Some superhero movies go for real-world relevance. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" succeeds by doubling down on whimsical, wide-eyed wonder.

First Steps is the second cinematic reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise, and there’s a lot riding on this film. While cinema-goers have responded enthusiastically to many of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,

First Steps opening this weekend on July 26, 2025, let’s make sense of this super family for newcomers heading to the theater—it's a fun way to get ready for the adventure!

In addition to setting up Galactus and the Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four: First Steps finds time to tease another major villain.

Marvel's Ryan Meindering on how he and his team of concept artists helped The Thing show emotion, and how they brought iconic characters to life.

The second Fantastic Four post-credits scene is a fun moment paying homage to several classic Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Marvel characters.

The world devourer, played by Ralph Ineson, is finally given a comic book accurate look on the big screen, while his herald is given quite the makeover for First Steps. Rather than being introduced as Norrin Radd,

Other new film-inspired merchandise recently landed at Walt Disney World. At Disneyland, guests can find the Fantastic Four and HERBIE outside a special area in Tomorrowland, which has been dressed up for the occasion. Character encounters are also being offered to celebrate the new film at Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

In 1978, the animation company DePatie–Freleng (best known for The Pink Panther) teamed with Marvel to make The New Fantastic Four. The stories leaned a little more into sci-fi and tech, especially with the inclusion of H.E.R.B.I.E., the group's little robotic friend not too dissimilar from Star Wars' R2-D2.

We're 37 films deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How does "Fantastic Four: First Steps" rank against "Ant-Man" or "Avengers: Endgame"?