‘The Fantastic Four’ Return — Again. Is This the Reboot That Finally Works? [Trailer]

There’s no doubt about it; this one looks better than “Captain America: Brave New World,” but will it be enough? Have our expectations for superhero movies dwindled so low that we’re willing to accept this?

Yes, Matt Shakman’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is coming, and a full-length trailer has been unveiled for the public. What do you think? It’s certainly better than the teaser we got a few months back. Visually, I dig what Shakman’s going for here.

The film is leaning into a retro ’60s aesthetic — and honestly, I like that. Could Shakman, of all people, be the one to finally crack the elusive ‘Fantastic Four’ code for Marvel? This is the same filmmaker who brought us Disney’s “WandaVision” and has directed episodes of “The Great,” “Fargo,” “Game of Thrones,” and yes, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” So, he's got range.

Now, let’s not forget: the Fantastic Four have already suffered through not one, not two, but three cinematic faceplants — the campy 2005 and 2007 flicks, and the painfully awkward 2015 reboot, infamously stylized as “Fant4stic.” Hopefully, Marvel boss Kevin Feige, Shakman, and the rest of the gang have finally figured out how to make this super-family actually work on the big screen.

“Fantastic Four” was first announced six years ago. and Jon Watts was originally attached to direct by late 2020 but bowed out two years later. Enter Shakman. In early 2022, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were brought on as writers, only for Josh Friedman to be hired in 2023 to give the script a rewrite. Now, Peter Cameron appears to be the one holding the final pen.

As for the cast: Pedro Pascal will stretch into the role of Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby will suit up as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bacharach transforms into The Thing, and Joseph Quinn brings the heat as The Human Torch.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is circled for July 25, 2025, theatrical release.