History of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in Timeline
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a 2025 MCU film directed by Matt Shakman, is the second reboot of the Fantastic Four series. Set in a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world, the film features Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the Fantastic Four. They must defend their world from Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a planet-devouring cosmic being. The film also stars Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, and Paul Walter Hauser.
1960: Origin of the Fantastic Four on Earth-828
In 1960, on Earth-828, astronauts Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm gained superhuman abilities from cosmic rays and became the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four.
1961: Long history in the comics going back to 1961
In 1961, the group would be a big pillar in the MCU moving forward, and the studio had set a very high bar for ourselves in wanting to live up to the group's long history in the comics going back to 1961.
1961: Reference to Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #1
On April 4, 2024, Marvel Studios' teaser poster included a QR code to a Future Foundation-themed page with a list of Fantastic Four comics to read on Marvel Unlimited, including Fantastic Four vol. 1 #1 (1961), the team's first appearance.
December 13, 1963: Life Magazine Issue Reference
On February 14, 2024, the Valentine's Day announcement's promotional art included the December 13, 1963, issue of Life magazine with Lyndon B. Johnson on the cover, indicating a 1960s setting.
1966: Reference to Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #48-50
On April 4, 2024, Marvel Studios' teaser poster included a QR code to a Future Foundation-themed page with a list of Fantastic Four comics to read on Marvel Unlimited, including Fantastic Four vol. 1 #48–50 (1966), known as "The Galactus Trilogy".
1984: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Sound Effect Mentioned
On February 4, 2025, after the release of the first teaser trailer, Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen likened a stock sound effect used for the children's laughter to a sound effect originally recorded for the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
1994: Cameo Appearances by the 1994 Fantastic Four Cast
In the 1994, Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, and Michael Bailey Smith, who portrayed the Fantastic Four in the unreleased 1994 film The Fantastic Four, made cameo appearances throughout the film.
2004: Inspiration from Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004-2009)
In 2004, the screenplay included original Fantastic Four members Ben Grimm / The Thing and Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and was described as kid-centric with a tone closer to the animated film The Incredibles (2004) than Trank's darker film, taking inspiration from the comic book series Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004–2009).
2009: Inspiration from Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004-2009)
In 2009, the screenplay included original Fantastic Four members Ben Grimm / The Thing and Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and was described as kid-centric with a tone closer to the animated film The Incredibles (2004) than Trank's darker film, taking inspiration from the comic book series Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004–2009).
2015: Release of Fantastic Four (2015)
In 2015, 20th Century Fox's film Fantastic Four was released.
2015: Ant-Man film mentioned
In July 2024, Mike Roe likened Giacchino's theme to the score of the MCU film Ant-Man (2015).
June 2017: Seth Grahame-Smith Begins Writing New Film Focused on Franklin and Valeria Richards
In June 2017, Seth Grahame-Smith was writing a new film that would shift focus to Franklin and Valeria Richards, the children of the original Fantastic Four leaders Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic and Sue Storm / Invisible Woman.
July 2017: Noah Hawley Hired to Develop a Doctor Doom Film
In July 2017, Noah Hawley was hired to develop a separate film focused on Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom.
2017: Moss-Bachrach played Micro in The Punisher (2017)
In 2017, Ebon Moss-Bachrach was offered the role of Ben Grimm / The Thing, after playing David Lieberman / Micro in the first season of the MCU television series The Punisher.
2017: Jon Watts directed Spider-Man film (2017-2021)
In 2017, Jon Watts directed the Spider-Man film.
March 2019: Disney Acquires 20th Century Fox, Transfers Fantastic Four Franchise to Marvel Studios
In March 2019, Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, transferring control of the Fantastic Four franchise to Marvel Studios.
March 2019: Disney Acquires 21st Century Fox and Gains Film Rights to Fantastic Four
In March 2019, The Walt Disney Company officially acquired 21st Century Fox and gained the film rights for the Marvel Comics characters, including the Fantastic Four.
July 2019: Kevin Feige Confirms New Fantastic Four Film Development
In July 2019, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed the company was developing a new Fantastic Four film for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
2019: Gyllenhaal played Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
In 2019, Gyllenhaal portrayed Quentin Beck / Mysterio in the MCU film Spider-Man: Far From Home.
December 2020: Jon Watts to Direct Fantastic Four Film
In December 2020, Feige announced that Jon Watts would direct the Fantastic Four film.
December 2020: Jon Watts Set to Direct
In December 2020, Jon Watts was set to direct the new Fantastic Four film.
February 2021: Marvel Studios Begins Meeting with Writers
By February 2021, Marvel Studios began meeting with writers for the new Fantastic Four film.
2021: Matt Shakman Directing WandaVision
Matt Shakman was directing the Marvel Studios miniseries WandaVision in 2021.
2021: Reference to Fantastic Four: Life Story #1
On April 4, 2024, Marvel Studios' teaser poster included a QR code to a Future Foundation-themed page with a list of Fantastic Four comics to read on Marvel Unlimited, including Fantastic Four: Life Story #1 (2021), which is set in the 1960s.
2021: Reference to Spider-Man: No Way Home
On February 4, 2025, after the release of the first teaser trailer, it was reported that The Fantastic Four: First Steps became the third-best for a Marvel Studios trailer after those for Deadpool & Wolverine (365M) and 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home (355M).
April 2022: Jon Watts Steps Down as Director
In April 2022, Jon Watts stepped down as director of the Fantastic Four film.
June 2022: Marvel Studios Searches for New Director
By June 2022, Marvel Studios was searching for a new director.
2022: John Krasinski Portrays Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
In 2022, John Krasinski portrayed Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in the MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
2022: Reference to The Bear TV Series
On February 4, 2025, after the release of the first teaser trailer, commentators highlighted a scene of the Thing cooking with H.E.R.B.I.E. and compared it to Moss-Bachrach's role as chef Richie Jerimovich in the series The Bear (2022–present).
February 2023: Casting Begins for the Fantastic Four
By February 2023, casting for the Fantastic Four began.
October 2023: Filming Planned for Early 2024
In October 2023, Matt Shakman announced plans to begin filming in early 2024 at Pinewood Studios in England, with cast announcements pending the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Crew members focused on production design and visual effects tests during the strike period.
November 2023: Pascal in Talks to Portray Reed Richards
Following the actors' strike conclusion in November 2023, Pascal entered talks to play Reed Richards, negotiating his schedule around other commitments. Marvel Studios planned to offer other lead roles soon after prioritizing the actor for Reed, considered the most challenging role to cast.
2023: Casting Considerations and Salary Negotiations
In 2023, Marvel Studios wanted Adam Driver and Emma Stone to portray Reed and Sue, but they both declined offers. Screen tests were held for Reed with several actors, including Christopher Abbott and Jamie Dornan. The role was offered to Jake Gyllenhaal, who also asked for a salary that Marvel did not want to pay. Ebon Moss-Bachrach was offered the role of Ben Grimm / The Thing.
2023: Filming Set to Begin
In July 2022, filming was set to begin in 2023.
January 2024: Filming Planned to Begin
By the start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike in May, filming was planned to begin in January 2024 in London.
January 2024: Filming Delayed; Pascal Exits 'Weapons'
In January 2024, it was reported that filming was delayed to between July and September, leading Pascal to exit his role in the film 'Weapons' (2025).
February 14, 2024: Cast Announcement and Film Delay
On February 14, 2024, Marvel Studios officially announced the casting of Pascal as Reed, Kirby as Sue, Quinn as Johnny, and Moss-Bachrach as the Thing. The film, titled 'The Fantastic Four', was delayed to July 25, 2025, swapping places with 'Thunderbolts*'. The announcement's promotional art hinted at a 1960s setting, and the inclusion of the character H.E.R.B.I.E. was revealed.
February 2024: Casting Updates and Script Polish
In February 2024, it was reported that Bardem was the studio's top choice for Galactus. Eric Pearson was hired to polish the script.
February 2024: Main Cast and Title Announced
In February 2024, the main cast and the title The Fantastic Four were announced.
April 4, 2024: Teaser Poster Release and 404 Error Page
On April 4, 2024 (4-4 Day), Marvel Studios released a teaser poster featuring the Human Torch creating the Fantastic Four symbol. A link led to a 404 error page with H.E.R.B.I.E. and a QR code to a Future Foundation-themed page with Fantastic Four comic recommendations.
June 2024: Filming Start Date Announced
In June 2024, it was announced that filming would begin at the end of July.
July 2024: Michael Giacchino Announced as Composer
In July 2024, Michael Giacchino was announced as the composer for the Fantastic Four film after working on previous MCU projects. Previews of his music for the Fantastic Four and Galactus were showcased during a drone show at San Diego Comic-Con.
November 8, 2024: Initial Release Date Announcement
At San Diego Comic-Con in July, Feige announced the film would be released on November 8, 2024, as the first film in Phase Six of the MCU.
November 2024: Filming Concludes
In November 2024, filming for The Fantastic Four: First Steps concluded at Pinewood Studios in England and on location in England and Spain.
2024: Watts Chose to Direct Film Wolfs (2024)
In 2024, Watts chose to direct the film Wolfs instead.
February 4, 2025: First Teaser Trailer Released
On February 4, 2025, the first teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps was released. The cast appeared at a fan event at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama to launch the teaser.
February 14, 2025: Release Date Pushed Back
In October, the release date was pushed back to February 14, 2025.
April 4, 2025: Retro-Styled Poster Release
On April 4, 2025, a new "retro-styled" poster featuring silhouettes of the Fantastic Four was released, alongside an Empire feature with new details about the film. This occurred despite speculation that a full trailer could be released on that day.
April 2025: Mark Gatiss Cast as Ted Gilbert
In April 2025, Mark Gatiss was revealed to be appearing as Ted Gilbert, the talk show host of The Ted Gilbert Show.
May 2, 2025: Release Date Pushed Back
In June 2023, the release date was pushed back to May 2, 2025.
June 5, 2025: Fantastic Four Theme Released as Digital Single
On June 5, 2025, Michael Giacchino's main theme for the Fantastic Four was released as a digital download single by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music.
June 2025: Sequel Reported to be in Development
In June 2025, it was reported that a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps was in development.
July 18, 2025: Full Score Released Digitally
On July 18, 2025, Michael Giacchino's full score for The Fantastic Four: First Steps was released digitally.
July 21, 2025: Premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps
On July 21, 2025, The Fantastic Four: First Steps premiered at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
July 22, 2025: Box Office Projections and Preview Earnings
On July 22, 2025, projections estimated The Fantastic Four: First Steps would earn $100–110 million domestically and $90–110 million overseas during its opening weekend, for a total of $190–210 million. The film earned $24.4 million in Thursday night previews.
2025: Release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps
In 2025, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team, was released. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and a reboot of the Fantastic Four film series.
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