“The Fantastic Four” Gets a New Title, Will Appear in Next Two “Avengers” Films
While the superhero world got a major surprise this past weekend at San Diego’s Comic-Con with the news that Robert Downey Jr. was returning to the MCU as iconic villain Dr. Doom, there was plenty of news about Dr. Doom’s biggest adversaries, the Fantastic Four, who are getting a reboot from director Matt Shakman. The first bit of news? The Fantastic Four has an official title: The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The core four headlining First Steps are Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Dr. Doom’s obsessed with proving he’s better than Reed in the comics, by the way), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
Shakman revealed the new title at Comic-Con, along with a teaser reel, which included a look at the core four in astronaut outfits, a massive spaceship, and a glimpse of the supervillain Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson, hovering over Earth. Then, to the added delight of the audience, Shakman introduced Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach, who weren’t supposed to be able to be there in person as filming is set to begin in the UK on Monday.
It was also revealed that the Fantastic Four cast will appear in the upcoming Avengers movies, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. We now know that Downey will be the big bad in both those films, but little is known about how he might factor into The Fantastic Four: First Steps, if it all, given that Ineson is playing the film’s villain.
Joining the core four are Paul Walter Hauser and Natasha Lyonne in undisclosed roles, with Julia Garner set to play Shalla-Bal, a version of Silver Surfer. Thanks to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, we know the movie will be a period piece set in the 1960s. Shakman is directing from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will open Marvel’s Phase Six on July 25, 2025. Also set to premiere are Blade (November 7, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7, 2027).
For more on The Fantastic Four, check out these stories:
Pedro Pascal Shares First Cast Photo From “The Fantastic Four” Set
Kevin Feige Confirms That “The Fantastic Four” is Set in the 1960s
“The Fantastic Four” Adds Natasha Lyonne to Cast
“The Fantastic Four” Casts Ralph Ineson as Supervillain Galactus
Featured image: THE FANTASTIC FOUR. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
