After Troubling Year, Marvel Studios Makes Announcement

Thomas HitchenOctober 27, 2025

0 2 minutes read

Next month, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to shift once again, as Disney+ welcomes its latest superhero spectacle.

L to R: Vanessa Kirby and Pedro Pascal looking up at the sky in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' — Credit: Marvel Studios

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.

Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' — Credit: Marvel Studios

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.

L-R: Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Thing — Credit: Marvel Studios

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!

Author

Thomas Hitchen

When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake -- to bake and to eat). He's a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer except when it's One Tree Hill. He loves sandy beach walks, forest hikes, and foodie days out in the Big City.

Thomas lives in England, UK, with his fiancée, baby, and their dog, a Border Collie called Luna.