The stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps showcase their chemistry with each other in a new tie-in ad for the upcoming Marvel blockbuster. In the promo, which was released as part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2025 NBA playoffs, Marvel’s First Family gathers together to watch Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Evidently, Johnny Storm is a huge basketball fan, as he’s still miffed about missing Game 4 in a different playoff series that took place when the characters went to space. Getting life-changing super powers doesn’t make up for being left out of the conversation about a great game.
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A nice touch in the promo is the retro ESPN logo and use of vintage basketball footage, tying into First Step‘s 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic setting. You can watch it in the space below:
Disney/Marvel has kicked the Fantastic Four: First Steps marketing campaign into full gear ahead of the film’s July release date. A trailer was released back in April, establishing the movie’s tone, atmosphere, and characters. One of the more noteworthy elements of that preview was teasing the massive scale of First Steps‘ comics-accurate Galactus. Some merchandise has also been unveiled, giving fans their first look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Franklin Richards.
[RELATED – The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is More Important for the MCU Than You Realize]
As Marvel looks to end the Multiverse Saga on a high note, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a very integral project for the MCU’s future. The four main stars, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, are set to reprise their roles in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel continued to build hype for First Steps‘ arrival by teasing the Fantastic Four in the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene.
The NBA playoffs aren’t necessarily the first place fans might expect to get a new look at The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but there’s some corporate synergy at play here. ESPN is another Disney-owned property, so the Mouse House is using the platform of a high-profile sporting event to raise awareness for its big summer tentpole. Disney’s taken advantage of ESPN audiences to promote blockbusters in the past (see: the Star Wars sequel trilogy trailers that premiered on Monday Night Football), so this is something the studio has plenty of experience with. It wouldn’t be surprising to see more Fantastic Four promos as the NBA playoffs roll on; ABC (also Disney-owned) is the home of the NBA Finals.
This ad is clearly something made specifically to air during the ESPN broadcast, meaning there aren’t any new plot details to dissect. However, it gives fans another great taste of how the characters interact and play off each other. Given how important the Fantastic Four are to the rest of the Multiverse Saga (and perhaps beyond), it’s crucial for audiences to be onboard with these versions of the classic characters. Some might find it strange to see Johnny bickering about missing a game, but the Fantastic Four feels like a family that’s been together for a long time here. If the chemistry they display in this promo is anything like what’s in the final film, Marvel fans are in for a treat.
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