After decades of near-misses and misfires, Marvel Studios is finally preparing to launch ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ into the Marvel Cinematic Universe on July 25, 2025, and it may very well be the definitive version fans have been waiting for.
With just over a month to go, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is opening up about how this reboot will differ drastically from past live-action attempts. He also talked about what lessons he learned during the franchise’s early, often ridiculed, cinematic years.
Kevin Feige On Why The First ‘Fantastic Four’ Couldn’t Do The Comics Justice
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine Kevin Feige gave fans a rare, heartfelt look at the origins of his Fantastic Four journey. Before becoming the architect of the MCU, Feige worked behind the scenes on the 2005 and 2007 Fox-produced Fantastic Four films. He admitted the films taught him a great deal, particularly about what not to do. Looking back, Feige acknowledges the limitations of the time.
Related: ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Director Opens Up About MCU Film’s Humor, Heart And Messiness
“I was around for those early Fantastic Four movies… and like all of the pre-MCU movies, I learned a lot. I always thought, if we ever got creative autonomy ourselves, we might do things a little differently… It was a different time… there was still a bit of a fear of being silly.” In the early 2000s, superhero films often stripped away the color, fun, and optimism of the comics in favor of gritty, grounded reinterpretations.
Even with iconic characters like the Fantastic Four, studios hesitated to dive fully into the weird, wonderful, and emotional richness of their source material. Now, with the creative reins firmly in Marvel Studios’ hands, Feige is making good on a promise years in the making: to embrace the heart, humor, and legacy of Marvel’s First Family.
The wait for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ has been long but that delay wasn’t just development limbo. According to Feige, it was about doing justice to the characters in a way that balanced their comic roots with the evolving tapestry of the MCU. With the Fantastic Four already confirmed to appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’, Feige clearly views them not just as a nostalgic revival but as central pillars of the MCU’s future.
Is Doctor Doom Seeking Franklin Richards In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
While the core of ‘First Steps’ is focused on family and identity, a newly emerged rumor suggests the plot threads may soon spiral into something far more expansive and sinister. A report from trusted scooper MyTimeToShineH suggests that Doctor Doom, reportedly played by Robert Downey Jr., will have a direct connection to the Fantastic Four via Franklin Richards.
In case you missed it: The Real Reason Why Doctor Doom Is Missing From ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’
According to the leak, Doctor Doom will take Franklin Richards and use him for his plans. This act of his may serve as the inciting incident for the events of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. Whether Doom hails from the same Earth as the Richards family or arrives from another reality, the key takeaway is that Franklin’s immense power is a beacon. It is what draws Doom across universes and timelines.
And this changes everything. Fans familiar with the comics know Franklin isn’t just any child. Even as a baby he is capable of creating entire universes, warping time, and resurrecting dead realities. That makes him not just a valuable pawn, but potentially the most important being in the multiverse. If Doom seeks to manipulate him, then ‘Doomsday‘ may not just be an Avengers-level threat.
