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

After several failed attempts to bring Marvel’s First Family to the big screen, Marvel Studios is now poised to deliver what could be the best – and most faithful – cinematic version of the Fantastic Four ever. Titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the film is directed by Matt Shakman, and follows in the footsteps of a 1994 movie produced by Roger Corman (which was never technically released), plus the two Tim Story-helmed movies, 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer; and Josh Trank’s disastrous bomb, Fant4stic, released in 2015. However, now that the Fantastic Four are set to make their arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans are excited that Marvel Studios will deliver a film that more closely resembles the source material.

Like most upcoming MCU projects, plot details are still very much under wraps, other than that it’s set on an alternate Earth and in a retro-futuristic 1960s. We also know that the movie will feature Galactus and Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer. The recently released trailer teaser didn’t reveal much more, but there are enough details to imply that the film will accurately portray the team’s origin story from the comics, while also differing from it in some intriguing ways.

What is the Fantastic Four’s Origin Story?

First appearing in The Fantastic Four #1, the comic tells the story of how brilliant scientist Reed Richards takes his then-girlfriend (and eventual wife) Sue Storm, Sue’s brother Johnny Storm, and his best friend Ben Grimm on an unauthorized space mission in a rocket that Reed designed.

While in space, the team is bombarded by cosmic rays that radically alter their DNA, giving them all superhuman abilities: Reed can stretch and contort his body; Sue can turn invisible and generate force fields; Johnny can turn his body into pure fire and fly; and Ben’s body has been transformed into organic rock, giving him a massive frame and dramatically enhanced strength.

From then on, the family pledged to use their powers for good, saving humanity on countless occasions as the Fantastic Four. One of the more fascinating elements of the team that separates them from most other superheroes is that they never bothered to conceal their true identities from the public, which makes them something more akin to celebrities.

How the Teaser Sets Up a Comics Accurate Origin

The teaser is very short, but if fans look closely, they’ll spot some recognizable details. For example, the film clearly takes place in an early 1960s setting, mirroring the team’s comic book debut in 1961. Also, look at what the TVs in the display window are showing: One of the TVs shows a rocket flying through the sky, while another shows the team in blue-and-white spacesuits, which are obvious references to the team’s space-based origin.

There’s also a partial view of what appears to be the Baxter Building (which first appeared in Fantastic Four #3), the team’s base of operations. And if you look very closely, you’ll see that one of the TV screens is displaying footage of a snazzy blue-and-white car racing through the stress – could this be the Fantasticar, which also debuted in the same issue as the Baxter Building?

How the Teaser Does NOT Set Up a Comics Accurate Origin

[RELATED: Fantastic Four: The Big Things Marvel’s First Steps Trailer Needs to Get Right]

In the comics, Reed and his team went on an unauthorized space mission that resulted in them getting their superpowers. However, from the way it’s portrayed in the teaser, it looks like their space mission is not only authorized but publicized to the world. In fact, it’s not even confirmed that their space mission is how they’ll get their powers; considering how the MCU has been exploring the multiverse, could they instead get their powers from a convergence-like event rather than cosmic rays? Also, cosmic rays are no longer as mysterious today as they were when the original comic was written, so there’s a possibility that the Fantastic Four get their powers in some other fashion.

A big part of the reason why Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben go into space is to beat the Soviet Union in the Space Race that the U.S. was involved in. There’s no mention of that in the teaser, and we wouldn’t blame Marvel Studios for omitting that detail here since it may seem like an odd relic to include in the film, even if it does take place during the Cold War.

It should also be noted that the Marvel Studios X account promoting the teaser states “The Future Foundation invites you to take your first steps into a fantastic new era.” The Future Foundation didn’t appear in the comics until Fantastic Four #579 in 2010, making it unrelated to the team’s origin story, though there hasn’t been any confirmation yet that it will appear in the movie.

Faithful in Spirit if Not In Every Detail

Of course The Fantastic Four: First Steps will differ from the source material in a variety of ways; there are just too many aspects of the original comics that are far too dated for modern audiences or just won’t work in a different medium.

But what truly matters is that the film is faithful to the tone and spirit of the Fantastic Four comics, and from what little we’ve seen of the film so far, this seems to be the case. The film looks to have a bright, optimistic aesthetic that evokes wonder and awe, setting it apart from the darker, more intense entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Some purists may quibble about the details, but so far, The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems poised to satisfy even the most hardcore fans.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.