There have been a few attempts to adapt Marvel Comics’ first family to the big screen in the past, which have not exactly been successes for the most part. Now, there’s new hope for fans of the Fantastic Four, as a new movie starring the iconic characters is about to hit the big screen this year, and will finally be in the MCU. Let’s take a look at the first teaser trailer, which is linked below, to see what fans can expect in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Official Teaser | Only in Theaters July 25

The Setting

The film is set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s, leading to a unique visual style for the tech, architecture, attire, and vehicles. It also takes place in a universe separate from the main Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. It’s assumed that the events of the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars may pull the team into the MCU canon, but until then, this will serve as a standalone story, which is sure to feel refreshing.

Visual Effects

The visual effects shown look pretty solid so far. The Thing being a combination of CGI and traditional effects is definitely a smart move. That way, he looks realistic but his face can have emotional movement and expressions. The effects for the superpowers, vehicles, and explosions all look great in this trailer. It’ll be exciting to see how everything looks on the big screen.

H.E.R.B.I.E.

This teaser gives us our first glimpse of H.E.R.B.I.E., the Fantastic Four’s robotic companion, and he’s just as adorable as one would hope. This is the first time he’s been adapted to live action, which is pretty exciting. Having him here is a good example of what Mr. Fantastic’s inventions, and the tech in general, can be like in this world. Plus, toys of him are sure to sell extremely well.

Origin Story and Powers

It appears that the team’s origin story will be showcased during the film, either as it happens or via flashback, and it looks to be comic accurate, a trip into space gone wrong. Speaking of being accurate to the comics, everyone’s powers look perfect. That being said, it’s worth mentioning that Reed Richards’ stretching ability is nowhere to be seen. Based on the character posters and other marketing for the movie, he does have his superpowers, so it’s odd to not see them present in the teaser. Perhaps the effects for this are not quite ready to be seen yet.

John Malkovich’s Mysterious Character

The Oscar-winning John Malkovich is in the film, but it’s a mystery as to who he is playing. There has been speculation regarding him playing a number of characters, including Mole Man, Molecule Man, and a number of other comic book villains. Given his appearance in this trailer, with the long white hair and beard and a bald patch on top of his head, he is likely playing Red Ghost, a man who can make himself intangible and who leads a group of Super-Apes. He’s a pretty bonkers villain who can definitely lead to a lot of entertainment, assuming that’s who Malkovich is playing.

Galactus

There are a couple of very quick glimpses of Galactus in the trailer. There’s a shot of his shadow looming over the city and another of the back of his head. This is just enough to tease his appearance, and it’s a fantastic tease. It’s a massive relief to see that he’s not just a big cloud like in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He looks massive, so it’ll be rather exciting to see how the heroes take him down.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

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