move into the main Earth-616 of the Marvel multiverse before Avengers: Secret Wars. Director Matt Shakman confirmed to ComicBook that while the subtitle broadly references the film’s place in the 1960s Space Race, it does have “a few meanings” that can’t be spoiled just yet. This begs the question if First Steps could also be interpreted as one of the more ubiquitous meanings of the phrase — the “first steps” taken by an infant.

The Fantastic Four footage screened at Comic-Con showed a bit of Reed (Pedro Pascal) and Sue’s (Vanessa Kirby) domestic life, indicating that they make an effort to eat dinner together as a family. It certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility that their family life could involve Franklin and/or Valeria, both to add extra weight to the team’s emotional crusade, and to differentiate from previous onscreen incarnations of the franchise. (It’s worth nothing that in 2017, years before Disney’s official acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its Marvel characters, there were rumors of a kid-friendly Fantastic Four reboot at Fox led by Franklin and Valeria.) While there’s no telling exactly how Franklin would be woven into The Fantastic Four: First Steps — as a child, a small infant, or even with Sue being pregnant across the movie — his arrival would certainly shakes things up for the franchise even further.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post Does The Fantastic Four’s Full Title Tease Another Character’s Debut? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is giving Marvel fans no shortage of things to talk about, after the upcoming film dazzled San Diego Comic-Con with early looks at footage. As production on the Marvel Studios film begins this week, the number of questions surrounding the genre-bending film are only continuing to grow. The Fantastic Four‘s place in the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe multiverse, as well as the fate of the film’s ever-growing roster of characters, will surely continue to intrigue fans between now and its release in the summer of 2025.

Amid that early conversation, there is one character who, ideally, should be reserved for the team’s future MCU adventures — Alicia Masters.

Who Is Alicia Masters?

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962’s Fantastic Four #8, Alicia Masters is a blind woman who is the stepdaughter of the supervillain Puppet Master. After meeting Ben Grimm / The Thing and discovering his sweet personality — while being unable to see him in his rock form — Alicia is motivated to betray her father and help the Fantastic Four. She then becomes Ben’s love interest and a frequent ally of the Fantastic Four, also playing a pivotal role in Silver Surfer turning on Galactus.

After Ben leaves the team, Alicia appears to fall in love with and marries Johnny Storm / Human Torch, only to discover that she was a Skrull the entire time, and that the real Alicia is still in love with Ben. She continues to be a part of the orbit of the Fantastic Four, as well as the heroes of the larger Marvel Universe.

Why Alicia Masters Should Be Saved for The Fantastic Four 2.

Across the casting process and pre-production of The Fantastic Four, there have been some theories that Alicia could factor into the film. Some have wondered if Natasha Lyonne, who is cast in the project in a mystery role, could really be playing Alicia, although that theory relies more on them having the same red hair and less on the mild-mannered energy Alicia usually has in the comics. There is always a chance that Alicia could secretly be appearing in The Fantastic Four, especially now that we know the film isn’t a straightforward origin story and could have Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Alicia’s relationship already established. But an argument can be made for not including Alicia Masters in The Fantastic Four at all, and instead saving for a potential sequel.

We now definitely know that The Fantastic Four is set in the 1960s in a different universe from the main MCU, one filled with a retro-futuristic aesthetic and its own status quo. We also know that the world-eating Galactus (Ralph Ineson) is expected to play a significant role in the film. With Avengers: Secret Wars on the docket for 2027, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige hinting that the Fantastic Four will reprise their roles in the film, there has been no shortage of speculation about how those two films will interact. It certainly isn’t out of the question that The Fantastic Four could culminate in Galactus destroying the team’s world, causing them to jump ship and end up on Earth-616. That narrative decision would, presumably, leave nearly all of The Fantastic Four‘s supporting cast stranded in a dying universe — including Alicia, if she were introduced in the film. 

While the loss of Alicia could create an interesting emotional pull for Ben in his subsequent MCU appearances, it could also shut the door on their relationship just as audiences are growing fond of it. That narrative choice certainly isn’t anything new in superhero media, as Wonder Woman similarly left two of her biggest civilian confidants, Etta Candy and Steve Trevor, stuck in the 1940s (only to have to resort to problematic means to bring Steve back in the sequel). But given the MCU’s past struggles with introducing meaningful romances and elevating human supporting casts, The Fantastic Four is a compelling opportunity to remedy both, instead of sacrificing Ben’s true love in only the first movie. Depending on how The Fantastic Four deals with Ben’s self-hatred towards his superhuman transformation (with emotions ranging from well-adjusted to catastrophic in the comics) it would also be charming to potentially watch him meet Alicia in whatever universe he ends up in post-Secret Wars. It is abundantly clear that The Fantastic Four is going to shake up the MCU as we know it — but here’s hoping that Alicia Masters does not get lost in the fray.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post The Fantastic Four Needs to Save One Character for the Sequel appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps composer Michael Giacchino is teasing Matt Shakman’s vision for the film. The music man joined Nerd Reactor’s John Nguyen to talk about the upcoming MCU feature. During their conversation, the interviewer brought up that Giacchino had also made the score for The Incredibles. Pixar fans will quickly realize that the superhero story is very similar to The Fantastic Four. Despite some shared DNA, the composer quickly observed that, although the concepts share some similarities, they are not the same. Giacchino argues that Shakman is subverting some of those expectations in fun ways. The Fantastic Four: First Steps actually just began production not too long ago, so expect some more updates as the days pass by.

“They’re similar and different in many, many ways,” Giacchino opined. “There’s definitely room for both in the world. Those are two where I’ll have my feet in both of those. The challenge for me is how do I differentiate them? Because you don’t want them to just be the same thing. You want them to be different. And I think what Matt Shakman, who is directing The Fantastic Four, is bringing so the table is very fresh, very fun, very different. Even on the outside, you go all, ‘this is this and this is that.’ Well, they’re not, and they’re very different, and very unique in different ways. I’m really excited to work on that project and it’s going to be a fun one for sure.”

The Fantastic Four Is Fresh And New

“Our director, Matt Shakman has already moved to London, and we start filming at the end of July. Funny story, we start shooting the Monday after Comic-Con,” Feige revealed to The Official Marvel Podcast. “We start filming the day after on Fantastic Four. I’m extremely excited, because those characters are mainstays, are legendary pillars of the Marvel Universe that we’ve never gotten to play with or explore in any significant way apart from [Doctor Strange in the] Multiverse of Madness and a few fun teases before, in the way we’re doing that film. So, I’m extremely excited.”

“It is a period film, and there was another piece of art we released with Johnny Storm flying in the air making a 4 symbol. There was a cityscape in that image,” Feige teased. “There were a lot of smart people who noticed that that cityscape didn’t look exactly like the New York that we know or the New York that existed in the 60s in our world. Those are smart observations, I’ll say…”

Are you excited by what you’ve hear about The Fantastic Four already? Let us know in the comments down below!

The post The Fantastic Four: Composer Michael Giacchino Teases Vision appeared first on ComicBook.com.

San Diego Comic-Con took place over the weekend, and Marvel Studios blew fans away with their Hall H panel, which took place on Saturday night. The panel focused on four upcoming MCU films: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Avengers: Doomsday. While fans weren’t surprised to get a glimpse of the Cap sequel and Thunderbolts*, many were shocked that the event featured footage of the long-awaited Fantastic Four film. Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing) all came in from London where the movie is being filmed. While it’s clear some footage had been shot, Marvel Studios only announced the movie’s official filming start yesterday. 

“Meet The Fantastic 4️⃣! Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps begins filming today. Only in theaters July 25, 2025. #SDCC.” Marvel Studios captioned yesterday’s post. They included a video of SDCC interviews featuring the cast and director Matt Shakman. You can check out the post below:

Who Stars in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

In addition to the titular four, the movie will also feature Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird, Cruella) in an unknown role in addition to Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, and Natasha Lyonna and John Malkovich in unknown roles. 

“Don’t think that didn’t weigh in as I was deciding whether or not to take the job,” Hauser recently explained to The Hollywood Reporter,. “That movie has not fully been nailed just yet … But I really do think the combination of the screenplay, and the department heads that are working on the film, and that classy cast of really exciting actors – some of them known for a long time, and some of them having a moment right now – [make me feel that] this movie is special, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Matt Shakman is directing The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025. Shakman has previously said that the reboot will be much from previous attempts to bring Marvel’s first family to life on the big screen, 

“It’s different in so many ways. I wish I could be specific,” Shakman said. “I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

Stay tuned for more updates about The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Marvel Studios Celebrates Official Start of Filming appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Long before he was cast Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was reportedly in the running for a role as Doctor Doom. All these years later, that casting is coming to fruition as Downey’s Doom is set to appear as the primary antagonist in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. If fans are lucky, he might even appear before then; after all, Victor Von Doom is not only one of the biggest villains in the Marvel stable, but also the archenemy of Marvel’s First Family as well.

A new report from Jeff Sneider, the Hollywood insider who initially reported Downey’s surprise hell turn prior to San Diego Comic-Con, says Downey will appear in a post-credits scene attached to The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Why is RDJ returning to the MCU?

According to Variety, Downey is set to earn one of Hollywood’s largest-ever paydays for returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The trade says the Russo Brothers will be making upwards of $80 million from the projects while Downey himself will be significantly north of that.

“It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” Downey said in a Variety video last month. “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea… It really is crazy because we look pretty good. I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: “Do we still look kind of OK?” I’m like, ‘We look pretty good.'”

In a separate interview, Downey revealed he’ll never bet against Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and his dedication to the franchise he oversees. “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps — starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Mass-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus — opens only in theaters July 25th, 2025, as part of the MCU Phase 6.

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

The post Is Robert Downey Jr. in The Fantastic Four Reboot? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has some brand new set photos that show off the Baxter Building and a launch site for the team. On social media, @UnBoxPHD captured some snaps of the set building process over in London, England. Marvel Studios is developing the world of tomorrow for Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach to adventure in. The newest location has a big Fantastic Four logo in the center of a couple of buildings. In a fun twist, the emblem turns blue when the sunlight hits it at different angles. Also in the set photos are a throwback street.

Now, some people on Twitter think this could be the famous Yancy Street from Marvel Comics. There’s no confirmation of that just yet. But, there are some cool retro details like an RKO Palace theaters and other throwback touches. During San Diego Comic-Con’s Marvel panel, test footage shown confirmed that The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be a retro-futurist take on these iconic heroes. Surprises are in-store and everything about the production screams a sort of love for the earliest days of The Fantastic Four. As more and more images are released by Marvel, fan excitement will build for everything coming up In 2025.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Isn’t Another Origin Movie

With Matt Shakman at the helm, it’s easy to see how The Fantastic Four: First Steps harness is the powers of nostalgia. With everything being set in the 1960s, for the looks of things, it would be easy to think that Marvel Studios would be open to telling that same origin story from the prior to fantastic four adaptations again. However, Shakman says that that isn’t what’s going on here. Entertainment Weekly caught up with the director to talk about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and he offered his take on what they’re going to do to stand out from those other movies.

“One of the things we decided early on was not to do an origin story,” Shakman explained. “One of the ways we’re making it our own thing is we’re not telling the story of them going up and being changed, and starting our story [there]. There’s a lot of well-known narrative that leads into that moment, right? And then you’re making up your new story starting basically at the end of the first act, and we thought, ‘Well, let’s just start this thing off on a completely new foot.’ So we are beginning after that.”

Do you like the look of this launchpad and the other details so far? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

The post Fantastic Four: First Steps Set Photos Show Baxter Building Launch Site appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The ComicBook Nation crew gives a spoiler-free review of Deadpool & Wolverine, and then dips into all of the breaking news from San Diego Comic-Con so far! We also review Kite Man: Hell Yeah! And then talk Transformers, Joker 2, Absolute Power, and comics, along with a preview of this year’s Gen Con!

PLUS: Two Bonus Episodes – one LIVE from Comic-Con! ComicBook Nation host Kofi Outlaw teams with Phase Zero hosts Brandon Davis and Jenna Anderson, and ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian to break down the biggest reveals, wild happenings, and crazy behind-the-scenes stories from Thursday and Friday at San Diego Comic-Con! 

A second BONUS episode reunites ComicBook Nation hosts Kofi Outlaw, Janell Wheeler and Matt Aguilar summon their energy reserves to recap SDCC after the convention is done. Tune in for it all! 

Deadpool & Wolverine Review 

Phase Zero host Jenna Anderson said this in her 4.5. out of 5-star Deadpool & Wolverine Review: 

Amid the never-ending conversation around superhero fatigue, too many spoilers, and not enough effective storytelling, it feels rare to be truly surprised by a new superhero adaptation. Deadpool & Wolverine is such a pleasant surprise – both in its jaw-dropping elements and in the sentimental reason for those elements even existing – that it almost feels like a miracle. The movie’s handful of flaws are outweighed by its pure blockbuster storytelling and the gleeful rapport of its two protagonists. Through its no-holds-barred execution and the wildly entertaining performances of its ensemble cast, Deadpool & Wolverine serves as the most unlikely reminder of why we care about superhero movies in the first place.

Comic-Con Recap

ComicBook Nation is here to wrap up all the biggest news from Friday at San Diego Comic-Con! The Boys season 5 news and a Soldier Boy spin off! A new Lord of the Rings Rings of Power Season 2 Trailer! Huge anime updates for One Piece and much, much more!

 ComicBook Nation is bringing you ALL the big news, huge reveals, and major returns cough* Robert Downey Jr * cough from San Diego Comic-Con 2024!

Subscribe to ComicBook Nation!

ComicBook Nation is now a whole Nation of Podcasts! Make sure you get the latest from:

• CBN LIVE Show – A Quiet Place: Day One Review
• House of the Dragon Aftershow (BONUS) 
• STAR WARS – The Acolyte Aftershow (ft. Lee Jung-jae)
• ANIME – Anime Initiative
• GAMING – Quick Save
• COMICS – The Pull List
• MCU – Phase Zero

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below. BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE as we drop all sorts of BONUS MATERIAL on YouTube and/or audio platforms, in addition to our main shows!

1. SUBSCRIBE to our Official YouTube Page
2. Listen via the media player embedded below.
3. Check us out on Spotify or Stitcher
4. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio

After every show we’ll keep the discussion on Twitter:

@ComicBookNation
@MattAguilarCB
@KofiOutlaw
@JanellWheeler

Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!

The post Deadpool & Wolverine Discussion, Comic-Con Recap (ComicBook Nation) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2025 is going to be a big year for the Fantastic Four. Next year features the release of the newly retitled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the first FF movie developed under the Marvel Studios banner and connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Fantastic Four had a large presence Saturday night at the Marvel Studios Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con. On the comics side, Ryan North has been penning a new volume of Fantastic Four that launched in 2022. As one would expect, Marvel’s Fantastic Four series will have a bigger spotlight on it leading up to the MCU movie, and the publisher has given an indication of what it has planned with the release of new teaser art.

Marvel announced a Fantastic Four mystery project slated for 2025 during its Diamond Retailer lunch Friday at SDCC. The artwork is a simple countdown that uses the FF logo to count down from 3, 2, 1, 0, curiously leaving out the trademark “4.” That’s all that’s known about the project at this time, aside from it coming in 2025, the same year as The Fantastic Four live-action movie starring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing. Julia Garner plays the female version of Silver Surfer, and Ralph Ineson portrays the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus.

Marvel teases Fantastic Four and Galactus with SDCC drone show

Marvel Studios lit up the San Diego night sky with a drone show featuring the Fantastic Four and Galactus. A panel dedicated to Deadpool & Wolverine closed out the first night of San Diego Comic-Con, where a special movie screening was held. Afterward, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige instructed the Hall H audience to pay attention to the sky above Petco Park, where a special drone show teased the Marvel Studios Hall H panel Saturday night. While nothing has been confirmed, it’s highly likely that fans will get to meet the cast of 2025’s The Fantastic Four.

Marvel’s social media accounts shared a video of several drones forming the head of Galactus, who will be played by Ralph Ineson in The Fantastic Four. Galactus’ head slowly rises up over Petco Park as ominous music plays in the background. This is a comics-accurate look at Galactus, which is drastically different from the giant purple stormcloud that appeared in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. After the Galactus tease, the drones separate and reform to create the Fantastic Four logo. The logo is highlighted similarly to Johnny Storm / The Human Torch making it in the promotional material.

The post SDCC 2024: Marvel Drops Fantastic Four Teaser for Mystery Project Ahead of MCU Film appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Mole Man may very well be slithering right into the Marvel Cinematic Universe after all. Although the primary villain of The Fantastic Four: First Steps appears to be Galactus, the additional antagonist was teased on a poster handed out at San Diego Comic-Con in support of the movie. Displaying a map of New York, a spot on the poster signifies the existence of Subterranea. In the Marvel source material, Subterranea is not only home to Harvey Elder’s Mole Man, but other monstrous races.

There’s been speculation an actor such as Paul Walter Hauser could be playing Mole Man, perhaps as the film’s opening villain, though the character’s involvement has yet to be confirmed by Marvel Studios.

View on X

Though Hauser has yet to confirm his exact role, he said he intends on reading as many comics as possible to get ready to join the production later this summer.

“I have not dipped my toes into [Mike Batlan’s Deliver Me From Nowhere] yet because before I do that, I’ll be doing this film with Mark Wahlberg called Balls Up, and then after that, I’ll be doing Fantastic Four for Marvel,” Hauser shared with Variety earlier this month. “So I’m mostly focused on those two right now. But once I start wrapping Balls Up in late summer, that’s when I’m going to get heavy into Batlan and dive into that. If I prep too much now I’ll probably try to cement choices and believe I have a handle on the character. And you never have a handle on the character until you basically wrap.”

“Pre-production for me has been reading comic books and reading the screenplay,” he added of The Fantastic Four. “A lot of it is assessing where I fit into that story and how to best utilize my time in it. You don’t want to make choices or do things that are redundant in a film. It’s important to know what the film is and what everyone’s jobs are so that you’re bringing your own unique take to something. That was incredibly important in BlacKkKlansmen. I was playing one of a half dozen racist idiots in the film, and you have to bring your own racist idiot to the table. It can’t just be everybody else’s. Whenever I’m in an ensemble, I’m trying to figure out how to be unique or specific without being distracting.” 

Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps — starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Mass-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus — opens only in theaters July 25th, 2025, as part of the MCU Phase 6.

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps Teases Mole Man’s MCU Debut appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sometimes pop culture locations are just as popular as the characters of fandom’s favorite franchises. There’s Superman’s Fortress of Solitude or The Batcave deep below Gotham. Then there’s Avengers Tower or the Baxter Building, home of Marvel’s First Family. All the buildings mentioned above have been seen in live-action, but one of them is set to get a major overhaul. As a part of Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the Baxter Building is getting a revamp.

In a poster distributed at San Diego Comic-Con, the retro-futurism of the MCU’s Fantastic Four reboot can be seen in full effect with the Baxter Building. On the poster, the building is constructed to lead into a launchpad for both the Fantasticar and their rocketship, the Excelsior. Interestingly enough, the Baxter Building sits almost exactly where the Avengers Tower–or the building formerly known as that–is located in the MCU’s Earth-616.

Although the Baxter Building will be a first-time thing for MCU fans, Fantastic Four helmer Matt Shakman insists the movie will not end up being an origin story for the group.

“One of the things we decided early on was not to do an origin story,” Shakman told Entertainment weekly at Comic-Con. “One of the ways we’re making it our own thing is we’re not telling the story of them going up and being changed, and starting our story [there]. There’s a lot of well-known narrative that leads into that moment, right? And then you’re making up your new story starting basically at the end of the first act, and we thought, ‘Well, let’s just start this thing off on a completely new foot.’ So we are beginning after that.”

Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps — starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Mass-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus — opens only in theaters July 25th, 2025, as part of the MCU Phase 6.

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

The post SDCC 2024: Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building First Look Unveiled appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four are taking their first steps into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, along with director Matt Shakman, stepped out onstage at Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con 2024 panel to preview the newly-retitled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which brings the Fab Four — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/the Thing — into the MCU in a “retro-future” version of 1960s New York City. 

After Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige personally introduced Marvel’s First Family “for the first time all in public,” the cast teased the four’s familial dynamic. Pascal praised his “new family,” with Quinn adding: “We’re all collectively going to bring an essence that is a familyrather than thinking about what we individually are going to bring.”

Speaking to Marvel Entertainment post-panel, the cast detailed their family-first approach to the reboot that officially begins production this week in London.

“I love these characters, and I think we found four amazing actors to bring them to life,” Shakman said. “They’ve already bonded like a family. It’s very, very sweet and exciting, and that’s a tricky thing.”

Praising Kirby as an “inspiration,” Pascal told Kirby: “Nobody works harder, and you are my leader. It’s the truth.” Five months since their first meeting, Pascal and Kirby found common ground in rooting the romance between power couple Reed Richards and Sue Storm as the heart of First Steps. “I relate to the love that they have for one another. Everything kind of grows from that relationship,” Pascal said. “I’m a huge co-dependent.”

“For me, I love the fact that they were humans that went through something really extreme,” Kirby added of the four’s origin story (which won’t be retold in First Steps). “To read all the comics and see their journey, their relationship, it’s always about how they’re so inextricably linked and they can just never separate. They go through a lot of hard times, as well, which I really loved getting to know that.”

Quinn,who plays the hot-headed Johnny, said of playing Susan’s younger sibling: “He’s the youngest of the group, and probably the most foolish of the group. I guess I can relate to that, slightly.” When Quinn put Moss-Bachrach on the hot seat to share what he has in common with the blue-eyed, ever-lovin’ Thing, he answered: “Bashful Ben Grimm? Right now I feel a little shy.”

“We’ve been going through scenes and working at stuff, and working at a table, and sort of getting into it,” Moss-Bachrach added. “[We’ve been] developing our relationships, just kind of very basic connecting and figuring out what this family is about, what the dynamics are of the family. Just sort of straight-forward character work.”

Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps — starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Mass-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus — opens only in theaters July 25th, 2025, as part of the MCU Phase 6.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps Cast Tease Marvel’s First Family appeared first on ComicBook.com.