Is the Fifth Fantastic Four Film Finally a Success?

San Diego, California — Marvel’s Fantastic Four franchise is set to release its fifth film, titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, on July 24, 2025. Despite the team’s storied history of cinematic failures, Marvel continues to pursue these iconic characters from the comic books.

Over the last 30 years, the Fantastic Four have seen four previous film adaptations, but none have been critically acclaimed. The original 1994 film was never officially released, while the subsequent 2005 and 2007 movies received mixed reviews, culminating in the disastrous 2015 reboot directed by Josh Trank.

The upcoming film, directed by Matt Shakman, stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the beloved superhero team. Marvel hopes this new iteration will reset the franchise’s reputation and please both fans and critics alike.

The Fantastic Four debuted in Marvel Comics in 1961, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The characters became crucial to Marvel’s early success and introduced a more relatable aspect to superhero storytelling, depicting a flawed superhero family.

Despite past failures, Marvel’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019 has opened the doors for the Fantastic Four’s integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).Kevin Feige, Marvel’s president, has expressed his commitment to elevating the Fantastic Four, referring to them as “Marvel’s first family.”

The film will not only introduce the characters but is also part of a larger narrative arc within the MCU, leading to key appearances in upcoming films like Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

As anticipation builds for First Steps, fans are eager to see if Marvel can finally deliver a successful adaptation of the Fantastic Four, breaking a legacy of poor receptions and box office failures.