The Fantastic Four: First Steps might be the third time Marvel's First Family is adapted on the big screen, but it will be the first in which their debut movie won't feature Doctor Doom as the main antagonist (which seems like an interesting choice considering Avengers: Doomsday is just on the horizon). Instead, the Devourer of Worlds will be the one to threaten the Fantastic Four's world as a whole. That's right, after 18 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Galactus will finally make his grand entrance.
Ever since it was announced that the giant cosmic entity would have the spotlight all to itself in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans have wondered just what exactly it will look like. After all, the last time we saw it was during the events of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, where it was portrayed as a big, shapeless cloud instead of a humanoid being.
Fortunately, all the promotional material and small glimpses we've seen of Galactus so far indicate Marvel is sticking to its look in the source material. Still, we've been eager to get a full, unobscured look at the villain in action, and that day is finally here.
Marvel unveils full look at Galactus in new The Fantastic Four: First Steps spot
Marvel released a new spot of The Fantastic Four: First Steps called Lift Off, and it showcases Galactus in all of its glory. If you look at the 23-second mark, you'll see a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of the Fantastic Car flying through the city, while the Devourer of Worlds menacingly towers in the background. At long last, we see the villain in action, and the result is terrifying.
Just to get a better sense of Galactus' size, there's a sequence at the 12-second mark where Mister Fantastic stabs it in the hand with an unknown device. But even if the hero is stretched (courtesy of his superpowers), he isn't as tall as one of the cosmic entity's fingers. Richards isn't even the size of one of Galactus' hand phalanx bones.
New look at Galactus in ‘THE FANTASTIC FOUR’ pic.twitter.com/8gPeDDEFru
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 4, 2025
The latest Fantastic Four: First Steps spot is also riddled with multiple interesting details. For starters, at the four-second mark, we see a mechanical device destroy a complete planet from the inside. The worst part? It appears that's Earth we're looking at.
It's worth keeping in mind that the upcoming movie will take place in a parallel, retro-futuristic reality, which means this new universe could be destroyed, and it wouldn't affect the heroes that live in "The Sacred Timeline" (which is the name designated to the MCU according to the Loki series). That's a scary prospect, as it means Galactus might really succeed in his mission to destroy Earth, and the Fantastic Four will be forced to find a new home (as hinted by the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene).
At the 17-second mark in the spot, we also get a better look at Shalla-Bal's Silver Surfer doing what she does best: surfing. Interestingly enough, it seems she's traversing through the debris of the same destroyed world. This could tie to the footage Marvel showcased at CCXPMX 25, as attendees mentioned that there was a scene where the Silver Surfer was chasing after Reed and Sue's baby, while a destroyed planet was seen in the background. All signs indicate Franklin Richards will be a huge plot point in the movie.
Last, but certainly not least, there are multiple instances in the latest TV spot where we see The Thing with a beard, which is a first for the character in live-action. The only question remaining is: How does he shave? Well, there's only one way to find out.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on Jul. 25, 2025.