'The Fantastic Four' Announces 'First Steps' Subtitle At Marvel Studios Comic-Con Panel
The new subtitle really sets the mood for the film releasing in a year
Well, it was a good five months of necessary disambiguation. At their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday night, Marvel Studios revealed the full title for their upcoming Fantastic Four movie, and it’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, starting production in London on Monday.
It was director Matt Shakman who made the announcement before bringing cast members Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach on stage. He also showcased an early teaser reel, with the tone of a news reel which features the quartet in astronaut outfits, Mr. Fantastic speaking to a bored classroom for something called “Fantastic Science” and giving Bill Nye vibes, the Fantasticar, a rocket launch and the Thing being the mystery contestant on a dating show, and one last breathtaking shot of an enormous supervillain Galactus standing over the Earth. None of the reported supporting cast, namely Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson, Natasha Lyonne, John Malkovich, and Paul Walter Hauser, were in attendance or had any of their roles confirmed.
Shakman explained “We’re doing a retro-future ’60s. Syd Mead was an inspiration. The ’60s, to me, is all about optimism,” referencing the influential designer. “I love the Fantastic Four. I love their power set. We want to be true to the comics but we want to be true to life.” Pascal, who plays Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, stated what he’s loved most about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a sense of “new family.” The actor revealed his and Shakman’s 25-year history, having the same manager, nearly be. Moss-Bachrach is still processing becoming Ben Grimm, who becomes The Thing. “I got a nice text message from Mark Ruffalo. It just demystified the process of motion capture,” he said. The advice? “Make scenes like normal scene work.”
Meanwhile, studio president Kevin Feige, who had recently revealed the film’s retrofuturistic 1960s alternate Earth setting, said “I’m extremely excited because those characters are mainstays, are legendary pillars of the Marvel Universe that we’ve never gotten to play with or explore in any significant way apart from [Doctor Strange in the] Multiverse of Madness and a few fun teases before, in the way we’re doing that film. So, I’m extremely excited.”
Frequent MCU composer Michael Giacchino is scoring this film as well. The team was also confirmed to appear in both of the upcoming Avengers films, which had their titles, directors, and villain revealed to cap off the panel, making it very clear what The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the team’s first steps to, a journey that begins July 25, 2025, positioning itself as following Deadpool & Wolverine to get a Hall H screening, since it’ll be next year’s Comic-Con weekend.
