The Only Recap You Need Before The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel's First Family will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe this summer with "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," and there's no better way to get prepared for it than our in-depth recap video, linked above. In many ways, the film — which will be the first entry in Phase 6 of the MCU — represents a fresh start for the franchise after a somewhat shaky period.

2025 has not been kind to Marvel movies. "Captain America: Brave New World" was a financial flop with a haul of $414 million globally, and it bombed with the critics, too. With a score of just 47%, it's the joint second-worst MCU film on Rotten Tomatoes. Phase 5 capper "Thunderbolts*," which saw the formation of the New Avengers under the leadership of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), was well-reviewed but it also failed to make waves at the box office, pulling in just $382 million worldwide. This left the Hollywood trade Variety asking, "Where does Marvel go next?"

The answer to that question is the 1960s — kind of. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige has confirmed that "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is a period piece, taking place in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the '60s. There's a lot of hype around the movie, though the chances of it being a financial hit are pretty slim if history is anything to go by: Despite the team's popularity among comic book readers, "Fantastic Four" films usually bomb at the box office.

Unlike 2005's "Fantastic Four" and the derided 2015 reboot, the titular team are already a unit in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." We enter the action after Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Sue's charismatic brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) have formed a crimefighting team. Sue and Reed are already married, and Sue is pregnant with Franklin Richards as the movie opens (here's the only Franklin Richards explainer you need before seeing "The Fantastic Four: First Steps"). Much like the MCU did with "Spider-Man: Homecoming," the film skips past the origin story, safe in the knowledge that pretty much everyone knows it at this point.

What people might not know is the plot of this particular "Fantastic Four" entry, in which something huge disrupts the lives of Marvel's First Family. That huge thing would be Galactus (Ralph Ineson), whose only goal in life is to consume as many planets as possible to harness their energy. Galactus is accompanied by Shalla-Bal, otherwise known as Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), who acts as his herald. The Fantastic Four must battle Galactus to save Earth. The movie — which drops on July 25, 2025 — also features Natasha Lyonne and John Malkovich in undisclosed roles. For the full lowdown on everything you need to know going into the film, make sure to check out our "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" recap video.