New Look at Marvel Studios’ “Fantastic Four: First Steps”

We know it’s become fairly commonplace to ho-hum the next big superhero film. BUT, when it’s something as exciting as a period take on Marvel Studios’ First Family of Comics, we can’t not be excited. The upcoming flick “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” speaks to so many of our favorite things. The space race, an incredible cast, and production value.

Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us“) plays Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (“The Crown,” “Mission: Impossible“) is Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things,” “Gladiator II“) is Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (“The Bear“) is Ben Grimm/The Thing. Julia Garner (“Ozark,” “The Americans“) is playing Shalla Bal/The Silver Surfer. Paul Walter Hauser (“Blackbird“) was also added to the cast, but his role is also being kept underwraps. John Malkovich (“Billions,” “The New Look“) is playing an undisclosed role in the film, and Ralph Ineson (“Game of Thrones,” “The VVitch“) will be the Devourer of Worlds himself- Galactus.

 “This is very much about the spirit of the Space Race,” director Matt Shakman told Empire Magazine about the movie. “It’s about JFK and optimism. It’s imagining these four going into space instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. This idea is that they are the most famous people in America, because they’re adventurers, explorers, astronauts — not because they’re superheroes. And they come back and they’re superheroes on top of it. But primarily they’re astronauts, they’re family.”

“I really wanted it to feel like it was made in 1965, the way Stanley Kubrick would have made it,” Shakman continued. “Within reason.” 

“We are our own universe, which is wonderful and liberating,” Shakman said. “There’s really no [other] superheroes. There’s no Easter eggs. There’s no running into Iron Man or whatever. They’re it, in this universe. I love the interconnected Marvel Universe, but we get to do something so new and so different. Eventually this world will meet up with other worlds — but for now this is our own little corner.”

We do know the footage shown during CinemaCon included a glimpse of Silver Surfer Shalla Bal, who we would like to remind you IS from the comics, and not just a “gender-swapped” take on the Herald of Galactus.

Needless to say, “Fantastic Four” is probably the film we’re the most looking forward to this year. We’re ready for July 25th. Flame on!