The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
The Fantastic Four must protect their world and their new child from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus.
The story
Set in the 1960s of a retro-futuristic world, the film follows the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four. The story begins on Earth-828, four years after the team gained superhuman abilities from cosmic rays. As the team enjoys their status as celebrities, they are confronted by the Silver Surfer, who warns that the planet is marked for destruction by Galactus, a massive cosmic being with an insatiable hunger. The team must decide how to protect their world and their growing family from the impending cosmic threat while navigating the complexities of their public lives and the dangers of deep space.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On Earth-828 in 1964, the Fantastic Four are established heroes and celebrities. When the Silver Surfer arrives, warning of the approaching Galactus, the team travels to space to intercept the threat. They are captured by Galactus, who offers to spare Earth in exchange for the unborn child of Reed and Sue, who possesses immense cosmic power. The team refuses and escapes, eventually returning to Earth with the child, whom they name Franklin. This decision leads to a public outcry. As Galactus approaches, the team works to build teleportation bridges to move the entire planet to another system. During the final confrontation, the Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal) is revealed to be a former scientist who became Galactus's herald. In a final stand, Sue uses her powers to push Galactus into a portal while Reed rescues Franklin. Sue is briefly incapacitated but revived by her son. The film ends with a celebration of their fifth anniversary, followed by a mid-credits scene showing a mysterious man in a green cloak appearing before Franklin.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matt Shakman
- Writers
- Josh Friedman · screenplay; Eric Pearson · screenplay; Jeff Kaplan · screenplay; Ian Springer · screenplay; Eric Pearson · story; Jeff Kaplan · story; Ian Springer · story; Kat Wood · story
- Cast and characters
- Pedro Pascal · Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby · Sue Storm / Invisible Woman; Ebon Moss-Bachrach · Ben Grimm / The Thing; Joseph Quinn · Johnny Storm / Human Torch; Julia Garner · Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer; Sarah Niles · Lynne Nichols; Mark Gatiss · Ted Gilbert; Natasha Lyonne · Rachel Rozman; Paul Walter Hauser · Harvey Elder / Mole Man; Ralph Ineson · Galactus
- Genres
- superhero
- Themes
- parental protection; sacrifice; heroism
- Tone and mood
- retro-futuristic
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; cosmic
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Franchise connections
- Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
- Production trivia
- The film avoids the team's origin story.; The film features a comic-accurate look for Galactus.; Robert Downey Jr. makes an uncredited cameo as Doctor Doom.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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