The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer has achieved lift-off as Marvel reveals first-looks at its iconic First Family, Galactus, and John Malkovich's mystery character

• Marvel has released the first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps
• The MCU Phase 6 movie's inaugural teaser leans into its retro-futuristic vibe with a film grain aesthetic
• Marvel's First Family will make their MCU debut in theaters worldwide on July 25

At long last, the first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been released, and it's already looking like a Marvel movie unlike anything we've seen before.

The forthcoming superhero film's first teaser, which you can view below, reveals how hard The Fantastic Four's latest big-screen adventure is leaning into its period piece setting. That much is obvious from its 1960s era and retro-futuristic vibes, but it's the project's film grain aesthetic that's really selling the movie's uniqueness to me.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Official Teaser | Only in Theaters July 25 - YouTube

Watch On

The teaser, which reconfirms this flick will take place in an alternate reality to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), was already one of 2025's most anticipated new movies. Now, though, the superhero film has jumped to the top of my must-see films of the year – and that's mainly thanks to its incredibly talented cast and crew, the former of whom look tailor-made for these roles.

From the costumes and the sets, to the clear love and care that's gone into bringing one of Marvel's most beloved supergroups back to the silver screen, there's so much to take in and appreciate from the near-two-minute long teaser. I don't know about you, but I'm already, erm, ready to see The Fantastic Four's next cinematic adventure and how they'll tackle the universal threat of this movie's Big Bad, aka the planet-devouring entity known as Galactus. Here's more on what you can expect from First Steps' story, courtesy of a Marvel press release:

"Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family – Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And, if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal."

The Fantastic Four: First Steps' inaugural trailer has been a long time coming. The movie's first footage was shown exclusively to San Diego Comic-Con 2024 attendees last July – one of nine huge announcements that we covered at the time.

Considering that principal photography only began earlier that month, it was quite the turnaround for Marvel to actually show something to those who snagged a seat at its now-customary Hall H panel. One month later, Marvel showed off the same footage to D23 Expo 2024 attendees, so the Disney subsidiary has been sitting on these clips for a while, which has made the wait all the more excruciating for the rest of us.

We haven't had to sit tight for more information about the Marvel Phase 6 film, though. On Valentine's Day 2024, Marvel confirmed the release date, main cast, and a new title for its new Fantastic Four movie. Just one day later, The Fantastic Four: First Steps' first poster all but revealed when and where it would be set. Then, last April, another tease from the comic book giant heavily implied who its main villain would be alongside other key story details.

There's plenty more for you to read about the film in my guide on The Fantastic Four: First Steps, including a round-up of its confirmed cast, story rumors, and how it could set up future storylines in the MCU. Oh, and, in case you missed it earlier, here's when it'll be released in theaters globally: July 25, 2025. That's just two weeks after James Gunn's Superman movie, so comic book movie fans are going to have a summer (or winter, if you live in the southern hemisphere) to remember.

You might also like

• Here's how to watch the Marvel movies in order
• Or find out more about Captain America: Brave New World before its February 14 launch
• Alternatively, get the lowdown on what we know about Daredevil: Born Again