Marvel Studios obtained its biggest hit of the year in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The fan-favorite quartet of superheroes finally made their long-awaited debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the summer release, which earned the studio half a billion at the box office. Not a bad debut by any stretch of the imagination, especially in a month in which it had to compete with Jurassic World Rebirth and Superman.
The movie stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the titular team of heroes, who look to stop the world-eater known as Galactus from, well, eating their world. It's all very high-stakes, and when they're not doing that, they're trying to subdue his herald, the Silver Surfer while also raising Reed and Sue's baby son, Franklin. Marvel's First Family is busy for sure!
They are about to get busier, however, because there are more adventures for the fam on the way. If you've just revisited their first installment on Disney Plus, here's what you need to know.
A sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in development
The adventures will continue for Marvel's First Family as a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in development. Variety confirmed as much when speculating about the franchise's titles beyond its planned 2027 conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, suggesting that it could be one of four MCU movies currently set for a 2028 release.
Marvel was reportedly very happy with First Steps' opening weekend performance, which saw the film come in just above expectations. After two underperformances earlier that year in Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, all involved were thrilled to see this one opening strong. Although its momentum was hindered by an unexpectedly steep Week 2 drop-off (which came as a surprise due to the film's positive reception among fans and critics), it was ultimately a box office success, surpassing its breakeven point and grossing a worldwide total of $521 million.
This is a great start for Marvel's First Family, setting the stage for more adventures and stories of their's to be told in the MCU's future. It's also pretty impressive considering that The Fantastic Four: First Steps has become the highest-grossing Fantastic Four movie to date, surpassing the box office takings of the 2005 film, its 2007 sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the infamous 2015 reboot.
If you're ready for more of The Fantastic Four, however, you won't have to wait until 2028 as the beloved team of heroes will return to the silver screen before that!
The Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday (and probably Avengers: Secret Wars, too)
That's right; Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm will all be back on our screens in 2026 as Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will all star in a major Marvel ensemble cast for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The film, set for release on December 18, 2026, is set to kick off the culmination of the franchise's Multiverse Saga and it will feature a who's who of MCU stars.
Marvel Studios confirmed the primary cast for the upcoming movie earlier this year with a five-hour livestream quite literally breaking the internet. That cast includes MCU heavyweghts like Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, and Florence Pugh, alongside the casts of the Fox X-Men movies, Thunderbolts* and indeed Fantastic Four. The film is headlined by Robert Downey Jr., who returns to the MCU in the new role of villain Doctor Doom.
We know that the Fantastic Four will be involved in a somewhat major capacity as Doctor Doom is their archenemy in the comics. Moreover, the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* confirmed that the iconic quartet are on their way to the MCU's primary Earth (Earth-616) to potentially warn the New Avengers (a.k.a. the Thunderbolts) about Victor von Doom's imminent arrival.