The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer Has One Glaring Absence (Is That a Good Thing?)

The first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps gives fans plenty of reasons to be excited. The footage introduces H.E.R.B.I.E., a beloved robotic companion from the comics making his live-action debut. The trailer also emphasizes the loving dynamics at the core of Marvel’s First Family, showing genuine warmth between Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Finally, we even get a stunning glimpse of Galactus in his comic-accurate purple armor, a far cry from the nebulous cloud that threatened Earth in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. However, amid all these promising elements, one glaring omission raises concerns: the trailer completely avoids showing Reed Richards’ signature stretching powers. 

In the brief first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we see Sue turning invisible, Johnny igniting to fly through the night sky,  and Ben’s rocky body racing through the streets, ready to clobber an unseen adversary. Yet, Reed’s elastic abilities remain conspicuously absent from the footage. This choice is made even more noticeable by how the trailer dedicates significant time to establishing each character and underlining how their powers echo their personality — Sue even directly addresses the fact Ben has always been “a rock” even before their cosmic accident and that Johnny is a hot head. So, it’s not random that we don’t see Reed stretch his limbs. Instead, this decision is likely connected to the character’s complicated cinematic history.

[RELATED: How the Fantastic Four: First Steps Teaser Does (and Doesn’t) Set Up a Comics Accurate Origin]

Live-action adaptations of the Fantastic Four have consistently struggled with portraying Reed’s stretching powers convincingly. In the 2005 Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Ioan Gruffudd’s elastic abilities often appeared cartoonish, with the CGI failing to make the power feel grounded or impactful. The 2015 reboot starring Miles Teller faced similar criticism, with many viewers finding the visual effects of Reed’s powers unsettling rather than heroic. Even John Krasinski’s brief appearance as Reed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness limited the character’s stretching to a quick moment before his demise. 

By hiding Reed’s power, Marvel Studios could betray the secret that they are not confident in the effects they crafted for the movie. Even worse, it could mean they are still struggling to give Reed a believable superpower in post-production. Both options are worrisome, considering the movie is just a few months away. However, there is a positive way to look at Reed’s lack of stretchy powers in The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer.

The Lack of Stretchy Powers Could Be a Good Sign for The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer’s reluctance to showcase Reed’s elastic abilities might actually signal an exciting creative direction for the character. Throughout the footage, we see Reed working complex equations on massive blackboards and manipulating holographic displays, emphasizing his genius-level intellect, arguably his most significant contribution to the Marvel Universe. In other words, this focus on brains over physical prowess aligns perfectly with the comics, where Reed’s most outstanding achievements have always stemmed from his mind rather than his stretching powers.

By positioning Reed’s intelligence at the forefront, First Steps might do justice to a character whose true superpower has always been his intellect. Furthermore, the trailer’s retro-futuristic aesthetic and emphasis on cosmic exploration suggest a film more interested in scientific discovery than a superhero spectacle. This approach would honor the Fantastic Four’s original concept as explorers pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, with their powers serving as tools for discovery rather than simple weapons for combat. Finally, this interpretation could help differentiate the MCU’s take on the Fantastic Four from previous adaptations. Instead of making Reed’s stretching powers the centerpiece of action sequences, the film might focus on how his scientific knowledge helps the team navigate cosmic threats. 

The success of this approach ultimately depends on how well the film balances its various elements. While downplaying Reed’s elastic abilities might disappoint some fans, prioritizing his intellectual contributions could deliver the definitive live-action version of Marvel’s smartest hero that audiences have been waiting for.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters on July 25th.