Marvel Studios has unveiled the final trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps, and it’s a seismic shift from the franchise’s usual tone. Set against a stylish 1960s retro-futuristic backdrop, the trailer shows Marvel’s fantastic family not at the beginning of their journey but in the thick of it.
Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss‑Bachrach’s Ben Grimm appear battle-tested and close-knit, with Reed and Sue even preparing for the birth of their son, Franklin. That small but significant reveal adds emotional weight to what’s otherwise shaping up to be a planet-sized showdown.
The tone is far more serious than past Fantastic Four outings. We see a visibly emotional Ben Grimm sporting a rock beard and Julia Garner’s haunting Silver Surfer warning, “Your planet has been marked for death.” It's a chilling line, made even more eerie by the Surfer’s new design and metallic voice. Marvel’s decision to reimagine the Silver Surfer as a woman has sparked conversation, with fans speculating on the mysterious voice actor, some guessing Gugu Mbatha-Raw or Tilda Swinton.
Thing's beard is being theorised as a part of a time jump or extended narrative arc. Supporting this theory is the sequence showing Sue Storm both pregnant and holding a newborn Franklin Richards. That makes First Steps one of the rare MCU films to span months, rather than days.
Franklin’s inclusion is a huge deal. In Marvel Comics, he grows up to be a powerful, reality-warping mutant. Introducing him this early could foreshadow major future storylines, including the MCU’s long-anticipated X-Men crossover and multiversal arcs.
Directed by Matt Shakman, the film is based on a script by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Produced by Kevin Feige, Grant Curtis, and Nick Pepin, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
