Marvel Studios is reportedly in panic mode over the Fantastic Four: First Steps ending.
According to a post on X by user Will-Iam Smith, audiences didn’t respond well to the film’s ending during early test screenings. The post reads:
“Hearing the test screenings didn’t go over well because audiences didn’t vibe with the ending, so now they’re reshooting some scenes. I’m still hopeful it’ll be good, but it’s a little worrying — Marvel really needs this one to be a home run. #FantasticFour”
Hearing the test screenings didn’t go over well because audiences didn’t vibe with the ending, so now they’re reshooting some scenes. I’m still hopeful it’ll be good, but it’s a little worrying — Marvel really needs this one to be a home run. #FantasicFour https://t.co/ainU442PwI pic.twitter.com/h82oTi2juw
— Will-iam Smith (@bestever23) May 8, 2025
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While many dismissed it as speculation, That Park Place can now confirm through trusted sources close to the production that the report is accurate. Marvel is actively reshooting key scenes to change the Fantastic Four ending following disappointing feedback from test audiences.
The cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
With the theatrical release scheduled for July 25th, the studio has very little time left—and likely an enormous amount of VFX work still to complete.
Not Just Pickups — This Is a Rewrite
Reshoots this close to release are always suspect. But when those reshoots are focused on the third act, it signals something more severe than a minor correction. It suggests that the entire conclusion of the film wasn’t landing, and Marvel is rewriting the climax under pressure.
Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal on the set of ‘THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS’ for additional photography in Los Angeles.
(via: https://t.co/NXgppcgZaF) pic.twitter.com/HwPxbpvZCb
— Fantastic Four Updates (@F4Update) May 8, 2025
Reports from the Los Angeles set show Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal—a gender-swapped version of the Silver Surfer—filming a beachside scene with no special effects markers. She appeared fully human, wearing a white dress with a cosmic pattern, suggesting a major recontextualization of her role. Speculation is now running rampant that the character’s arc has undergone changes, possibly shifting the resolution of her story.
Marvel’s Multiverse Misfires
This wouldn’t be the first time a major Marvel project has tried to fix itself in the eleventh hour. Captain America: Brave New World also underwent last-minute reshoots after weak test screenings, only to suffer from a jumbled narrative and poor visual effects. The result? One of Marvel’s worst-performing entries at the box office.
And now it looks like Fantastic Four: First Steps is following in those same footsteps.
The Thing and Herbie the Robot in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
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The movie is reportedly designed to explore the origins of Marvel’s First Family in a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic alternate universe, introducing Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they fight to protect their world from the world devourer Galactus. But it appears the final moments of that battle—or possibly the resolution of their universe—fell flat with test audiences.
All Eyes on the Fantastic Four Ending
If Marvel was hoping Fantastic Four would revitalize the MCU, this is not the path to get there. An unstable script, last-minute rewrites, rushed CGI, and unresolved multiverse confusion only serve to exhaust audiences rather than win them back.
Silver Surfer from Fantastic Four First Steps (2025); Screenshot
The Fantastic Four ending could make or break Marvel’s entire slate moving forward. With Avengers: Doomsday already in development and expectations sky-high, this film was supposed to set the tone. Instead, it’s becoming another example of Marvel trying to build the plane while it’s flying.
Do you believe that Marvel is changing the Fantastic Four ending at the last minute? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
