Five years ago at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed the Fantastic Four would arrive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since then, much has changed, and much more has developed. Here is everything we know about 2025’s MCU, The Fantastic Four reboot.
The film’s official title was announced at San Diego Comic-Con as The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Additionally, it’s confirmed that the Fantastic Four will appear in both upcoming Avengers movies. Avengers: Doomsday” is set to premiere in May 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars, will premiere in May 2027. The films will feature the Fantastic Four and the Avengers up against the infamous Doctor Doom. It’s unclear how much, if any, of Doctor Doom or the Avengers will be seen in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
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Fans have been over the moon about the initial casting. The Fantastic Four are as follows: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mr. 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). Sidekick robot H.E.R.B.I.E. will appear alongside The Fantastic Four, and The Thing is said to have a very comic-accurate appearance. Our first look at the team came from a Valentine’s Day Instagram post that captured our hearts and curiosity.
The most controversial casting thus far has been that of Doctor Doom. Marvel surprised fans at San Diego Comic-Con this year by unveiling Robert Downey Jr as Doctor Doom. The central antagonist of the next two Avengers films. The return garnered ecstatic Initial reactions. As usual, the internet had more controversial things to say. Users across X and Threads regarded the decision as “lazy” and “desperate” on Marvel’s part. Other fans are thrilled to see the return of RDJ and have already gone to work on theories spelling out the significance of RDJ as doom.
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The overall consensus is that the success and credibility of RDJ as Doctor Doom lies in how Marvel spins it. Many believe Doctor Doom is merely an introduction to Victor Von Doom as the Infamous Iron Man. An alternate Universe Iron Man from the comics. Others predict things far more clever and sneaky on Marvel’s part. It’s safe to assume we’ll see Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Our biggest questions likely won’t be answered until the premiere of Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026.
Other confirmed castings include Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer also seen in the comics. Recently, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have been confirmed for the project, their roles, are TBA. That hasn’t stopped fans from speculating, generating feverish excitement over things like Hauser liking an Instagram comment about potentially playing The Mole.
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Given the importance of this film in the MCU, one thing’s for sure, it will require a powerhouse director to give this story the oomph it needs to propel us into Phase 6. Jon Watts, originally tapped to direct the film, stepped down after helming the Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy for Marvel and Sony, stating he is taking a break from directing superhero movies. In December of 2022, at the D23 Expo, Matt Shankman (WandaVison, Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters) became the new director. Alongside Shankman is cinematographer Jess Hall, ASC, BSC (WandaVision, Hot Fuzz). Together, they will set the bar for and establish the tone of an onslaught of Marvel movies for another decade to come.
More confirmations from this year’s Marvel Comic-Con panel established the F4 reboot as a retro-futuristic 1960s-period piece, situated in a universe alternate to the main MCU, as confirmed by Kevin Feige. While we know the film will skip over their origin story, inserting the team as a known presence in the multiverse, Feige also insists that the film will stay true to the comics. From SDCC sneak peeks, we know Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards has an “old-school” accent.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps will undoubtedly have a heavy hand in shaping the next phase of the MCU. This means the reboot of this previously critically and commercially unsuccessful franchise will be a monumental moment in Marvel’s cinematic history. With that in mind, the slew of different writes attached to the project begins to make sense. Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were writing The Fantastic Four script in September of 2022. By March 2023, screenwriter Josh Friedman (Terminator, Avatar The Way of Water) was working on rewrites. In October 2023, Cameron Squires joined as co-writer. Clearly, Marvel has all hands on deck to set Phase 6 up for success.
Filming officially began on July 15 of this year in London, England. Pedro Pascal shares this photo on Instagram to mark the Fantastic Four’s first mission.
Marvel’s The Fantastic Four will hit theaters on July 25, 2025, 20 years after the release of Twentieth Century Fox’s original Fantastic Four. Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for updates!
