A few days after revealing the impressive cast of Avengers: Doomsday, we learned that the film Fantastic Four: First Steps, expected for July 2025, will not repeat this big mistake made by the MCU.
The MCU must free itself from its heavy legacy
They're finally here! After around thirty films and fifteen TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will finally include one of the most iconic superhero teams from the House of Ideas: the Fantastic Four. First appearing in November 1961 under the pen of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch and The Thing have become symbols of the American publisher, alongside Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man. For their introduction, Marvel Studios has pulled out all the stops by calling on four actors highly appreciated by the public and the press: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
It must be said that Fantastic Four: Beginnings takes place in a somewhat unusual context... Since the end of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the public seems to be increasingly disinterested in MCU productions. The failures of Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels are not isolated phenomena, but rather seem to be part of a system. The loss of quality special effects, the Jonathan Majors scandal and the excessive number of products per year have undoubtedly damaged the edifice founded by Kevin Feige. Certainly, Marvel Studios must not miss its shot with Fantastic Four: Beginning, especially since it comes out a few weeks after James Gunn's Superman, the first feature film in the DCU.
By entrusting the direction of the feature film to Matt Shakman, who had distinguished himself on the series WandaVision, Kevin Feige and his teams have assumed the choice to commission a film that will offer an aesthetic different from the canons of the MCU. The feature film will be the first film shot in 1.33:1 format and will present a retro-futuristic aesthetic very inspired by the 1960s. During an interview with Empire, Matt Shakman also developed another fundamental difference with the rest of the MCU: "No Easter Eggs. No risk of crossing paths with Iron Man or anyone else." While this choice can be explained by the fact that Fantastic Four: First Steps will take place in another universe, it also seems to be a decision claimed by the filmmaker. to free its story and characters from the exhausting weight of the Marvel Cinematic Universe legacy. Can this be seen as an admission of failure on Marvel's part? Perhaps. If the unlikely casting of Avengers: Doomsday, which will mix MCU actors with Bryan Singer's X-Men, seems to testify to the contrary, we can hope that if Fantastic Four: Beginnings succeeds at the box office, Disney and Marvel Entertainment will read audience expectations differently and agree to stop overwhelming audiences with Easter eggs by allowing the films to stand on their own. Fingers crossed! What do you think? Please let us know in the comments section.
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