2025 is a giant 12 months for Marvel throughout all media, however no undertaking is extra essential or extra eagerly anticipated than The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This film not solely kicks off Phase 6 of the MCU, it’s additionally the one which lastly introduces Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards and his superhero household. With any luck, our decades-long anticipate a very nice Fantastic Four film is nearly over.
Things are actually shaping up effectively based mostly on the newly launched teaser trailer for First Steps. We get a a lot nearer take a look at the primary foursome, in addition to our first glimpse of antagonists like Ralph Ineson’s Galactus and John Malkovich’s thriller character. But for a lot of followers, there’s just one query on their minds – the place on this planet is Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom? Let’s break down what we do and don’t see on this new trailer.
Where Is Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom?
Marvel actually turned heads ultimately 12 months’s San Diego Comic-Con with the reveal that The Avengers 5 has been renamed The Avengers: Doomsday and that Doctor Doom himself is being performed by none aside from Robert Downey, Jr. Despite the wealth of historical past between Doom and Iron Man within the comics, it was a weird and surprising announcement. And, naturally, followers are questioning what position the Fantastic Four film has in establishing Doom as the following nice Avengers-level risk.
Unsurprisingly, Marvel Studios is enjoying issues fairly near the vest. The teaser doesn’t give any overt hints as to Doom’s presence. If something, it reinforces how totally different an method First Steps is taking from its predecessors. Julian McMahon’s Doom was a significant villain in each 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Toby Kebbell’s Doom, in the meantime, was an integral a part of the 2015 reboot. But this time round, Marvel Studios is downplaying Doom in favor of specializing in Galactus, Silver Surfer, and… John Malkovich? More on him in a bit.
We need to assume First Steps will finally play some position in establishing Doom. After all, he’s a Fantastic Four villain, at first. Plus, this is among the final MCU motion pictures hitting earlier than Avengers: Doomsday drops in May 2026. Surely they need to do one thing to tease the following nice Avengers villain, proper?
The principal query we hope First Steps will reply is from what universe Downey’s Doom hails. He’s clearly not from Earth-616, given the casting alternative. But is Doom additionally from The Fantastic Four: First Steps universe? Is this a world the place Tony Stark’s life took a really totally different and far darker flip? Or is he from one other world completely? Even if Doom solely seems in a post-credits scene, we’re hoping First Steps can set up who this character is and why he’s focusing on the MCU’s Avengers.
But no matter position Doom winds up having in First Steps, be it as a supporting villain or a fast cameo, he gained’t be the star of the present. For now, the Fantastic Four have a lot greater issues to take care of. Literally.
The Fantastic Four vs. Galactus
The teaser makes it plain which villain will likely be occupying many of the Fantastic Four’s time on this film. They’re going to be going through off towards Galactus, the self-proclaimed Devourer of Worlds. Galactus is voiced by Game of Thrones’ Ralph Ineson.
Galactus is one in all many traditional Marvel characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He initially debuted in 1966’s Fantastic Four #48, kicking off the so-called “Galactus Trilogy.” In that storyline, Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer, arrive to devour the planet, forcing the Fantastic Four to resort to determined measures to stave off their bigger than life opponent.
Subsequent Marvel tales have higher fleshed out Galactus’ previous and his position within the cosmic Marvel hierarchy. He was as soon as a mortal man often known as Galan of Taa. As one of many few survivors of the earlier. pre-Big Bang incarnation of the Marvel Universe, Galan bonded with an vitality often known as the Sentience of the Universe and developed to turn out to be Galactus. Ever since, he’s traveled the cosmos, looking for life-rich worlds to slake his insatiable starvation.
Galactus isn’t a lot a supervillain as he’s a being serving a essential cosmic perform. His act of devouring worlds performs into the bigger cycle of loss of life and rebirth within the Marvel Universe. That truth is chilly consolation for anybody dwelling on a planet focused by Galactus, although.
First Steps undoubtedly appears to be drawing inspiration from the traditional Galactus Trilogy. The film is clearly presenting a model of the FF who’re well-established and have an adoring fanbase. Now they face their biggest problem so far within the type of a cosmic devourer trying to devour their world.
The query is to what lengths Reed and his household will go to save lots of earth from destruction. In the comics, Reed threatens Galactus with the Ultimate Nullifier, a handheld weapon with the facility to destroy and remake the multiverse itself. Will we see the Ultimate Nullifier within the movie, and does it one way or the other play into the bigger battle of the Multiverse Saga and the phenomenon of Incursions?
One factor that’s clear is that First Steps is taking a extra comedian book-inspired method to Galactus than we noticed in Rise of the Silver Surfer. That movie depicted Galactus as a hurricane-like cloud, whereas right here we are able to see Galactus in humanoid type towering over the Statue of Liberty. Expect him to be extra of an precise character this time moderately than merely a pressure of nature, therefore the choice to forged Ineson.
We might even see a pair photographs of Galactus within the teaser, however we don’t see his herald. Julia Garner has been forged as Silver Surfer within the film. Silver Surfer additionally debuted in Fantastic Four #48, which launched him as a scout looking for out new planets for his grasp to feed on. Over the course of the story, although, Silver Surfer takes pity on Earth and joins the FF in defying Galactus. That paved the way in which for Silver Surfer to turn out to be a daily hero within the Marvel Universe, ultimately spinning out into his personal solo comedian guide sequence.
Though First Steps is choosing a gender-swapped model of Silver Surfer, we assume the fundamentals will stay the identical. Silver Surfer will begin out as Galactus’ herald, however encountering Earth will awaken reminiscences of her mortal life on Zenn-La, inflicting her to insurgent towards her grasp. Basically, anticipate the same character arc as we noticed with Laurence Fishburne’s Silver Surfer within the 2007 film.
Who Is John Malkovich Playing?
Galactus and Silver Surfer seem like the primary antagonists of the movie, however they in all probability gained’t be the one ones. The teaser features a temporary shot of a bearded John Malkovich, resulting in an important query – what character is Malkovich enjoying?
One present rumor suggests Malkovich has been forged as Ivan Kragoff, a villain higher often known as The Red Ghost. In the comics, Kragoff is a Soviet scientist who recreates the fateful house flight that gave the Fantastic Four their powers. Only on this case, his crew consists of three apes – a gorilla named Mikhlo, a baboon named Igor, and an orangutan named Peotr. After efficiently gaining powers, Kragoff and his apes shaped a group known as Red Ghost and the Super-Apes. Hey, it was the ‘60s.
Given Malkovich’s observe file of enjoying Russian characters, we wouldn’t be in any respect shocked if he’s been forged as Red Ghost. The query is how a lot the film will lean into the character’s campy origins and if he’ll truly be joined by a trio of super-powered apes.
Another risk is that Malkovich is enjoying Mole Man, one other iconic FF villain rumored to seem in First Steps. Shunned by humanity attributable to his odd look and obnoxious character, Mole Man has topped himself king of the underground race often known as the Moloids and is obsessive about taking on the floor world. Malkovich’s character undoubtedly seems to be like he’s spent a while dwelling in a cave.
Either approach, we suspect Malkovich is enjoying a secondary villain who will butt heads with the FF early on within the movie. The group is clearly effectively established by this level, so it is smart that they’d have a rogues’ gallery of their very own.
Let’s additionally not neglect that Malkovich is one in all a number of actors whose position stays unconfirmed proper now. The movie additionally stars Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, and Paul Walter Houser. If you will have any theories as to which Marvel characters they’re enjoying, undoubtedly tell us within the feedback.
Meet the Fantastic Four
While we get just a few glimpses of Galactus, the teaser principally showcases the Fantastic Four themselves. We see loads of the FF right here, together with Pedro Pascal’s sensible scientist//household patriarch Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby’s intrepid Susan Storm, Joseph Quinn’s hotheaded Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bacharach’s cussed Ben Grimm. We even catch a glimpse of the household’s helper robotic, H.E.R.B.I.E.
Family actually is the important thing phrase right here. The teaser emphasizes how the Fantastic Four are as a lot a household unit as a superhero group, with all of the love and dysfunction that comes with it. If the teaser is any indication, the movie will focus quite a bit on Ben’s battle to come back to phrases along with his monstrous situation, in addition to Reed’s guilt over inflicting that situation within the first place.
The trailer means that the movie takes place in a time when the FF are well-established and have turn out to be movie star heroes, moderately than serving as an origin story a la the 2005 and 2015 movies. That stated, we do see a pair photographs that flash again to the origins of the group. We see a pre-Thing Ben Grimm in some archival information footage, in addition to what seems to be the aftermath of the accident that gave the group their powers. So anticipate some flashbacks to the origins of the Fantastic Four, even when this isn’t an origin story.
We may see that the costumes in First Steps are fairly a bit totally different from earlier FF motion pictures. The blue and white colour scheme alone is a significant change, seemingly paying homage to John Byrne’s traditional Fantastic Four comics of the ’80s. The fits play into the concept that these are scientists and adventurers extra so than conventional superheroes. They aren’t sporting form-fitting spandex or battle armor, however purposeful Space Age uniforms that mirror every character’s character.
It’s additionally value mentioning that, whereas we don’t see a lot of it within the teaser itself, a whole lot of Marvel’s advertising and marketing for the movie has revolved across the Future Foundation. In the comics, the Future Foundation is established by Reed as a approach of nurturing the following technology of super-geniuses within the Marvel Universe. That raises the query of whether or not we’ll see any youthful heroes within the movie, together with Reed and Sue’s personal kids, Franklin and Valeria. The “First Steps” title does trace that the film will take care of parenthood and the struggles of elevating kids.
At the very least, there’s likelihood we’ll see younger Franklin Richards within the movie. And given his standing as some of the highly effective superhumans within the Marvel Universe, now we have to marvel if he has one thing to do with why Galactus is focusing on Earth. We’ll discover out when Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
Do you assume Downey’s Doctor Doom will seem within the film? Cast your vote in our ballot Let us know your theories within the feedback under.
For extra on the way forward for the Marvel Universe, discover out what to anticipate from Marvel in 2025 and see each Marvel film and sequence in improvement.
Jesse is a mild-mannered employees author for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your mental thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
