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Though Marvel Studios' marketing does usually get a bit more spoiler-y when a movie has been in theaters for more than a couple of weeks, they've really taken it up a notch with the recent promo material for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

This latest trailer focuses on the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), and features moments from pretty much all of the character's scenes, including her conversations with Johnny Storm, her attempt to get hold of Sue and Reed's unborn child during the standout space chase set piece, and the flashback to her life as Shalla-Bal before she became the Herald of Galactus.

We also have some quotes from writer Eric Pearson, who outlined certain Silver Surfer plot points and scenes from his original script that didn't make the final cut during an interview with THR.

"In my drafts, there’s a lot more Johnny-Surfer flirtation, or one-way flirtation. It was all him,...

Marvel Studios has released a new clip from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, featuring an emotional speech from Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) as she introduces the world to her son, Franklin.

When Marvel's First Family returns from space and reveals that Galactus had agreed to spare the planet in return for Reed and Sue's then unborn child, some animosity builds towards the team.

Invisible Woman then decides to address the public directly, explaining why handing over Franklin was never an option, while vowing to do stop at nothing to protect the Earth from the looming threat of the Devourer of Worlds.

Check out the clip below, along with a new poster featuring The Thing.

Family is about fighting for something bigger than yourself.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theaters! Get tickets now: https://t.co/qy8qR71712 pic.twitter.com/i6r68GEyOl

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 7, 2025

During this week's call,...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps was hit with a pretty steep drop at the domestic box office during its second weekend in theaters, leading to questions and concerns about the MCU reboot's franchise potential. Marvel Studios doesn't seem overly daunted, however, and may already have plans in place for a sequel.

Though nothing has been officially announced (and probably won't be for a while), Jeff Sneider has heard that "Matt Shakman will likely return to direct a sequel."

Apparently, Marvel execs are confident that a second movie will be a bigger box office success once audiences become more familiar with Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben after they return for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

During yesterday's earnings call, Disney's Bob Iger said that The Fantastic Four had “successfully launched this important franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” which was our first indication that more Ff movies are in the early planning stages.

The latest box office numbers are in, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps suffered a steeper-than-estimated drop domestically after its second weekend in theaters.

Marvel Studios' reboot was expected to take in at least $40 million over the weekend, but only ended up making $38.7M (marking a 67% drop). The movie should hit $200 million later tonight, and is currently sitting at around $367 million worldwide on a reported production budget of $200 million.

There's been quite a bit of doomsaying (no pun intended) about these figures, but it is worth keeping in mind that First Steps is still performing better than both Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* (it's actually already passed the latter's entire domestic cume) overall.

Some of the negativity likely stems from the perception that The Fantastic Four was always viewed as Marvel's biggest movie of the year, and was released to compete directly with DC Studios' Superman. Regardless, we...

We recently asked ComicBookMovie.com's readers to let us know how they felt about Marvel Studios and director Matt Shakman's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the results are in.

1346 of you voted, and - just like the results of our Superman poll - the majority of you went with the most positive option, "Fantastic, 5/5," continuing all the way down to the most negative choice, which got just 2% of the votes.

While James Gunn's Dcu reboot certainly had its share of detractors, First Steps seems to have been embraced by the majority of fans. Critics were also won over, and the movie is currently sitting at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, Marvel's First Family's latest big-screen outing doesn't seem to have resonated with general audiences to the same extent.

After a strong debut, The Fantastic Four suffered a significant second-weekend drop (down almost 80% from its opening day), and may...

Things aren't looking quite so fantastic for Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps at the North American box office.

As estimates suggested, the MCU reboot was hit with a sharp decline (an almost 80% drop from opening day) on Friday after taking in $11.7 million. Though this is far from a disastrous result (the movie is still performing better than both Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*), it is a worrying sign that First Steps' debut was significantly front-loaded.

Despite positive reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a warm reception from fans, the movie just doesn't seem to be connecting with general audiences in quite the same way, and word-of-mouth clearly hasn't been strong enough to make Marvel's latest the must-see event film the studio was hoping for.

First Steps is currently sitting at $170 million domestic, and should pass the $200 million mark by Tuesday. Was opening so soon after Superman a mistake?...

Marvel Studios’ retro-futuristic “Fantastic Four: First Steps” landed in cinemas on July 25, opening to an estimated $57 million in the United States and climbing past $227 million worldwide by the end of its first weekend. Director Matt Shakman, who presents the team in a stylised 1960s Manhattan threatened by Galactus, has used the press circuit to explain why a significant volume of footage will remain unseen.

Shakman said “a ton of stuff that is really wonderful” sits on the cutting-room floor, foremost a twelve-minute prologue in which John Malkovich’s Red Ghost and his super-apes battle the fledgling Fantastic Four. He explained that the material, shot at Pinewood Studios and glimpsed in the first teaser, was excised to keep the story centred on Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm while still accommodating Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer, Paul Walter Hauser’s Mole Man and the arrival of baby Franklin...

The good thing about parting ways with Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and company in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is that we won't have to wait long until we're reunited with them. Next year, Marvel's First Family will be teaming up with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and even a few X-Men, in "Avengers: Doomsday" for some reality-shaking comic book movie action. It's just a shame that they'll likely be leaving some key characters behind.

We don't want to call it too early, but we stumbled into the middle of a kidnapping in the mid-credits scene of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," with Victor von Doom seemingly on the cusp of snatching Franklin Richards from the Baxter Building before heading off into another reality. Naturally, Sue (Vanessa Kirby) and her superhero family will be on his trail, leaving Earth-828 behind. 

Now, while it'll certainly be exciting to see the Fantastic Four chewing...

As we know, Joe and Anthony Russo actually helmed the mid-credits scene for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which features the MCU debut of a character who will be integral to Avengers: Doomsday.

Major spoilers follow.

As you've probably heard by now, the stinger concludes with the introduction of Doctor Doom, although we don't actually see the villain's face.

After a four-year flash-forward, we see Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) reading her son, Franklin Richards, a story in the Baxter Building. When Sue leaves to choose another book, she hears a sound from the living room, powering up as she returns to face whatever danger may await.

Invisible Woman finds Victor Von Doom crouching down to speak to Franklin. The villain appears to be whispering something to the child, but his face is obscured by his cloak. The only indication we really have that this actually is Doom (Robert Downey Jr....

As is so often the case with Marvel Studios movies, many scenes shot for The Fantastic Four: First Steps ended up on the cutting room floor. Natasha Lyonne's Rachel Rozman might have been one of the biggest victims of any cuts, though poor John Malkovich's Red Ghost will never see the light of day.

As for Paul Walter Hauser's Mole Man, it appears he was also meant to have a little more to do in the movie. Talking to Variety about her desire to explore Sue Storm's evolution into the villainous Malice, Vanessa Kirby teased a very dark exchange between the Invisible Woman and Harvey Elder we didn't get to see.

"There was a line within a scene that isn’t in it anymore with Mole Man – who I absolutely love," Kibry explained. "I’m so excited that we might get to do more with him...

There's a major Fantastic Four villain missing from Fantastic Four: First Steps and we finally have an answer why this famous actor didn't make the cut!

Fantastic Four: First Steps finally hit theaters on July 25, at long last bringing Marvel's First Family into the MCU. The movie had a monster opening with $118 million domestically and $218 million globally, a much-needed hit for Marvel.

While it sets up future movies like Avengers: Doomsday, the film was hailed for its setting on an alternate Earth with a retrofuturistic 1960s feel. Moviegoers loved to see Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), The Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) on screen together facing the monstrous Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

The movie does reference other classic Fantastic Four foes like the Mad Thinker and the Mole Man (played by Paul Walter Hauser). However, one Oscar-nominated...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters, and we want to know what you, ComicBookMovie.com's readers, thought about Marvel Studios' long-awaited reboot.

Fans of Marvel's First Family have been waiting a long time to see these characters done justice on the big screen after several underwhelming efforts, and so far, the consensus seems to be that Marvel pulled it off by delivering a fun, stylish and engaging superhero adventure.

The majority of critics were very impressed, anyway, as the movie is currently sitting at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 291 reviews.

There really hasn't been much negativity aimed the movie's way, but some do seem to feel that the third act felt a little rushed, and there wasn't enough time dedicated to developing Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm's characters.

Let us know what you made of First Steps by voting in the poll below.

PollMaker

See The Fantastic Four...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has touched down in theaters, and with people now getting to watch the latest Marvel Studios blockbuster, we have a CinemaScore (perhaps the best indication of how good word-of-mouth is with filmgoers).

As a reminder, CinemaScore is a market research firm that surveys audience reactions to newly released movies.

After attending opening night screenings, moviegoers rate films on an A+ to F scale, providing insights into audience satisfaction. Widely used in the film industry, CinemaScore helps gauge the initial reception of movies and influences box office predictions based on audience feedback.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been awarded an A-, meaning it joins MCU movies like Captain America: The First Avenger, Black Widow, and Thunderbolts*. It also ties with The Batman and another huge superhero movie released earlier this month, Superman.

Unsurprisingly, this is a franchise-best result for the Fantastic Four franchise as First...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has touched down in theaters, and with people now getting to watch the latest Marvel Studios blockbuster, we have a CinemaScore (perhaps the best indication of how good word-of-mouth is with filmgoers).

As a reminder, CinemaScore is a market research firm that surveys audience reactions to newly released movies.

After attending opening night screenings, moviegoers rate films on an A+ to F scale, providing insights into audience satisfaction. Widely used in the film industry, CinemaScore helps gauge the initial reception of movies and influences box office predictions based on audience feedback.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been awarded an A-, meaning it joins MCU movies like Captain America: The First Avenger, Black Widow, and Thunderbolts*. It also ties with The Batman and another huge superhero movie released earlier this month, Superman.

Unsurprisingly, this is a franchise-best result for the Fantastic Four franchise as First...

Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in several regions around the globe, which means leaks are inevitably going to find their way online.

Major spoilers from this point on.

A number of images featuring key moments from the MCU reboot have now been shared on Reddit. They include Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man in his comic-accurate costume, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) in human form during a flashback, the "Latveria" sign which indicates that Doctor Doom will indeed hail from Earth 828, Natasha Lyonne as newly-created character Rachel Rozman, and Sue Storm giving birth in space during one of the movie's best sequences.

We also have some shots from the final act, as Invisible Woman uses every last ounce of her power to send Galactus through a portal to another dimension before dying from the exertion. Fortunately, there's a "magic baby" on hand, and Franklin Richards...

While we fully encourage you to see both movies on the big screen, with Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps and DC's Superman opening in such close proximity, a bit of friendly (and some not-so friendly) competition was inevitable.

Though First Steps doesn't hit theaters until Friday in North America, the review embargo lifted yesterday, and the movie is already "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes at 87% based on 134 reviews. James Gunn's Dcu reboot is slightly behind at 83% with 440 reviews counted.

Reviews for Fantastic Four are still coming in so there's plenty of room for that score to fluctuate, but we don't anticipate it dipping much lower, and there's a good chance both movies will wind up with the exact same Rt score (how on Earth will we argue about which one is better).

Though Rotten Tomatoes is the more popular aggregator, for many, Metactitic is a more reliable and...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman recently made headlines by appearing to reveal that Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) will lead Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday.

“He goes from being the nerdy scientist who’s locked away in the lab, to the husband and the father who’d do anything to protect his family, to the guy who’s leading the Avengers,” Shakman said of the Ff patriarch. “I realized that the version we were building had to have all of those elements.”

Though some took this as confirmation that Mr. Fantastic will lead the Avengers in the upcoming MCU event film, others assumed that Shakman was simply referring to Reed's journey in the comic books.

While speaking to Screen Rant, the filmmaker clarified his comments.

"I was talking about Reed Richards in the comic books and how Reed Richards is sometimes the cerebral scientist. Sometimes he's off leading the Avengers,...

Recently, Fantastic Four grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons as news outlets revealed the cutting of John Malkovich‘s scenes from the film. With less than a week left before worldwide release, such a major revelation about the movie’s plot doesn’t bode well for its publicity. But now, another star has revealed an interesting factoid about the film to counter the Malkovich upset.

Paul Walter Hauser, known from such projects as Cobra Kai and Blackbird, has a relatively minute arc in the Fantastic Four film. However, considering how easily Marvel redacted an actor as reputed as John Malkovich from the entire movie, Hauser’s fate was called into doubt. But the actor doesn’t believe there is any reason to fear.

Fantastic Four Cast Nervous About Their Own MCU Future After John Malkovich Update John Malkovich as Red Ghost in Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) [Credit: Marvel Studios]

With John Malkovich gone,...

Unlike other MCU epics like Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios’ upcoming adventure, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, won’t hover around the three-hour mark. According to a post by BBFC, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is 116 minutes long, making it one of the shortest films in MCU history.

One reason The Fantastic Four: First Steps could be shorter than typical for a sprawling MCU affair is that John Malkovich’s role as Ivan Kragoff, aka the Red Ghost, is no longer part of the film. According to First Steps director Matt Shakman, Malkovich’s Red Ghost appeared in an early sequence of the movie, with the Fab Four battling the villain and his army of Super-Apes.

“There were a lot of things that ultimately ended up hitting the cutting room floor,” Shakman explained to Variety. “When we were building a ’60s retro-future world, introducing all of these villains,...

An international teaser for Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps has found its way online, giving us a look at quite a bit of new footage from the MCU reboot.

The tone is a little more sombre than previous trailers, as Marvel's First Family begin to comprehend the magnitude of the threat Galactus and the Silver Surfer pose to their world.

Speaking of the Devourer of Worlds, we do get a new look at the all-powerful villain, but the shot cuts away just before his full face is unveiled. We have seen plenty of promo art and merchandise at this stage, but it seems Marvel does intend to save the full reveal for the movie.

“It’s a big moment when the Fantastic Four get to see him for the first time,” director Matt Shakman tells USA Today. “And I'd love for that to be the same for the audience.

Most of the time, a director's original vision for a superhero film differs from the final cut that audiences watch in theaters. On some occasions, this change is so big that the director takes his disappointment to social media and claims that we'll never see the fantastic vision he had for Marvel's First Family in the Fox Universe. But most of the time, it comes down to making small tweaks to ensure a movie is the best it can be, and that audiences receive it with open arms. Well, the next big project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is no different.

The superhero giant is ready for liftoff. In just a few weeks, the Fantastic Four will have their MCU debut, and expectations are at an all-time high. Not only is the film meant to be a stand-alone adventure featuring a more-than-iconic ensemble of heroes, but it's one of Marvel's...

When it was announced that Paul Walter Hauser had joined the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans immediately began to speculate that he might be playing the first foe the team ever faced on the page, Mole Man.

Now, USA Today has made it official with a first look at the Black Bird actor as the subterranean villain - although it sounds like he won't actually be a full-blown bad guy in this movie.

“He is living sort of in the shadows like a villain would, but he's also taking care of an entire race of people and trying to live his life without being bothered,” Hauser says of his character.

It seems Harvey Elder's beef with Marvel First Family will be political in nature.

“It's a power struggle, but within that, there are compromises and alliances made.” adds director Matt Shakman: “He's all about community, and...

Is Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, being positioned to lead Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Secret Wars?

The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman has set the internet buzzing with his comments about how much of a challenge it was to cast Pedro Pascal's character during a wide-ranging interview with Variety.

“He goes from being the nerdy scientist who’s locked away in the lab, to the husband and the father who’d do anything to protect his family, to the guy who’s leading the Avengers,” Shakman said of the Ff patriarch. “I realized that the version we were building had to have all of those elements.”

Though some have taken this as confirmation that Mr. Fantastic will lead the Avengers in the upcoming MCU event film, it's entirely possible that Shakman was simply referring to Reed's journey in the comic books. Or is he?...

John Malkovich’s Red Ghost will not be appearing in the forthcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Matt Shakman, during an interview with Variety, broke his silence on Malkovich’s Red Ghost, elaborating on the reasoning behind trimming his character entirely from the theatrical cut, whose runtime has been revealed to be 115 minutes.

Considering Malkovich headlined Shakman’s feature debut, Cut Bank, in 2014, the director expressed that cutting the actor entirely from the movie was heartbreaking, but it was something that had to be done.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Final Cut Removed John Malkovich’s Red Ghost

John Malkovich‘s Red Ghost was originally intended to appear in a lengthy sequence that takes place early in the movie, which would’ve witnessed Marvel’s first family’s heroics in their early years as superheroes.

Unfortunately, given the ensemble feature’s star-studded nature, which, in addition to the titular faction,...

As the first true appearance of the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a lot riding on "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." The film is reportedly one of Marvel honcho Kevin Feige's top priorities as the studio brings the motley crew of Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm, and the Thing to life after a string of middling to okay attempts by other companies.

Taking place in a separate universe from the rest of the MCU, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" has a lot of characters to introduce, including their robot helper H.E.R.B.I.E., the enigmatic Silver Surfer, and the planet-eating villain, Galactus. This brand new pocket universe is positively brimming with new characters, but there's one the film doesn't have room for anymore: John Malkovich's Red Ghost.

Malkovich was set to appear in an early sequence of the film...