Marvel Is Placing Too Much Pressure On Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the talk of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the moment after the first trailer was dropped, giving moviegoers a glimpse at what can be expected from the movie. Marvel Studios pumped a lot of effort into The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer, showcasing how much they want it to thrive.

While the build-up on Marvel’s behalf has undoubtedly raised the anticipation and expectations, that could also be a negative situation. There is a ton of pressure on this particular film when it comes to the overall MCU, and that might prove to be impossible to live up to.

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Being Pushed Heavily By Marvel

Marvel always puts lots of effort into its trailers to try and build up as much interest in the movies as possible, as that makes straightforward business sense. However, things were taken to another level when it came to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Putting an hour-long video together to grow the excitement around a trailer dropping is something that many movies don’t get, and that proves how badly Marvel wants to make this film a success.

Everything about the film’s marketing so far has been done to the highest level of quality, with the Marvel machine totally behind it. That has set expectations to the next level in comparison to other MCU films. While all of them get pushed strong by the time the release is close, few are given the level of treatment that The Fantastic Four: First Steps has received, dating back to when the cast was announced via a unique drawing.

Previous Fantastic Four Movies Have Struggled

Marvel evidently expects a lot from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with the studios wanting the film to deliver something special. It’s a totally different environment and setting from what Marvel has done before in the MCU, while the characters themselves are beloved and interesting enough to command attention. However, previous Fantastic Four films haven’t delivered well. Audiences have often been left disappointed with how the characters have been displayed or the story generally, and that is leading to people having mixed feelings heading into this one.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer looked positive and ticked many boxes that audiences are looking for from this film in terms of the tone and how the heroes are being showcased. But there’s only so much that can be taken from a trailer. When Marvel wants the movie to generate as much buzz as possible, the previous issues that have taken place in other Fantastic Four films could end up having an adverse impact, as audiences might not want to risk watching it if they could be disappointed.

The Expectations Are At An All-Time High

This movie is being heavily pushed due to the importance it will have on the overall multiverse story and the build to the upcoming Avengers movies. It’s expected to play heavily into Avengers: Doomsday, and for a film featuring brand new characters, that is a big risk on Marvel’s behalf, even if they’re as widely popular as the Fantastic Four. The MCU has undergone plenty of difficulties in recent times with certain films not delivering, and that has only added to the weight that is being put on this movie, which isn’t the norm for brand-new characters being introduced into this franchise.

It’s being seen as a potential reset for Marvel in the eyes of many fans after some films that haven’t delivered the usual quality, and that is inccreasing the expectations on the movie. Interest in the MCU is slightly down, leading into two back-to-back Avengers films, which aren’t what Marvel is used to; therefore, bringing out a major movie such as The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems like a prominent option for Marvel. However, given the character’s difficult history on the big screen and the lack of momentum behind the MCU generally, the amount of pressure on this film is going to be tough for it to live up to.

If things go well, The Fantastic Four: First Steps could get a lot of excitement back into the MCU, which would be well-timed given the major films that are slated for release in the immediate future. However, the likelihood is that even if the movie does well, it will struggle to get the anticipation levels to where Marvel would like heading into Avengers: Doomsday. It’s a level of pressure that few MCU movies would be able to cope with, given the recent downturn for the MCU. However, the fact that Marvel Studios believes in the project so much that they’re placing so much pressure on it is a positive situation, as they evidently believe that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is going to be interesting enough to be a smash hit.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date

July 25, 2025

Director

Matt Shakman

• 

  Pedro Pascal

  Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic

• 

  Vanessa Kirby

  Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman

• 

  Joseph Quinn

  Johnny Storm / Human Torch

• 

  Ebon Moss-Bachrach

  Ben Grimm / The Thing