Fantastic Four: First Steps Hasn’t Shown a Lot in Trailers (And I Don’t Know If That’s a Good Thing)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders lately. After the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the franchise has failed to find its footing again. Not every project has been a failure, with Thunderbolts* and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings being standouts that offer something new, but not much beyond that. Well, with very few cards left to play, Marvel Studios is pulling out the big guns by rebooting the franchises that Fox had for so many years. First up is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will formally introduce Marvel’s First Family to the MCU.

With the highly anticipated film set to release in July, the marketing is starting to ramp up. In fact, to coincide with the announcement that tickets for First Steps are now on sale, Marvel Studios released a teaser chock-full of plenty of new footage. However, while the new look at the film is exciting, it speaks to a much larger issue: it’s hard to get a grasp on what the movie is really about.

Marvel Studios Doesn’t Want to Give Anything Away About The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The first teaser for First Steps, released in February 2025, set up the retro feel of the movie before diving into the importance of family. Despite having different personalities, the Fantastic Four are a tight-knit unit, eating dinner together every Sunday and always being supportive of one another. There’s really not much more to the teaser than that, which isn’t abnormal for Marvel Studios projects, especially ones that don’t have a laundry list of movies and shows connecting to them.

But Marvel Studios couldn’t release its first 2025 movie, Thunderbolts*, without having something to play in front of it, so it dropped the first official trailer for First Steps. The advertisement begins just like its predecessor, doubling down on how much the heroes care for each other and how the public adores them, but about halfway through, it starts to get to the meat and potatoes. Silver Surfer arrives on Earth and informs the team that their planet won’t be around much longer. The trailer follows that bombshell up with some action shots before teasing Galactus’ arrival.

There’s not much to complain about in terms of visuals, and all the performances appear to be on point. However, despite the massive tease in the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*, the Fantastic Four’s role in their own movie (and the MCU at large) is still a mystery. There’s not even a hint as to what kind of arcs the members of the team will go through – nor is there any footage of the team fighting together or any focused spotlight on the powers of Human Torch, Invisible Woman, or Mister Fantastic’s make-or-break stretching powers. Same for Galactus and Silver Surfer, who both get the briefest of moments in the trailers. It’s become conspicuous that First Steps is holding back the majority of the designs and visual effects (VFX) for its various superpowered characters, which is hard to look at as a sign of confidence or necessary secrecy.

But the same can’t be said about the movie that First Steps will be competing with at the box office this summer.

[RELATED – Fantastic Four’s Vanessa Kirby Went Full Nerd Prepping for MCU Role As Sue Storm]

Superman‘s Marketing Isn’t Afraid to Embrace Its Story

James Gunn’s Superman, which will serve as the first installment in the DC Universe on the big screen, finds itself in a situation that’s not all that different from the one First Steps is in. Both are properties that have struggled before, with Fox failing to get the Fantastic Four right on two separate occasions and Warner Bros. failing to make Superman relatable the same number of times. Fortunately, in the hands of real comics lovers, it’s a new day for Marvel’s First Family and the Man of Steel. The only big difference between the two movies right now is that Superman is putting all its cards on the table.

The trailer for Superman makes it very clear what kind of movie it’s going to be and how the titular character fits into the narrative. Still early in his career as a superhero, Clark Kent is struggling to figure out why his sense of justice doesn’t appeal to everyone. Of course, there are villains looking to knock him down a peg or two, but they aren’t the focus of any of the marketing. We see the Man of Steel in flight and in battle with other superpowered beings (Ultraman, The Engineer), as well as other heroes like the Justice Gang (Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Green Lantern/Guy Gardner) using their abilities during combat. Giant kaiju, sci-fi robots, and even a super-dog… Superman isn’t afraid to show off all the fantastical elements (and VFX) it’s playing with.

Superman does have the benefit of having a clean slate, but First Steps is also supposed to be its own thing, as it seemingly takes place on a Earth without the Avengers or any other major MCU heroes. If that’s really the case, hiding so much of the story feels like a foolish move, as it may send skeptics running toward a superhero movie that’s more willing to embrace its heroes.

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

Are you worried about The Fantastic Four: First Steps marketing not showing much? Do you think Superman is doing a better job of appealing to fans? Let us know in the comments below!