Next month, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to shift once again, as Disney+ welcomes its latest superhero spectacle.
This past summer, Marvel’s long-awaited The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) brought the legendary team back into the spotlight, introducing a retro-futuristic world that balanced 1960s charm with modern visual flair. Released in late July 2025, the film reimagines the group’s origin story with a bold new direction. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm find themselves facing a cosmic force beyond imagination: the planet-consuming Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, the Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner).
Pedro Pascal leads the cast as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, alongside Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The ensemble brings emotional depth and humor to their roles, grounding the film during a pivotal time for Kevin Feige’s MCU. Director Matt Shakman captures the wonder of early Marvel Comics, weaving a story about family, sacrifice, and the cost of heroism amid a 1960s-inspired vision of scientific discovery and cosmic peril.
The movie’s debut proved strong in a year filled with mixed box office results. Following the underperformance of Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps opened to an impressive $118 million domestically and nearly $100 million internationally, reaching a worldwide total close to $218 million.
Critics have lauded its vibrant design and character chemistry, noting its blend of heartfelt storytelling and visual spectacle. The film’s use of color, music, and production design pays tribute to the atomic-age optimism that fueled Marvel’s earliest creations.
However, even with its powerful opening, the movie’s box office trajectory wasn’t without challenges. A noticeable dip in its second weekend slowed its rise, though it still managed to surpass the half-billion-dollar milestone within weeks. While it didn’t reach the record-breaking heights of Marvel’s earlier phases, the film has solidified the Fantastic Four’s renewed place in the MCU and set the stage for their next appearance.
Now, Disney has announced that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will debut on Disney+ on November 5. The streaming release will also include an IMAX-enhanced version of the film, giving fans a more immersive home-viewing experience.
Each Marvel Studios release on Disney+ reconfigures the MCU’s chronological watch order, allowing audiences to follow the overarching story as it evolves. With The Fantastic Four now joining the platform, the streaming timeline is once again poised to shift.
The team’s next chapter will arrive in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).
How do you feel about this new iteration of the Fantastic Four? Let us know in the comments down below!
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