As Marvel Studios starts building towards the end of the Multiverse Saga, it has a lot riding on its upcoming films. This summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a very significant project, introducing a bevy of characters that will be integral to the MCU moving forward. It’s important for the movie to be commercially and critically successful, and one of its stars believes it will reach the heights of some of Marvel’s biggest hits. Paul Walter Hauser has high praise for First Steps, believing it will be the much-needed rebound for the franchise after it’s experienced some ups and downs in recent years.
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“So I think our movie, Fantastic Four: First Steps, to me, only speaking from my opinion, everything I witnessed and took part in, everything I felt while in the presence of the creatives on the film, I believe we are the Marvel movie of the year,” Hauser said in an interview with The Direct. “And I believe that this will go down in history as one of the ones that started a new tide of successful storytelling for the company. Sort of in the same way the Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther hit. They both hit in a certain way. I believe we are about to hit.”
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is due in theaters this July. Anticipation for the film appears to be very high, as the first official trailer racked up over 200 million views in its first 24 hours online. Hauser’s role is unknown as of this writing, but the movie stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the titular superhero team. All four of those actors have already been confirmed to reprise their roles in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
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First Steps is arriving at a critical juncture for the MCU. Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World struggled to leave a lasting impression, earning mixed reviews. It also had a disappointing box office run, becoming one of the MCU’s lowest-grossing movies. Even though Marvel enjoyed the record-breaking success of Deadpool & Wolverine last summer, other Multiverse Saga projects, including The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, fared similarly to Brave New World.
Obviously, Hauser is going to have nothing but positive things to say about The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the months leading up to its release, evoking some of Marvel’s most popular pictures in his praise will make fans take notice. Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther were both critically acclaimed box office smashes, with the latter even earning a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. While tonally very different, the two films are similar in the sense that they represented substantial steps forward for the franchise, impressing viewers with a strong sense of storytelling, impressive directorial vision, and captivating performances. Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther were two of the most successful installments of the Infinity Saga, and if The Fantastic Four: First Steps can even come close to that level, fans will be in for a treat. It doesn’t have to generate awards buzz, but if there’s any truth to Hauser’s comments, positive reviews and a lucrative box office run seem to be in order.
Hopefully, Hauser’s praise for First Steps isn’t hyperbole. The film is under a lot of pressure to perform given its place in the Multiverse Saga. If this reboot falls short of expectations, it could significantly dampen enthusiasm for the other films Marvel has coming through the pipeline. The odds of Avengers: Doomsday bombing at the box office are low, but by bringing back the Russo brothers as directors and Robert Downey Jr. to play Doctor Doom, Marvel is looking to end this chapter of its history with a bang. If Fantastic Four is a hit akin to Guardians of the Galaxy or Black Panther, then the chances of the Multiverse Saga concluding on a high note vastly improve.
