With Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts now in the rearview mirror, it’s now time for Marvel to shift gears and focus on its final new film of 2025. That will be Fantastic Four: First Steps, and there’s a mix of anticipation and curiosity regarding the film, with one curiosity being that Marvel actually held a test screening for it (via Heat Vision). Marvel doesn’t typically hold test or research screenings for their films, as they often only hold friends and family-style screenings, but they changed things up for Deadpool & Wolverine, and now they have held a surprise mystery screening for Fantastic Four.
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It happened on Wednesday night at Regal Long Beach, and the invitation read “From a Major Motion Picture Studio comes a new film.” Those in attendance soon learned they would be watching Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Kevin Feige and director Matt Shakman were also present for the occasion. The film even included a post-credit scene, and that could lead to a potential problem.
Fantastic Four is only two months away, and while nothing has leaked out since that screening, when things extend outside of friends of family there is always a higher risk of something being leaked ahead of the film’s release. That’s rarely been an issue in times past for Marvel, and hopefully that will continue to be the case, even if they decide to hold an additional screening before the film’s official release. If details do leak, it will give those looking to hate on the film some possible fuel, since there won’t be full context until the film releases.
Fantastic Four actually opens on the weekend of San Diego Comic-Con, so after those screenings, you are likely going to hear far more about the film and any spoilers associated with it, just due to the volume of people seeing it. It will be interesting to see if Marvel continues to hold test screenings or if they shift back to friends and family for some of their upcoming films, especially in regards to Avengers: Doomsday.
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Speaking of Doomsday, the film was pushed back a bit from its original release date of May 2026, as it will now release in theaters in December of 2026. Likewise, Secret Wars moved from its May 2027 date to December 2027. This moves two Marvel blockbusters to the holiday season from their typical perch of summer, so it will be curious to see how they end up doing there and if we start to see more Marvel releases in the future during that timeframe. Granted, these films could be delayed again by then, so we’ll just have to wait and see. You can find the official description for Fantastic Four: First Steps below.
“Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family-Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/ Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.”
Fantastic Four First Steps lands in theaters on July 25th.
Are you excited for Fantastic Four: First Steps? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things Marvel and MCU with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
