The Marvel Cinematic Universe is starting to find its footing again. The most famous franchise in the world had seen some setbacks in recent years after a number of movies underperformed at the box office and a select few Disney Plus shows didn't appeal to the broad audiences that they hoped they would. It has forced the studio to recalibrate in a way that will focus on quality over quantity - and it's paying off, with the likes Deadpool and Wolverine, Agatha All Along, and Thunderbolts* all receiving praise from fans and critics.
There are certainly some places that work needs to be done (two of the three theatrical releases this year didn't break even at the box office), but it's on the right track as the studio heads towards the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, with the double act of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. And that's not even taking the equally as anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day into account.
There was one release this year, however, that did perform well at the box office - and fans have been eager to revisit it. Now, they know when they can.
Marvel announces The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Disney Plus release date
It's finally almost time for Marvel's First Family to arrive on Disney Plus. Marvel Studios has announced that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will officially make its presence felt on the streaming service on Wednesday, November 5 2025. And that means that we don't have long to wait until we can revisit it on our own TV screens.
Released on July 25, the long-awaited film marked the first time that the titular team of superheroes all appeared together in a Marvel Studios movie. Fans had been waiting for them to join the MCU for a long time, and when Disney purchased Fox all those years ago, it became a matter of time as to when it would happen. First Steps brought that to life, bringing in Pedro Pascal to play Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby to play Sue Storm (a.k.a. the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn to play Johnny Storm (a.k.a. the Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach to play Ben Grimm (a.k.a. The Thing).
The film was extremely well-received among all audiences, and it earned a total of $521 million worldwide. This was slightly below expectations due to its excessively large opening weekend (there was an unanticipated sharp decline in its Week 2 numbers) but it was still ultimately a major success story for Marvel - and a much-needed victory after the previous two MCU movies underperformed.
The beloved movie's digital release came in September while its DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD release came earlier this month, which obviously had fans wondering when the streaming release would come. Although previous Marvel movies often waited around 100 days to premiere on Disney Plus, that has varied in the years since the pandemic. Thunderbolts* ended up setting a new record, premiering 118 days after its theatrical release - the longest distance between its original release and its streaming debut. Fantastic Four's 103 days is sooner than expected as a result.
A much-needed MCU arrival in a quiet portion of the year
But it goes without saying that Marvel fans are happy to have the chance to revisit the beloved MCU movie on streaming in the not-too-distant future - both out of excitement for the film itself and the fact that there aren't any new MCU releases coming to theaters or Disney Plus for quite some time.
It's true; there aren't any more Marvel releases planned for the remainder of the year. Disney Plus show Wonder Man was originally expected to premiere in December but it has been shifted to January instead, while the next theatrical release is next summer's Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
With that in mind, The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Disney Plus release couldn't have come at a better time. Now, MCU fans get to enjoy revisiting the movie while also having a new entry in the franchise to watch while they wait for the new releases coming in 2026. It also gives them a chance to reacquaint themselves with the quartet of heroes before their inevitable return in next year's Avengers: Doomsday.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives on Disney Plus on November 5, 2025.