The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is poised for a significant shift in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. As the teaser trailer reveals, Baby Franklin Richards, a character often depicted as the most powerful in Marvel Comics, will appear. 475e3v

This development raises questions about the future of Captain Marvel, another character often considered among the MCU’s most formidable heroes.

Baby Franklin: The MCU’s new powerhouse? 6k13a

Franklin Richards, the son of Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) and Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), possesses reality-warping abilities. Those include creating pocket universes and manipulating matter and energy on a cosmic scale. His powers have drawn the attention of cosmic entities like Galactus and the Celestials. Those baddies consider him on par with themselves, which says a lot.

In the film, Vanessa Kirby portrays Sue Storm, and early word suggests that Franklin’s birth and potential powers will be central to the plot. The introduction of a character with such immense capabilities could mean a new direction in the MCU’s power rankings.

Captain Marvel’s waning presence 2c6o11

Captain Marvel, portrayed by Brie Larson, was introduced as a major force in the MCU with her 2019 solo film, which grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide. However, her prominence has diminished in recent years. She was notably absent from several key MCU films and had a limited role in Avengers: Endgame.

The 2023 sequel, The Marvels, failed to replicate the success of its predecessor, earning just $206 million globally against a production budget of $374 million, making it the lowest-grossing film in the MCU. Factors contributing to its underperformance include a convoluted storyline only fans steeped in Disney+ MCU lore could understand, and limited promotional efforts due to industry strikes.

As for Larson, she’s noncommittal about her future in the MCU, stating she doesn’t “have anything to say” regarding projects. The Marvels’ poor reception, general controversy surrounding Larson and her character, and the introduction of her rival in the MCU power rankings, Baby Franklin, could further redefine Captain Marvel’s role in future movies.

However, as Marvel fans know, Captain Marvel and Baby Franklin aren’t necessarily in direct competition in the narrative sense.

A strategic shift in the MCU? 382p

That said, and though it’s too soon to tell, the introduction of Baby Franklin could signify Marvel Studios’ intent to redefine the hierarchy of power within the MCU. By bringing in a character whose abilities sur those of existing heroes, the studio may be setting the stage for new narratives that move away from established figures like Captain Marvel.

This transition aligns with broader changes within Marvel Studios, which is reevaluating its approach following several underperforming projects. The studio is reportedly focusing on fewer, higher-quality productions and integrating new characters to rejuvenate the franchise.

No matter what, Baby Franklin’s debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps marks a pivotal moment for the MCU, potentially heralding a new era of storytelling centered around characters with unprecedented powers.

This development, alongside the declining prominence of Captain Marvel, suggests a strategic shift in the franchise’s direction, aiming to captivate audiences with fresh narratives and dynamic heroes. Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 25, 2025.

Marvel just experienced perhaps the biggest leak in its 16-year history. A confirmed concept artist for Marvel Studios inadvertently shared exclusive art from the most anticipated films of the MCU’s slate, namely The Fantastic Four: The First Steps, Avengers: Secret Wars, and more.

Artist Mushk Rizvi shared the leak on their official website, sparking immediate conversation online among eagle-eyed Marvel fans. The art was swiftly taken down from Rizvi’s site. Or more accurately, Rizvi’s entire website went dark, as did every one of their social media s, including Instagram, Facebook, and X. One can only assume the Marvel execs, namely Kevin Feige, popped a blood vessel when news of the leak reached their desks.

The MCU has endured a rough couple of years since the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. The long-running storytelling machine has ran face first into numerous critical and box office hit-or-misses throughout Phases Four and Five, leading fans to question how much gas the studio has left in the tank. In response, the studio has pulled back, throwing up metaphorical “under construction” signs. But somehow, we just got a glimpse through the cracks. If even half of this leaked concept art comes to life, the MCU might just be entering another golden age.

Note: This leak is huge and is a major spoiler for the conclusion of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. To maintain the theatrical integrity of the films, WGTC has chosen not to embed the links into this article. Instead, we have linked out to them, allowing readers to choose whether they wish to see them or not.

The most detailed leak of the bunch come from what appears to be Avengers: Doomsday, at least according to initial reports; trusted insider My Time To Shine has said the art is actually from Avengers: Secret Wars. The standout image shows Doctor Doom seated on a throne, clad in white armor reminiscent of the Secret Wars (2015) comic run. It looks like Doom rules over a universe of his own making — presumably Battleworld. At first blush, Reed Richards appears absent and all we see is a woman who could be Sue Storm standing beside Doom with, presumably, Franklin by her side. Another woman with a blonde braid down her back holds a thick chain wrapped around the neck (or hands) of a man kneeling at Doom’s throne. That woman shares a resemblance to Yelena Belova, and the chained man may or may not be Reed Richards. If it’s not Reed, it could suggest he is stranded elsewhere, trying to reunite with his family in Battleworld. The image also reveals Doctor Strange’s unmistakable silhouette, which might explain why Benedict Cumberbatch previously stated he won’t appear in Doomsday but will return for Secret Wars.

Another long-speculated decision seems to be confirmed: the introduction of a new Black Panther. The leak all but guarantees a recasting of the role, originally embodied by the late Chadwick Boseman. Given the film’s shifting timelines, Marvel could introduce an older Black Panther, possibly played by Denzel Washington. Those long held rumors could finally be coming true.

Some concept art introduces entirely original MCU ideas that are not rooted in any comic run, making predictions rather difficult. One such image shows Star-Lord sitting on a couch next to White Vision. Another depicts a medieval planet ruled by Hulks, of which we see Tatiana Maslany’s She-Hulk and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner-Hulk front and center talking to someone who may or may not be Hulk’s son, Skaar. Another image reveals Star-Lord and Wong in a Guardians of the Galaxy-esque bar surrounded by of the Young Avengers team, of which includes Kate Bishop, Stature aka Cassie Lang, Tommy Maximoff aka Speed, Billy Maximoff/Kaplan aka Wiccan, and Ms. Marvel. The direction of these stories remains unclear, but they hint at major shake-ups.

How will all of this unfold in the final films? We don’t truly know. As Sean Baker said in his Oscar speech for Anora, we’ll just have to head to the theaters and find out.

It’s an open secret that the biggest reason most actors go anywhere near Marvel at this stage is the paycheck, but we appreciate John Malkovich‘s honesty, nevertheless.

The actor didn’t hold out in a recent interview with GQ as he discussed his involvement in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on the group known as the comic book franchise’s “First Family.”

Malkovich will be sharing the screen with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as a currently undisclosed character, though rumors suggest he’s taking on a rather peculiar ape-decked villain.

Unlike other actors or directors, fresh and seasoned, who have ghosted Marvel for not being sophisticated enough, like a himbo situationship you flirt with but never introduce to your friends, the twice Oscar-nominated actor had no qualms about “artistic considerations.” For the 71-year-old, the bottom line was the bottom line.

“I didn’t like the deals they made, at all,” he told the publication, adding, “These films are quite grueling to make…. If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me.”

This can’t be a surprising take, considering a large chunk of the usually bloated budgets of IP blockbuster films is always reserved for the cast’s millionaire paydays. Within Marvel, the current record is held by the father of the franchise, Robert Downey Jr., who’ll reportedly be paid $50 million a piece for his Avengers double-bill (and that’s excluding box office bonuses).

Another actor closer to Malkovich’s generation recently mirrored his nonchalance around money talk. Harrison Ford, who plays a president-turned-Red-Hulk in the tepid fourth Captain America movie that just came out, told MTV’s Josh Horowitz that it was his salary that eased the ridicule of playing a big red CGI monster.

“That’s what the money is for,” was Ford’s answer to Horowitz’s question about how easily he could silence the part of his brain that said, “I look like an idiot.” Though he did make sure to add that this approach doesn’t mean he’ll take money for anything.

Long gone are the days when playing a Marvel character represented realizing a childhood dream, or even the chance to contribute to movie history as a part of its biggest ever franchise. Also long gone, however, are the days when Marvel movies successfully combined entertainment with any kind of worthwhile storytelling, so the shift is entirely justified. Booking a Marvel film in the late 2010s would make you a movie star, now it has the potential to embarrass you and your acting chops with endless rewriters, reshoots, and patched-up final cuts. Why take the chance if not for a well-rounded check?

As Malkovich puts it, “You don’t want to pay me, it’s cool, but then I don’t want to do it, because I’d rather be onstage, or be directing a play, or doing something else.” With praise this enthusiastic, you would think the actor was trying to get people to not watch Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Luckily for Kevin Feige, despite the painful decline of Marvel’s image, the film still seems to be highly anticipated by fans. It hits theaters July 25, 2025, and for the sake of the few Marvel loyalists left, let’s hope at least a couple of people involved treated it as something other than a cash grab.

It seems like every blockbuster needs a viral-worthy popcorn bucket these days, and right on cue, one artist just made the perfect set for Marvel’s Fantastic Four!

Promotional popcorn buckets are nothing new, however, the modern boom of novelty popcorn buckets began in 2019 and has only gotten bigger. AMC theatres have been at the forefront of the movement since, and the trend finally reached its peak this year.

Let’s take a look at some of the best we’ve seen, and the potential The Fantastic Four designs. 

The perfect Fantastic Four popcorn bucket designs  4g3v5k

Many moviegoers are interested in buckets as collectible items. Heck, even K-pop inspired buckets exist. But these Fantastic Four bucket designs might just be the cream of the crop. BossLogic, a concept artist on X, designed some amazing popcorn buckets for the movie, and Marvel needs to get these licensed fast. 

BossLogic’s designs include a bucket for each member of Marvel’s first family. For Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, the bucket plays on his stretchy powers and is shaped like his stretched-out arm, complete with a hand to hold your drink. Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman’s bucket has a see-through effect. For Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, BossLogic went for a cheeky fire emergency box design, complete with an “In case of fire, break glass,” warning. Finally, for Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, the bucket is shaped like his signature fedora with his hardened hand holding it up. 

War of the popcorn buckets 5d3f2

The novelty popcorn bucket trend really kicked off this year when pictures of the questionable Dune: Part 2 buckets were leaked. The buckets featured lids designed to look like the sandworms from the movie with a puckered opening lined with spikes to represent the creature’s teeth. Despite the creator’s intentions, the buckets immediately had people thinking the dirtiest thoughts, and let’s just say the internet had a field day with them. Despite the designs not being received exactly how they were intended, they still went viral and were a huge hit, leading other 2024 blockbusters to hop on the trend. 

After Dune: Part 2’s sandworm design went viral, theatres went all out with their buckets. Regal Cinemas decided to also do a sandworm design, this one after the iconic black and white worm from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice which ended up as another hit. Both Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres released novelty buckets for Venom: The Last Dance and Cinemark Theatres ed in the fun with their kickass helmet-shaped buckets for Gladiator II. Cinemark also outdid itself with 3D Moana 2 bucket designs that featured different characters and a live ocean wave. 

Even horror movies like Nosferatu weren’t left out of the fun as Regal Cinemas designed a popcorn bucket shaped like the vampire’s coffin. However, Ryan Reynolds declared all-out war when he partnered with AMC to design a Deadpool & Wolverine bucket to rival Dune: Part 2. The bucket followed in its competitor’s suggestive shoes and was shaped like Wolverine’s head with his mouth open. In typical Deadpool style, Reynolds released a seductive teaser video for the bucket to declare war. But who knows, maybe the Fantastic Four will knock Pool and Claws out of the park with their own unique popcorn bucket designs!

It’s clobbering time! Clobbering records time, that is, as The Fantastic Four: First Steps is already smashing milestones despite not launching into cinemas until the summer. Marvel Studios really gave DC’s Superman trailer a run for its money this week with our first proper look at director Matt “WandaVision” Shakman’s reboot of the First Family, and MCU fans are immediately finding their faith for the future of the franchise restored.

Just look at the evidence. It’s been confirmed that the First Steps trailer manage to draw 202 million views across all platforms within its first 24 hours of going live. This means it is officially one of the most popular Marvel movie trailer launches ever. Specifically, it’s the third most popular ever, which heavily indicates that the new Fantastic Four might just end up as the most successful Multiverse Saga movie since, well, the last one.

According to Deadline, Fantastic Four‘s phenomenal trailer performance means it’s the MCU’s third most-watched trailer to date, behind Deadpool & Wolverine (365 million) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (355 million). That tells us that it is the most-watched trailer for an MCU movie that isn’t a sequel, which just goes to show how much fans care for these characters — despite Fox’s best attempts to tarnish their brand for good.

Deadpool & Wolverine memorably became the single most-watched trailer in movie and internet history when it dropped this time last year, which ended up translating to a whopping box office run — the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman threequel ended up bringing home $1.3 billion worldwide. Similarly, No Way Home swung to glory with an amazing $1.95 billion global total. First Steps is keeping some mighty fine company, then, thereby setting the stage for a hefty haul this July.

Pre-release buzz for Captain America: Brave New World has been arguably somewhat muted — although box office projections aren’t terrible — so it’s encouraging to see that Marvel’s summer tentpole could be on track to become as popular as its last. Obviously, clicking on a trailer is a lot different from actually buying a theater ticket, but with any luck, the fans will follow through. Although it has to be said that First Steps has some ridiculously stiff competition.

This July is stacked in the crowd-pleasing blockbuster department, as Fantastic Four is the filling in a cinematic sandwich also comprising Jurassic World: Rebirth at the start of the month and Superman at the end. This could either turn into a mutually beneficial three-way Barbenheimer-style situation (Jurantastic Fuperman? Super Fantastic World Man?) or a disappointment for all parties as the three films shave sales off of each other.

It’s worth pointing out that Superman‘s trailer smashed its way to 250 million views in 24 hours to become DC and Warner Bros.’ most-watched trailer ever. So the glass half empty way of looking at this is that the Man of Steel might have the edge over Marvel. On the glass half full side, though, it seems people are excited for superhero movies again!

Nature is healing. At a time when the MCU can’t escape criticism and controversy, The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer seems to have united the entire fandom in unanimous hype. The teaser for the summer blockbuster from director Matt “WandaVision” Shakman manages to strike a winning balance between giving us all the goodies we wanted and holding back a lot for the movie itself.

For instance, while we saw Ben Grimm in all his rocky glory and even got a glimpse at Galactus (in all his bucket-heated glory), there’s still much we don’t know about First Steps. Where’s Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer? Does H.E.R.B.I.E. the adorable low-fi robot speak? Will Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom be in this one? And, most pertinently for the trailer, who is John Malkovich playing?

The two-time Oscar nominee’s role is shrouded in mystery at present, and yet his specific look in the trailer (let’s call it Santa Hobo Chic) appears to confirm the most prominent rumor about his character’s identity. And if we’re right about this then Malkovich’s presence is just another promise that First Steps is going to fully embrace the craziness of the Fantastic Four comics. Did somebody say “super-ape army”…?

Who is Red Ghost, John Malkovich’s presumed Fantastic Four character? z4a14

Going by the evidence, plus some murmurings that have been surrounding the film since the actor was cast, it seems likely that John Malkovich is playing the Red Ghost, a rather obscure supervillain from Fantastic Four lore.

Real name Ivan Kragoff, the Red Ghost is a Russian scientist who became obsessed with recreating the exposure to cosmic rays that gave the Four their powers. Setting off on his own mission into space, Kragoff got what he wanted and formed his own superpowered foursome. The only thing is that he was the only human aboard his rocket, as he was accompanied by a trio of trained primates. Just as Kragoff came out of the experience with powers (invisibility and phasing abilities, à la Sue Storm), so to did his simian pals, and the mad scientist dubbed them his Super-Apes. He later augmented other apes the same way to form his own private primate army.

Again, Malkovich’s role as Red Ghost has yet to be confirmed, but it would make a lot of sense. The character debuted on the page all the way back in 1963’s Fantastic Four #13 and it certainly seems like the film is drawing from the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby comics. Likewise, Russia trying to create its own version of American superheroes is a classic MCU trope at this point — see the Winter Soldier and Red Guardian.

The teaser didn’t contain any suggestion that Kragoff’s Super-Apes are on their way, but given this is a movie that’s going to give us a comic-accurate Galactus it stands to reason that it wouldn’t shy away from slipping in a mega-monkey military as well. Who would’ve thought that the C-list leader of a Super-Ape army would make their MCU debut before Blade? What a multiverse!

It’s time to say goodbye to your Fant4stic PTSD, everybody, because the Fantastic Four are finally back, and they might just be better than ever. Marvel Studios unveiled the first teaser trailer for its incoming reboot of the phenomenal family this Tuesday morning, and it’s immediately convincing old-school MCU fans to give the franchise another go.

After a flashy livestreamed launch event featuring the core quartet themselves, The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer hit the internet, offering our initial taste of Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn’s Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s the Thing in action. Much like DC’s own Superman trailer last month, the First Steps teaser is hooking audiences in with its retro feel and focus on its characters that harks back to the superhero movies of yesteryear. There’s nary a Deadpool-esque quip in sight!

Skipping straight over the usual origins story, the trailer presents the Fantastic Four not just already transformed but already operating as celebrity superheroes in an alternate space-age version of the 1960s (, this one takes place elsewhere in the multiverse, not in the Sacred Timeline). Although it seems the arrival of a certain planet-eating giant is about to turn their world upside down.

All in all, perhaps finally learning from all the mistakes Fox’s Fantastic Four films have made in the past, the First Steps trailer promises something extremely authentic and comic book-y in its vibes and visuals. And it’s basically all fans could ever have asked for. Just look at this shot!

Everybody say “thank you, Matt Shakman!”

Here’s the Thing… He looks great.

GALACTUS HAS HIS BUCKET HEAD, PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

All it took was 90 seconds of old-fashioned Marvel goodness for lapsed believers to return to the flock.

Well, hello Infinity Saga-level hype!

We Scorse-see the vision.

i’ve seen enough marvel is back pic.twitter.com/4IiR4hctr4

— isaiah (@tlop444) February 4, 2025

Fans who’ve been paying attention have already had a taste of First Steps‘ vibrant retro-futurist visual style — the sneak peeks shown at last year’s SDCC and D23 both leaked online — but we still didn’t expect the film to look quite like this. The extremely comic-accurate Ben Grimm is an absolute delight, and, yes, seeing Galactus’ supremely silly helmet realized in a movie at long last hits surprisingly hard. No more space clouds for us!

The best part about the trailer, though, is surely how much it actually holds back. There’s no Silver Surfer, as played by Julia Garner, and John Malkovich’s Santa Claus-looking character still remains a total mystery. And even if Robert Downey Jr. does show up as Doctor Doom, as we’re all expecting, at least Marvel isn’t leaning hard on his star-power to sell tickets. Even though we’ve had three films already released about these heroes to varying levels of success, Marvel is hinging the fate of First Steps on the appeal of its titular foursome. And, by the looks of how well this trailer is going down, that bet may well pay off. We’ll find out come The Fantastic Four‘s release into our orbit this July 25.

The list of failures from previous FF adaptations that The Fantastic Four: First Steps must fix is longer than Reed Richards can stretch, but something earlier iterations of the franchise have actually already nailed is The Thing. No, not the uncanny nudist rock monster played by Jamie Bell in 2015’s Fant4stic, but Michael Chiklis’s beautifully practical Ben Grimm from the mid-aughts movies.

While some fans might’ve wished Marvel would’ve gone the old-fashioned route with the character again in 2025, star Ebon Moss-Bachrach has already confirmed that his version will be realized with CGI. We know all too well how a comic book film relying too much on VFX can go wrong, but thankfully Moss-Bachrach’s latest revelation about the celebrity helping hand he received in bringing The Thing to life suggests we’re in for something special this summer.

Which Lord of the Rings icon helped bring The Thing to life in The Fantastic Four? 19202q

While speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Moss-Bachrach revealed that he had a mentor when it came to mastering the art of MoCap, and it seems he learned from the best. A certain MCU veteran and Middle-earth mainstay apparently gave the actor some much-needed pointers, which bodes well for his performance as Ben Grimm.

“Andy Serkis, who’s sort of the godfather of motion capture, he’s got this company called The Imaginarium, which is at Pinewood Studio where we shot Fantastic Four, and he was very generous,” Moss-Bachrach told Kimmel, confirming that The Hobbit alum taught him the ropes.

Andy Serkis is, of course, no stranger to the Marvel multiverse himself, having starred as Ulysses Klaue in both Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther and, more recently, playing Knull in Venom: The Last Dance (the sequel to Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which he directed). And let’s not forget he’s Alfred in DC’s The Batman films. Is Serkis trying to chomp his way through every superhero franchise like he’s Galactus?

Although this has only made us more intrigued to see the finished form of The Thing, it sounds like we’re still a ways off Ben Grimm in all his clobberin’ glory being unveiled just yet. In the same interview, Moss-Bachrach was quizzed on whether he has seen what he’ll look like when transformed into full Thing mode. Understandably, post-production on the movie — which is on track for an impressively, but also kind of worryingly, fast turnaround — is still ongoing so The Bear vet itted he has yet to see the final rendering.

“I’ve seen a very crude rendering as it takes a while to build this stuff,” he stated. “They have so many animators working on this. I wear these motion capture suits, two cameras right here so they’re capturing absolutely everything, every nuance, every expression, every thought in my eye.”

With shooting only starting last July, just 12 months ahead of its theatrical release, Marvel hasn’t left itself long to polish First Steps to perfection, so we would hate for its effects to end up looking like the unholy lovechild of Quantumania and Kraven the Hunter. With Serkis sharing the tricks of the trade with Moss-Bachrach, and the actor confirming the VFX team are hard at work and taking their time over it, hopefully The Fantastic Four will dazzle us come July 25. If not, well, I guess we’ll have to wait for the next reboot in 10 years’ time.

We know Robert Downey Jr. will officially return to the MCU next year, in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, but is there a chance he could be back in the Marvel multiverse as soon as this summer? That’s what fans are hoping for, as surely The Fantastic Four: First Steps can’t come and go without at least a post-credits scene cameo from Downey’s Doctor Doom… Right?

With so much about Marvel’s reboot of the First Family still buried beneath the top-secret security of the Baxter Building, there’s no way the studio is about to announce something this juicy just yet. And yet we know all too well that MCU actors have much looser lips than Kevin Feige and oftentimes they say things they shouldn’t – that’s how we already know a fair chunk of the cast of Doomsday, after all.

The Bear‘s Ebon Moss-Bachrach showed up on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night, and obviously the conversation turned towards The Fantastic Four. As a master of conversational manipulation, Kimmel tried to trick the actor into revealing something big, but to Cousin’s credit, he managed to slip through the ordeal unscathed. Or did he…?

The Fantastic Four‘s Thing actor addresses rumors Robert Downey Jr. will cameo 314e6j

“Is it true that you and Robert Downey Jr. really hit it off and became good friends on the set?” Kimmel quizzed, matter-of-factly, causing a severely flustered Moss-Bachrach to stumble over his words. “Yeah, we live together now,” he ultimately replied, to laughs from the audience. “He asked me to move in with him.”

When Kimmel changed track and straight-up asked if the star “spent time” with Downey on the film, Moss-Bachrach itted, “It’s not gonna happen. I’ve been through rigorous media training.” Kimmel should’ve known better than to try and trip the actor up, as this is not Ebon’s first Marvel rodeo. He’s been part of the spoiler-phobic franchise before, having played Micro in Netflix’s The Punisher series last decade.

Of course, the fact that Moss-Bachrach had to try so hard to avoid putting his foot in it may lead some to speculate that he actually has something to hide in the first place. In all honesty, it would be bizarre if Victor Von Doom didn’t make his MCU debut alongside his quartet of nemeses, so the real question is whether he’ll be granted a fair amount of screentime or the briefest of cameos. Going by how the foursome already have Ralph Ineson’s Galactus, Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer, and John Malkovich’s mystery man to contend with, the likelihood is a classic MCU post-credits appearance.

With First Steps scheduled to sail into cinemas on July 25, we really should be getting a proper trailer — following a Comic Con/D23 sneak peek that leaked online last summer — in the coming weeks. Until then, congrats to Downey and Cousin on becoming roomies. Maybe Moss-Bachrach is being so cagey because he doesn’t want to ruin the surprise buddy-cop road movie spinoff Marvel has in store — Doom and the Thing’s Excellent Adventure.

For many actors, appearing in a Marvel Studios project is a rite of age — proof that you’ve really made it big and are ready to rub shoulders with the most popular stars in the world in the world’s biggest movie franchise. What’s more, being part of the MCU is a chance to put aside the intense indie dramas and play at having powers and saving the world while getting a nice fat paycheck for your troubles. What’s not to love about that?

There are some folks out there for whom Marvel still isn’t appealing, though, and that includes a certain Irish superstar. I know what you’re thinking — Wait, Ayo Edebiri was almost in Thunderbolts*? Why’s she changing her tune now? But nope, I’m actually talking about a different child of the Emerald Isle. The Marvel hater in the room is really Gladiator II‘s own Paul Mescal, despite rumors previously linking him to The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

“It’s not for me”: Gladiator II star shoots down MCU hopes in flames 6o5743

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal may share the screen in Sir Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, but it turns out there was never any chance of them pairing up again as superhero brothers-in-law (brother-in-laws?) for Marvel’s incoming Fantastic Four reboot. With Pascal occupying the role of Reed Richards, who was going to play Johnny Storm was a hotly contested issue for a while there, with Mescal said to be in the running.

Happy Sad Confused podcaster Josh Horowitz had to ask the Normal People actor whether there was ever any actual truth to these rumors when he got him on his show, and Mescal quickly professed that there wasn’t. Not only that, but the Irishman made clear that he has no ambitions whatsoever to enter the Marvel sphere.

“I don’t think it’s for… it’s not for me,” Mescal responded, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I wasn’t brought up watching those films, I wasn’t drawn to them.” If there was one major franchise he wouldn’t mind being a part of, however, it’s Middle-earth, not the MCU. “I was kind of more like a Lord of the Rings guy, in that sense, so they weren’t films I was drawn to,” Mescal added.

The 28-year-old’s frankness is earning some appreciation in the YouTube comments. “He’s right on the money there,” wrote one. “Dude wants to branch out the normal way and not get swept up in the superhero junkyard. Respect!” Others were entertained by Mescal visibly biting his tongue: “lol he had a hard time answering that, like he was trying his best not to say he hates those types of movies lmfao.” Some, meanwhile, are skeptical he’s not going to change his mind one day: “We’ll see if he changes his tune when they offer him 40 Morbillion dollars.”

Well, it looks like Kevin Feige can cross Mescal’s name off his “to get” list. At least we can still dream about Cillian Murphy one day showing up or — better yet — Irish Queen Ayo changing her mind and coming back.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is among the most important films Marvel Studios will ever put out in its lifetime. This is a film that will introduce some of the most important superheroes in the entire Marvel library, squaring up against James Gunn’s Superman for cultural supremacy, and setting the tone for the final act of the Multiverse Saga, which needs to be a victory in absolutely every sense of the word.

And, subtitle aside, we’ve been given every reason to remain hopeful for the First Family’s foray into Kevin Feige’s canon, and recently-emerged plot details have only piled on to the optimism. As revealed in the official First Steps project profile, the film will follow the Four as they reconcile operating as a superhero team with their dysfunctional family dynamic, but their biggest challenge will come in the form of double-threat Galactus and his herald Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer. To make matters even more complicated, the pair’s imminent attack on Earth turns out to be much more personal for the Four.

Now, we’ve known Galactus and the Silver Surfer were going to be involved for some time now, as Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner were respectively cast in the roles back in the spring. But given the pair’s specified alignment coupled with the promise that this will be a personal battle, there are a number of possibilities First Steps could take with these two.

The most obvious possibility is that the film could borrow from the Earth X limited series published by Marvel Comics, in which the Galactus mantle is taken on by Franklin Richards, the son of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman. Importantly, this version of Galactus also made Shalla-Bal into the Silver Surfer so that she could reunite with Norrin Radd, the original Silver Surfer and Shalla-Bal’s former lover.

With this, you would have a few emotional playgrounds to work with. Reed and Sue would have to face the fact that the monster who’s endeavoring to swallow Earth is their child (who they may or may not have had yet, but this scenario is possible either way by the assumed presence of time travel; don’t forget that this is a Fantastic Four story in a canon involving the TVA).

Moreover, Shalla-Bal would ostensibly be driven not by a desire to see the Earth destroyed, but for the sake of being reunited with Norrin, which is a complex, character-specific emotional core that could run parallel with the fact that Reed and Sue are lovers as well. The fact that First Steps takes place in a separate reality like Earth X could very well be a nod to all of these possibilities as well.

Whatever the case, the First Steps hype train is perhaps the most state-of-the-art asset in Marvel’s hands right now, and there’s so much more we have yet to learn. We still, for instance, haven’t learned the identities of whoever Paul Walter Ha, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso) will portray, nor have we gotten a trailer just yet. Here’s hoping it will all come to a triumphant front when The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

There is so much to look forward to about 2025’s much-anticipated Fantastic Four reboot. Marvel has assembled an incredible cast to bring the First Family back to life — Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, in case you’ve forgotten — and WandaVision director Matt Shakman looks to be bringing as much visual creativity to this MCU project as he did his last. One thing we haven’t been crazy about, though, is the title.

The Multiverse Saga has been plagued by muddled monikers from the beginning — someone was clearly having a psychiatric episode making Ant-Man 3, but what does Quantumania actually mean? — and The Fantastic Four: First Steps threatens to the ever-growing ill-named line-up. You can see what Marvel’s going for — I suspect it’s supposed to have a Space Age flavor befitting the 1960s setting — but it sounds a tad too much like it’s actually Fantastic Four Babies.

That’s why this indication that Marvel might secretly have rechristened it behind the scenes is leaving us keeping our elasticated fingers crossed that it’s true.

The Fantastic Four‘s new subtitle may have been revealed 4v2g6h

Eagle-eyed detectives on Reddit have noticed a curious entry on the LinkedIn profile of a Fantastic Four crewmember that appears to reveal it’s going by a new name.

For starters, originally the entry stated that they provided the practical prop for H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot on set. This confirmed that the foursome’s faithful android would be realized physically rather than by CGI. Once this started to be discussed online, however, the crewmember edited their profile to remove the H.E.R.B.I.E. reference.

What they didn’t do was change the listed name for the movie. This suggests that this isn’t just a mistake and is actually what the production team is calling it. According to this LinkedIn profile, then, the film is actually titled The Fantastic Four: First . This may only be a one-word alteration from the previous title, but it really makes all the difference. And Star Trek fans know why.

First also happens to be the name of a beloved Star Trek movie from 1996. Kevin Feige has long been open about his love for all things Trek — Avengers: Endgame not only takes its title from the Star Trek: Voyager finale, but its time-traveling plotline was also directly inspired by the last episode of The Next Generation. What’s more, Matt Shakman was attached to direct Star Trek 4 for Paramount before Marvel came a-knocking with the Fantastic Four offer.

Given this, it’s highly unlikely that the title listing is a simple goof and there’s every reason to believe it is what the movie will ultimately go by. Let’s hope, anyway, as it’s superior to the First Steps subtitle. It takes the inherent spacey/sci-fi vibes of that title and enhances them, making even clearer to audiences what they will be in for with this new take on the fantastic franchise. Fantastic Four Babies can wait until Marvel needs something to fill its Disney Plus quota in 2048.