By: Destiny Kombe-Kajue
You’ve just seen that strange ship in Thunderbolts and you’re wondering, is that it? Is that the Fantasticar finally on its way to Earth-616? Or something else entirely?
Before Fantastic Four: First Steps comes out on July 25, 2025, here’s everything you need to catch up, along with some of the biggest fan theories that are starting to gain traction online.
A New Take on the First Family
Marvel is headed down a different track this time. First Steps is not a part of the main MCU canon. Instead, the movie is set in Earth-828, which is a totally stand-alone universe based on Jack Kirby’s birthday, August 28. It’s a retro-futuristic universe where the Fantastic Four are Earth’s only superheroes.
That is, no prequel hangover, no tedious origin tale, and no cameos from Avengers or other MCU mainstays. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm have their powers. They’ve been fighting for their world for years. This movie drops right into the midst of their tale, with no need for catch-up.
Meet the Richards Family
Instead of cutting to a typical cosmic accident or origin montage, the film opens on a refreshingly intimate note. Sue Storm is pregnant. Slightly less than a moment later, the Silver Surfer arrives, carrying a foreboding message. Galactus is coming.
It’s not just about saving the world this time. The looming threat places cosmic and individual interests in the spotlight of the story. Franklin Richards, Sue and Reed’s unborn son, is placed center stage immediately. Franklin in comic books is a reality-warped, cosmic-level mutant whose powers rank alongside gods. Marvel seems to be planting seeds for his own relevance at an early stage, especially with his reported major role in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Behind-the-Scenes Details Worth Knowing
The movie is directed by Matt Shakman, best known for WandaVision, and written by a powerhouse team including Matt Fraction, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer.
The cast provides some serious cache to the mix. Pedro Pascal plays Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn plays Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Ben
Grimm. Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, and Julia Garner plays a new version of the Silver Surfer, reimagined as a female herald of doom.
The film premiered globally at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on July 21 and opens theatrically on July 25.
How This Connects to Thunderbolts
First Steps can be based in Earth-828, and not the mainline MCU, but leaves the door wide open to crossover possibilities nonetheless. With early word suggesting that the post-credits scene involves the Fantastic Four preparing to burst through dimensions, it stands to reason their entry into Earth-616 is on the horizon.
That is the theory based on what we saw in Thunderbolts. The strange ship we see at the end of that film might very well be the Fantasticar breaching the multiversal wall. Fans have also noted the design seems Kirby-woke-inspired, contributing to the idea that it’s a direct correlation with Earth-828.
But there is another school of thought.
It Might Not Be the Fantastic Four
Kevin Feige more recently dropped a clue that the ship might not even be part of the Fantastic Four. That revelation has led to a new crop of theories. The leading idea is that the ship actually belongs to Doctor Doom, who either rode with the Richards family along the rift or preceded them.
There are some speculations that Doom could be searching for Franklin Richards for his powers and this would make the entire crossover a multiverse disaster. If Doom arrives first and destabilizes Earth-616, then it would set up the apocalyptic events teased in Avengers: Doomsday and eventually in Secret Wars.
There is also rumor that the ship could be a hidden ship from another universe entirely, possibly introducing a dark alternate of the Fantastic Four, such as the Council of Reeds or the Maker from the Ultimates universe. That twist would leave the floodgates open for variants, villains, or even corrupted heroes.
Key Elements to Watch For
There are a few moments in First Steps you’ll want to watch closely. The Silver Surfer and Galactus are clearly the central threat, but many believe the invasion may not be the real story—it could be what forces the Fantastic Four to leave Earth-828 entirely.
Franklin Richards is the second focus. His powers may not get a full introduction in this film, but hints of what he will be are clearly sown throughout. The Surfer’s warnings, according to fans, are not so much about Galactus as about what might become of Franklin.
Then there’s the post-credits scene. It could be an exciting farewell as the team ventures into the multiverse. But most are hoping for something far more sinister. If Franklin is taken, or if the ship is Doom’s, then the conclusion could flip everything we think going into Phase 6 upside down.
The Bottom Line
Fantastic Four: First Steps does not seem to be a standard MCU origin story on paper, but it might end up being one of the Multiverse Saga’s most important films. It does get us accustomed to the Richards clan, establishes the cosmic stakes, and gets us started on Earth-828 careening towards collision with Earth-616.
Whether the Thunderbolts ship is either the Fantasticar, Doom’s getaway ship, or something even stranger, there is one thing for sure. This story is unfolding at breakneck pace, and the stakes are massive.
