THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Clip Teases a Tragic Origin, Galactus, and a Whole Lot of Multiverse Mayhem
Some Marvel fans got a surprise taste of The Fantastic Four: First Steps over the weekend, thanks to a clip from the Marvel movie that screened during CCXP in Mexico and may have revealed a major piece of the MCU’s bigger puzzle.
According to Inverse (translating coverage from Omelete), the scene shows Marvel’s First Family escaping a crumbling planet, one that’s apparently in the process of being devoured by none other than Galactus.
As the Silver Surfer chases down their ship, Sue Storm goes into labor, and Johnny Storm fights off the Silver Surfer as Reed Richards steps help his wife deliver the baby. As this is all going on, Ben Grimm pilots the ship into a black hole.
Some fans seem to think that the scene could also confirm a theory that’s been making the rounds since we all saw Thunderbolts* post-credits stinger. The theory is that the Fantastic Four team couldn’t protect their world from being destroyed by Galactus, which forces them to find a new home, and this is where Earth-616 enters the picture.
Of course, that’s all speculation. It’s just as likely they’re trying to stop Galactus from reaching Earth by intercepting him early. This would place the clip as a second-act low point, where our heroes get a taste of what they’re up against, barely escape, and live to fight another day.
It’s also worth noting that Marvel chose this scene to showcase at a fan convention. That suggests it’s not some big third-act spoiler. More likely, it’s a midpoint moment that sets the emotional and cosmic stakes moving forward.
The new Fantastic Four movie unfolds in a slick, retro-futuristic alternate universe that riffs on the 1960s, which is an era where the Fantastic Four are the only known superheroes. Marvel’s been pretty open about that setup, and they’ve confirmed that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will reprise their roles in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
It’s clear The Fantastic Four: First Steps is aiming for something big, epic stakes with emotional core, all powered by that team chemistry we’ve seen teased so far.