Marvel Studios is rolling out The Fantastic Four: First Steps with a slick new batch of international character posters. With the film dropping day-and-date in China and the U.S. on July 25, the campaign is revving up.
The posters showcase Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch), Ben Grimm (The Thing), and yes—H.E.R.B.I.E., the lovable robot that may very well become Disney’s next merch juggernaut.
Director Matt Shakman is aiming for something more personal and unified with this movie, placing the focus on the family at the core of the franchise.
“Casting was the number one challenge for the film. It wasn’t just a search for who was the best Ben and who was the best Johnny, but also who was the best family? Who was the best married couple? Who were the best siblings and honorary uncle? So it’s been very gratifying to see the incredible chemistry that the four of them have had since the beginning.”
That chemistry will be tested by the cosmic threat of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, key characters at the heart of this new interpretation. But notably absent? Doctor Doom.
“Doom’s a great character, but he takes up a lot of air,” Shakman explained. “Other film adaptations have done both an origin story and Doom. We’re doing neither, and that allows us to look at them from a fresh perspective.”
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing—as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
The movie is rooted in the old-fashioned optimism that inspired the comic that birthed the modern Marvel Universe in 1961. The director previously said:
“More than just the visual aesthetics, the ‘60s to me are all about optimism. It’s about looking to the stars and dreaming about traveling into space. It’s about how with the right heart and the right mind, you can do anything — which is what the Fantastic Four is all about.”
Directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, the film boasts a high-profile cast led by Pedro Pascal (Reed), Vanessa Kirby (Sue), Joseph Quinn (Johnny), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben), with a supporting lineup that includes John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Sarah Niles in yet-to-be-revealed roles.
Check out the posters below and let us know who you’re most excited to see in action when The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
