Film Phase 6 — Doomsday (2026)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Name: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Released: 2025-07-25
Duration: 130 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson

"Welcome to the family."

Released July 25, 2025 2h 10m ★ 7.0TMDB ★ Essential to the MCU

Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel's First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.

Watch note

Doctor Doom makes his MCU debut — set in an alternate 1960s. Galactus and the Silver Surfer appear. Post-credits: Doom crosses into the main MCU timeline. The direct setup for Doomsday.

Why It Matters in the MCU

The MCU's first Fantastic Four film sets the team in a 1960s retro-futurist alternate universe, deliberately evoking the visual grammar of the original Lee-Kirby comics rather than attempting a contemporary reboot. Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards and Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm give the film its emotional foundation, and the period setting allows the franchise to explore a version of superhero mythology that predates the MCU's own continuity. Its placement in the timeline — connecting to multiverse threads introduced in Loki and Multiverse of Madness — makes it a key structural chapter regardless of its own standalone merits.

Watch These First

21 titles lead into The Fantastic Four: First Steps — 46 hours in total. All 21 are essential.

Captain America: The First Avenger Essential 2h 4m ★ 7.0
Captain Marvel Essential 2h 4m ★ 6.8
Iron Man Essential 2h 6m ★ 7.7
Iron Man 2 Essential 2h 4m ★ 6.9
The Incredible Hulk Essential 1h 52m ★ 6.3
Iron Man 2 (Post-Credit Scene) Essential 0h 2m
Thor Essential 1h 55m ★ 6.8 +2 before this
Captain America: The First Avenger (Credits) Essential 0h 2m
Thor (Post-Credit Scene) Essential 0h 2m
The Avengers Essential 2h 23m ★ 8.1 +2 before this
Iron Man 3 Essential 2h 10m ★ 6.9
Thor: The Dark World Essential 1h 52m ★ 6.5
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Essential 2h 16m ★ 7.7 +3 before this
Guardians of the Galaxy Essential 2h 1m ★ 7.9
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Essential 2h 16m ★ 7.6
Avengers: Age of Ultron Essential 2h 21m ★ 7.3
Captain America: Civil War Essential 2h 27m ★ 7.5 +1 before this
Eyes of Wakanda (Season 1) Essential 2h ★ 6.2
Black Panther Essential 2h 14m ★ 7.4
Spider-Man: Homecoming Essential 2h 13m ★ 7.3
Doctor Strange Essential 1h 55m ★ 7.4
Thor: Ragnarok Essential 2h 10m ★ 7.6 +2 before this
Avengers: Infinity War Essential 2h 29m ★ 8.2 +5 before this
Captain Marvel (Post-Credits Scene) Essential 0h 2m
Avengers: Endgame Essential 3h 2m ★ 8.2 +10 before this

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Where It Fits in the MCU

The Fantastic Four: First Steps sits at position 157 of 158 in the MCU's story-chronological order, placing it within the Phase 6 — Doomsday (2026) era. It is rated Essential — must-watch for following the main MCU narrative. Watching in story-chronological order provides the most coherent character development experience — individual arcs build naturally toward the franchise's major crossover events, with each film's post-credits scenes carrying forward into what follows.