At the recent San Diego Comic-Con, which took place between July 25th and 28th, there was a lot of news about the world of comics, and once again the Marvel Studios projects monopolized the attention. Still under the command of president Kevin Feige, the Californian studios seem more determined than ever to want to regain the trust of fans: this was demonstrated by the announcement of "Avengers: Doomsday" expected in 2026, which will see the surprising return of Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Doctor Doom, but also the latest revelations on “Captain America: Brave New World” and obviously on the highly anticipated reboot of “Fantastic 4”.
Ready to debut in theaters on July 25th, the return of the four superheroes in blue tights will be officially titled "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", according to what was announced in the panel held in Hall H of the festival. The reveal took place shortly after the broadcast of a first teaser and the presentation on stage of the four main members of the cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Surprisingly, the quartet made an appearance after previously announcing that they would not be able to attend the event due to commitments awaiting them in the UK. According to what has been communicated, the Fantastic 4 will open the so-called "phase six" of the MCU, after closing phase five with "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Thunderbolts", expected respectively for February 14, 2025 and May 5 2025. It has also been confirmed that the four superheroes will also appear in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”. The teaser also made it possible to admire for the first time the imposing forms of Galactus, the supervillain who will put them to the test.
Among the many curiosities, the actors' statements aroused particular interest, such as the sense of a "new family" breathed on the set by Pedro Pascal and the development process that Ebon Moss-Bachrach is still going through wearing the cumbersome costume of "The Thing" ”. Speaking alongside the performers, Kevin Feige apologized for the short duration of the panel, specifying that the group: «They literally have to fly back (to England), but they have their fantastic car which will hopefully get them back to the UK quickly ». These words were followed by the entrance of the Fantasticar, a futuristic blue car that entertained the spectators by floating on the stage.
On the enthusiasm surrounding the creation of the title, Feige expressed the following considerations: «I am extremely excited because those characters are legendary pillars of the Marvel Universe that we have never had the opportunity to explore in a significant way, apart from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and some amusing previous clues."
For those who missed it in the meantime, the inclusion in the cast of Paul Walter Hauser, the American actor and comedian who won a Golden Globe for the television miniseries "Black Bird", was confirmed last May . The news emerged following a recent interview, which however did not provide further details on his role. In this regard, Hauser stated: «I can't say anything about the character I will play, but I know that it is part of the lexicon and mythology of the Fantastic Four stories. So I really appreciate the fact that Marvel gave me this opportunity by giving me a role that will somehow allow me to be part of that family. I'm really excited to participate."
Could it be the infamous Mole Man or the robot HERBIE as suspected by some fans? Only time will tell.
