Here’s How Long Marvel’s First Family Have Been Heroes in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to walk into a new world as it gets the comic book treatment before its anticipated big-screen release. The comic tie-in includes many nuances about Marvel’s first family, including confirmation of where the story picks up the heroic quartet.

According to Deadline, the First Steps comic, which Marvel announced on Apr. 25, reveals the starting timeline for The Fantastic Four in the opening Phase Six Marvel Cinematic Universe film. The report claims the one-shot “confirms a few things that fans have speculated about, including that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not an origin story, but will pick up four years after they become heroes.” Though it’s been known that First Steps isn’t an origin story, the fact that the film picks up four years after The Fantastic Four’s members gained their powers confirms that they’re a full-fledged superhero team when the movie opens.

The First Steps comic tie-in, written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Marc Buckingham, marks the first time an MCU superteam will get their own comic book. The comic, set for release on Jul. 2, will be set in the same timeline as the film, presented similarly to the Ant-Man book, Look Out for the Little Guy, where it’s written as if it existed in-universe. Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski commented on the significant development, saying, “With The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming later this summer, we at Marvel all felt this was the perfect opportunity to bring our teams together in honor of their legacy in both the world of the film and within our comics.”

Marvel has gone all-out to ensure First Steps completely differs from the three non-MCU big-screen takes on The Fantastic Four, including the titular 2005 reboot, 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer and the widely derided FANT4STIC. The film is set in the 1960s amid the Space Race, with director Matt Shakman playing up its unique world design. Pedro Pascal stars as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, flanked by Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).

Though First Steps sticks to its comic origins, the film has some notable differences, including the introduction of a female Silver Surfer in Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), a rare case of a Marvel character’s gender changing within the MCU. Though Garner was surprised by the casting, she expressed excitement about the role and is open to doing a spinoff based on the character. Meanwhile, Ralph Ineson steps in as another antagonist in Galactus. Additionally, acclaimed actors John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne and Paul Walter Hauser make their MCU debuts in undisclosed roles, with Malkovich joining after turning down several Marvel offers.

Following the Phase Five finale, Thunderbolts*, First Steps sees the titular group trying to save their retro-futuristic parallel Earth from the planet-devouring Galactus and Shalla-Bal, his herald. The film is also rumored to feature a cameo from Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, setting up the events of Avengers: Doomsday. The Fantastic Four has been confirmed to feature in Doomsday and its sequel, Secret Wars.

First Steps opens in theaters on Jul. 25.

Source: Deadline

“}]] The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ upcoming tie-in comic offers new details on the eponymous superpowered quartet.  Read More