First Steps And Superman Have One Thing In Common

Regarding the upcoming Summer 2025 blockbuster season, perhaps no two films are more anticipated than DC Studios’ Superman and Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Both films will be released this July, and some online are already bracing for excitement for what’s shaping up to be a “Superfantastic” month.

The first teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps dropped online earlier this week, giving audiences their first glimpse at Marvel’s First Family, now officially implemented into the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon in their own standalone film following two iterations under 20th Century Fox that received mixed reception at best, and intense hatred at worst. The pressure on Marvel’s inaugural superhero team to succeed with this new film is similar to that of DC’s Superman to succeed, in the sense that both represent their respective comic book brands’ need to reintroduce these iconic founding superheroes to modern audiences. Sure, some are discussing how both films aim to harken back to the Silver Age of comics with their respective creative approaches honoring those beloved stories, but there is one particular element both films seem to share based on what their teaser trailers are highlighting.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer Holds Back On The Action, And I Think That’s A Good Thing

The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer held back on the violence, and that was a positive choice.

The Power Couples Of DC and Marvel

The trailers for both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps highlight the iconic romantic pairings at the center of these stories: Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane for the former, and Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman for the latter. In the case of the Superman trailer, although it’s devoid of dialogue, save for the titular protagonist’s “Krypto! Home. Take me home,” halfway through, it highlights that at the heart of the first theatrical introduction to James Gunn’s DCU is the budding relationship between David Corenswet’s Clark and Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois. As for the trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it is heavily driven by dialogue, particularly centering on Marvel’s OG power couple of Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Woman, portrayed by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby respectively. The trailer notably ends on Sue’s line, “Whatever life throws at us, we’ll face it together as a family,” to comfort Reed amidst the impending threat that Galactus may bring to their world.

If these trailers are to be believed, both Superman writer/director James Gunn and The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman are looking to emotionally invest modern audiences in these characters by having them fall in love with the romantic dynamics between these two power couples. Amidst all the action seen in both of these trailers, both feature intimate, heartfelt moments for them. We see both sides of Clark Kent and Superman sharing tender moments with Lois Lane, whether it is through glimpses of their careers at The Daily Planet, and two passionate kisses at home and while in flight. We also get a glimpse of Reed Richards and Sue Storm having a heart-to-heart conversation reflecting on their lives before they launched into space with Ebon Moss-Bacharach’s Ben Grimm/The Thing and Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, along with moments of love at home, and in space amidst the accident that led to their origins.

DC vs. Marvel: A Love Story

When comparing both DC and Marvel’s romances on both the big and small screens, it’s safe to say that the latter has had more success than the former. To be fair, Marvel has had more opportunities than DC has to have audiences get invested in romantic relationships, whether it’d be Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter, Peter Parker and MJ, or Wanda Maximoff and Vision. Each of these relationships had their own unique dynamics, with the typical spectacle mixed in with the intimate moments to ground them. It also helps to have actors that have great chemistry with one another.

As one of the more beloved superhero romances, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts’ relationship in the MCU grew over the course of 11 years on the big screen. Audiences were there to witness them at the beginning of their professional relationship and see it grow into them falling in love, getting married, having a daughter, and eventually fighting side-by-side in Avengers: Endgame before Tony ultimately makes the ultimate sacrifice.

DC’s track record of superhero romance on film and TV has not been as successful, especially in regard to what was seen in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe that launched with Man of Steel in 2013, and ended with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023. Fittingly, both of these films center on titular superheroes that have their own iconic romantic partners. However, although the DCEU films are not without their fans, many critics and audiences would agree that many of the romances depicted in those films lacked proper development and a spark.

In the case of Henry Cavill’s Superman and Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, the two lacked the chemistry needed to truly buy their romance. As for Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Amber Heard’s Mera, although their initial adventure together had elements of fun, much of it felt pedestrian, and their chemistry was also lacking. And in perhaps DC’s most popular romantic pairing of the last several years, both iterations of the Joker and Harley Quinn relationships fell flat on their face, whether it was the underdeveloped, lazy storytelling in Jared Leto and Margot Robbie’s iterations in Suicide Squad, or in the abysmal, half-baked portrayal seen in Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s iterations in Joker: Folie à Deux.

This is not to say that DC hasn’t had successful romances. The first Wonder Woman centered on the central relationship between Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. Their dynamic was quite easy to be swept away by, thanks to the epic journey they embark on together in that first film. In the case of The Batman, the romantic chemistry between both Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne/Batman and Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman was palpable. It also helped that Matt Reeves and Peter Craig’s screenplay gave them a narrative dynamic that was cohesive while leaving the door open for some exciting future developments in The Batman: Part II.

Good Superhero Romances Hook Audiences

Although audiences mainly watch superhero films in theaters to see beloved characters take part in extraordinary events, what ultimately brings them back to see upcoming sequels and team-up films is to catch up with characters they have grown to love thanks to proper narrative development and growth. Part of what makes larger-than-life and colorful characters worth investing in is not just their meta human abilities, but also their internal growth; much of which is based on their relationships with the people in their lives whether good, bad, or somewhere in between. Focusing on their dynamics with other characters helps ground these heroes and makes them more relatable to most audiences.

Ultimately, both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps need to show audiences why they were such beloved superheroes in the first place. For all the spectacle and wonder that superhero stories bring, the most important factor is investing in their personal journeys, and if romance is effectively handled, audiences can become emotionally invested and perhaps be moved to tears.

While there are many fans of what Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill brought to Superman, it’s clear that the current perception of the character within popular culture is in flux, and it doesn’t help that shows like The Boys and Invincible have been popularizing their own takes on an Evil Superman. It’s up to James Gunn and David Corenswet to reintroduce audiences to truth, justice, and a better tomorrow in this new cinematic adventure for Clark Kent, and it’s clear that Lois Lane is perhaps the most integral key in investing audiences into this new universe.

The same can be said for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, after basically becoming the laughing stock of Marvel Comics film adaptations for nearly 40 years whether through the unreleased Roger Corman 1994 film, Tim Story’s two films from the mid 2000’s, or Josh Trank’s infamous 2015 reboot, Marvel Studios sure has its work cut out for it. However, it appears that the creative sensibilities Matt Shakman brought to WandaVision are translating quite well to the 1960’s Silver Age aesthetic of the beloved team. Hopefully, Shakman also effectively showcases the same effective romance that was on powerful display between Wanda Maximoff and Vision for Reed Richards and Sue Storm.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date

July 25, 2025

Director

Matt Shakman

Writers

Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee

Producers

Jamie Christopher, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Tim Lewis

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  Pedro Pascal

  Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic

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  Vanessa Kirby

  Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman

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  Joseph Quinn

  Johnny Storm / Human Torch

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  Ebon Moss-Bachrach

  Ben Grimm / The Thing