The Fantastic Four is officially subtitled First Steps, while Robert Downey Jr. has been unveiled as key villain in upcoming Avengers film.
As the San Diego Comic-Con nears its end, we are happy to report that Marvel has followed through on their grand return to Hall H. And it is here that some of the most anticipated news of the entire week has come out, with Captain America: Brave New World bringing footage and word that Giancarlo Esposito would be Sidewinder, while Thunderbolts* unveiled a trailer courtesy of Florence Pugh and company. But Marvel also has a few other projects lined up, in case ya didn’t know…
It was on Saturday that Marvel revealed that the upcoming Fantastic Four movie has officially been titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman got things rolling in Hall H, saying that it is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by the work of Syd Mead, the famed designer who helped bring Alien, Blade Runner and more to life.
Attendees also got to see a sizzle reel that took a unique approach in promoting the style of The Fantastic Four. For example, we got Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic hosting a retro kids science show alongside Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who plays off of Mr. Fantastic’s vibe. There, too, of course, is Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who remains shy, and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who sticks with a more cynical attitude. All of this period footage maintains a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and 16mm stock…until a certain iconic Marvel villain turns up. That’s right, it’s Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson!
As for the title, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it does feel like it works in a couple of different possible ways. One, that the movie is set during the ‘60s (or, at least, a version of it) calls to mind the Apollo 11 moon landing, in which Americans first set foot on the moon. Another ties into family, as in a baby’s first steps. As Quinn put it during the panel, “We are all collectively going to bring an essence that is a family…Rather than thining about what individually we are going to bring, it’s a team sport. We are going to work very hard to bring a feeling of family to this film.” The Fantastic Four begins filming on Tuesday, July 30th and is part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, onto The Avengers…and there are some bombshells here, folks! It was confirmed on Saturday night that the Russo Brothers will be directing both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, with the first featuring Robert Downey Jr. as supervillain Victor Von Doom, undeniably a replacement for Kang following Jonathan Majors’ various issues. With Secret Wars slated for 2027 and Doomsday 2026, that will allow a perfect set-up of RDJ as the latest – and perhaps greatest – threat to the MCU!
No doubt Marvel set a new precedent for SDCC and Hall H…But with that being a wrap on Saturday’s festivities, all we can say now is…Bye Bye Bye!