The inaugural team from Marvel is set to soar onto the big screen. Apologies for any inconvenience.
Avengers
, but
The Fantastic Four
are possibly the comic book company’s most recognizable and cherished superhero dynasties (I suppose the Avengers are more like colleagues initially, right?). Disney undoubtedly expects that Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm will inject a surge of cosmic power into the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. Featuring talents such as
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn
, and
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Playing those roles, the future undoubtedly appears promising and teeming with talent.
And in a fresh cover story from
Entertainment Weekly
It seems like Marvel\’s iconic team is set to
attain unprecedented levels of nostalgic sentiment and temporal reconstruction
When they debut in theaters on July 25, 2025, the retro-futuristic story aims to explore the convergence of \”Kirby meeting Kubrick,\” according to the director.
Matt Shakman
Put it this way: These characters aren’t part of the Earth we’ve encountered in the MCU so far, which indicates that changes are definitely on their way!
Per Shakman:
Ideally, we thought this would resemble another planet Earth, giving us an opportunity to reimagine how the ‘60s might appear. I was particularly intrigued by the idea of envisioning The Fantastic Four as astronauts. Imagine if instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon, it was actually Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben who became the pioneers venturing into outer space and breaking new ground.
Eager to learn more and see some exclusive new images from the film? Continue reading below!
The \’Fantastic Four\’ movie plans to embrace the optimism of comics from theSilver Age.
As comic book historian Sean Howe detailed in his publication
Marvel Comics: The Hidden Narrative
The vibrant display of heroic acts against a dark and gloomy backdrop instantly stood out.
Fantastic Four
Aside from all the other offerings at the newsstand, these vibrant tales seem perfectly attuned to our present uncertain times (to say the least). This latest version of theFantasticstory appears ready for a fresh start with some redesigned characters.
One of the standout aspects of this rendition is how they portray Johnny Storm. Portrayed by Chris Evans in earlier versions from around 2000, Johnny was depicted as arrogant and flirtatious. As per Quinn, though that confident attitude remains intact, their interpretation seems somewhat more down-to-earth compared to Evans\’. “While he’s someone who exudes plenty of swagger, often coming off as brash, he’s also quite humorous,” Quinn noted. “I discussed past depictions of him along with [Marvel Studios head] Kevin Feige, reflecting on our current cultural climate. Back then, being seen as a carefree womanizer might have been considered attractive, but does such charm resonate today? Probably not.”
Johnny appears to be less cold-hearted when it comes to others\’ emotions,\” Quinn remarked, \”and ideally he has some understanding of what fuels his desire for attention.
As Shakman stated:
He has boarded that spacecraft with a specific purpose, and often folks overlook that in numerous comic narratives, he stands out as one of the bravest characters around, despite consistently downplaying his bravery using humor. Being Sue’s sibling indicates they share many similarities.
A modification that might improve the movie could be having The Thing less armored, which would enable the actors to better relate to the character of Ben. \”The Fantastic Four share a strong bond; they are like family long before their journey into space leads to their mutations,\” noted Moss-Bachrach. \”It was beneficial for me to simply stand there since this allowed Joe, Vanessa, or Pedro to see Ben rather than The Thing when looking at me. This contributes significantly to fostering intimacy and how we interact with one another.\”
And, naturally, our dear Susan Storm is also receiving a character enhancement. Back in the earlier issues of the comics, Sue Storm was condescendingly called \”Invisible Girl\” since she had the ability to become unseen but primarily served as a passive victim. As Vanessa Kirby pointed out, “If you portrayed a 1960s version of Sue now, people might find her somewhat submissive.” Therefore, understanding how to convey the spirit of who she symbolized for every era—where gender dynamics varied—and bringing that to life today has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this project.
Another key element the movie aims to explore is positioning a superhero who is also a mother at the heart of the story—while ensuring she brings some of her character named Malice into the mix as well.
\”Matt and I were really aware that there hasn\’t really been a mother with a baby in these superhero archetypes women have been getting. One of the things I love most from Sue\’s history is when she becomes Malice, and all her dark stuff comes out. I was obsessed with that chapter of her life. So I wanted to make sure that there were tones of Malice in there with her, that she wasn\’t just the stereotype of a goody, sweet mother. I\’ve always been really interested in the mess of femininity, and how can you be both? How can you be all the things? Not just the tough, invincible, powerful woman, but also a mother who gives birth, which is itself a superhero act. I love that these characters are real humans in a messy family who argue and try to work it out and get things wrong.\”
And if you\’re a comic book enthusiast pondering whether this implies that Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, might make an appearance in
First Steps
? You\’ll be pleased to hear that he does indeed. For more details, you can read the entire passage.
EW
The story can be found at the following link.
Source:
Entertainment Weekly