Marvel Studios pulled back the curtain on The Fantastic Four: First Steps at CinemaCon, offering attendees an extended first look at the reboot that featured two headline-making reveals: Sue Storm is pregnant, and the previously announced gender-swapped female Silver Surfer was shown for the first time.
The Thing and Herbie the Robot in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
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The trailer, which hasn’t been released to the public yet, opened with a scene placing the Fantastic Four squarely in the spotlight of their alternate MCU universe. They’re already established heroes—celebrated and loved—and are even making appearances on talk shows. The tone shifts during a dinner scene where Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) arrive late and reveal the big news: Sue is pregnant. That announcement sparked some audience cheers at CinemaCon, as it effectively confirms that the MCU is heading toward introducing Franklin Richards, one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics lore.
Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) playfully congratulates them, adding levity with a jab at Reed for needing to “step up.” It’s a rare moment of warmth in an otherwise ominous trailer.
The Human Torch in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Soon after, the film pivots to its central threat: the arrival of the Silver Surfer, now played by Julia Garner. Her gender-swapped version of the classic Marvel character arrives to warn Earth of Galactus’ impending arrival, showing the cosmic devourer’s shadow looming ominously over New York. Garner’s version of the Surfer rides the familiar board and delivers the news that Earth has been marked for annihilation.
This version of the Surfer has already proven divisive among fans. Many feel it unnecessarily discards the iconic and deeply philosophical portrayal of Norrin Radd from the comics. That character’s tragic backstory and stoic demeanor are among the most cherished aspects of the original Silver Surfer, and it’s currently unclear how much of that will remain intact in Garner’s version.
Galactus in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
As Galactus draws nearer, the trailer shows Reed consumed by the weight of protecting humanity, while Sue and Reed vow to secure a future for their child. In the final moments, Silver Surfer is seen soaring from the wreckage of an explosion against a backdrop of fire and destruction.
Set in a stylized, 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic universe, The Fantastic Four: First Steps aims to carve out its own niche within the larger MCU multiverse. It stars Kirby, Pascal, Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, with Ralph Ineson voicing Galactus. The movie is helmed by Matt Shakman and features a screenplay involving Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision’s Cam Squires, with final touches by Black Widow scribe Eric Pearson.
Poster for Fantastic Four (2025), Marvel Studios
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to release in theaters on July 25, 2025.
How do you feel about Sue Storm being pregnant in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
It will be another one of those “pregnant women are more capable than men” propaganda pieces. Not interested in this garbage at all.
This movie will contain more feminist propaganda. zzzzzzz
And Pascal is a dreary, woke actor.