The final trail forThe Fantastic Four: First Stepshas dropped, revealing some thrilling details about theMarvel Cinematic Universe’s first depiction of Marvel’s first family. TheMCU’sThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsbrings the famed superhero team officially into the MCU after a string of sub-par movies made by Sony. After a string of teasers, Marvel Studios has released theofficial trailer forThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, which has not only rekindled appetites but also includes some surprising details about the movie.
Certain facts have already been revealed concerning the MCU’sThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.The movie is set on a parallel Earth to theclassic MCU timeline(Earth-616), with a retro-futurist tone set in the 1960s. The movie depicts the iconic Marvel hero team, starring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richard (Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnn Storm (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (the Thing). The
15First Look At Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer
The MCU’s Shalla-Bal Is The Silver Surfer
Julia Garner portrays Shalla-Bal inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, who in the comics is the romantic partner of the original Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd. Shalla-Bal is typically depicted as the immortal Empress of Zenn-La, her and Norrin’s home planet. Traditionally, Norrin volunteers to become the herald of Galactus and gain the power cosmic in order to save his planet from Galactus. Presumably, theMCU’s Silver Surfer would have made a similar dealbut as the planet’s Empress, which not only makes more sense, but allows for greater female representation. Interestingly, this does have a comic book precedent, as depicted in Marvel’sEarth-X.
14Sue Storm Is Pregnant
In The Comics Sue Storm And Reed Richards Have A Child Named Franklin
Susan Storm is revealed to bepregnant inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is an exciting development as is suggests the arrival of Franklin Richard’s Sue and Reed’s mutant son. It’s revealed earlier in the trailer that Sue is pregnant, and she’s seen later with a notable bump. This is a huge development as Franklin Richards isa massive character in the comicsand presumably exists in the universe’s modern timeline. This means Franklin could be readily introduced in the franchise an upcoming modern-day project while also adding greater jeopardy to Susan and Reed inFirst Steps.
13The Fantastic Four: First Steps Will Include A Time Jump
Sue’s Pregnancy Is Seen Developing
TheFantastic Four: First Stepstrailer shows Sue Storm announcing her pregnancy after Johnny and Ben trip them up with a reference to Susan being“late.”She’s subsequently shown with a significant baby bump, suggesting she’s between six and eight months. Thissuggests a time jump in the narrative, with numerous possibilities. Susan and Reed announce their pregnancy while Ben is in rock-form, so it certainly occurs well after their origin story – though this could still come early in the movie.
12Reed Richards' Stretching Abilities Are Revealed
Reed Richards Powers Were Not Depicted In Previous Trailers
Mr Fantastic’s stretching powerswere the only primary powerset not revealed until the official trailer. The Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing have already been depicted using their powers in previous promotional materials. In the official trailer forTheFantastic Four: First Steps, Reed is seen stretching and leaping across debris that’s falling from a crumbling building. Reed’s powers have been quite difficult to adapt to cinema,often not translating well from the comics to the screen. This rendition appears less cartoonish and the delayed reveal suggests Marvel have been extra careful in depicting his iconic abilities.
11The Fantasticar Is Revealed
The Fantastic Four’s Iconic Transportation
The Fantasticar is the classic mode of transport for Marvel’s first family, introduced way back in 1962’sFantastic Four#3. The transport was designed by Reed Richards and several evolutions have occurred throughout the years. The original was a flying mobile with different operation pods for each member. This rendition was previously adapted for the critically panned TheFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.The version depicted inTheFantastic Four: First Stepsis seen traveling on the ground and isdesigned to reflect the 1960s retro futurist tone, appearing like one of the era’s “cars of the future.”
10The Fantastic Four Are The Primary Protectors Of Earth
The Avengers Do Not Exist In The Fantastic Four’s Universe
InThe Fantastic Four: First Stepstrailer, the Silver Surfer asks the eponymous troupe if they are Earth’s protectors, which they affirm. This suggests that they are the primary heroic team in the movie. While there could be other superheroes in their universe, this scene implies that there are no corresponding Avengers in their universe – at least not yet. The 1960s setting could explain this, but regardless, the teamdo not have a wider hero network to call on. This will of course change as the MCU continues as they appear amongtheAvengers: Doomsdaycast.
9Galactus Has Marked Earth For Death
Galactus Devours Planets
The Silver Surfer states inThe Fantastic Four: First Stepstrailer that Earth has been marked for death. This conforms to Galactus’s normal modus operandi, where he travels across the universe looking for planets to consume. Silver Surfer functions as his herald,scouting out these planets and preparing them for his arrival. Silver Surfer confirms that Earth has been selected next, and the Fantastic Four will need to stop the towering villain from devouring the planet.
8Galactus Walks The Earth
Galactus Is Depicted As A Physical Being
Galactus has been partially revealed inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, and his appearance is frankly a relief. It appears as though Galactus is far more similar to his comic book appearance. This is a huge improvement on his previous live-action depiction – the infamous evil cloud fromFantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer.Moreover, not only does Galactus exist physically, but the final shot in the trailer shows hisenormous feet crashing through the streets of New York City, confirming that an actual Galactus will traverse the Earth. Previous imagery had depicted his silhouette looming over Manhattan.
7The Thing Is Much More Gentle Than Previous Depictions
The MCU Is Highlighting Thing’s Humanity
Unlike his previous gruff depictions inFantastic Fourmovies, Ben Grimm is far more gentile. The MCU’s Ben Grimm is depicted inThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsspeaking very softly, responding positively to children cheering and requesting he lift a car, and also appears cooking for his fellow teams. This isa refreshing departure from his previous movie adaptations, which, while effective, struggled to highlight his humanity. This is a key aspect of the Thing’s character which is too easily lost – while he looks like a “Thing”, he is actually an incredibly soft-hearted man.
6Reed Richards' Work In Space Draws The Attention Of Galactus
Reed Richards Blames Himself
InThe Fantastic Four: First Stepstrailer, Reed Richards is seen having an emotional conversation with Sue Storm, during which he states he is concerned hisactions in space have drawn some unwanted attention. He claims to have scratched space and that it was“scratching back,”presumably referring to Galactus and the Silver Surfer’s plans to destroy Earth. This maintains a classic MCU theme, the unintended consequences of scientific hubris – which could come further to the center when Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU as Doctor Doom.
