The Fantastic Four Trailer Gives A First Glimpse At Marvel’s Galactus

The first trailer for Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” just dropped, kicking off Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The highly-anticipated trailer offers us a glimpse of the film’s 1960s retro-futurist setting, in which Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are seen navigating several superhero-related challenges. These four do-gooders are not just allies working together but something akin to a family, and each one of them has undergone a life-altering transformation after a certain incident that is alluded to for a few seconds. Before the trailer dives into the team’s superhero shenanigans, however, we are treated to a sweet moment between Ben/The Thing and the humanoid experimental robot H.E.R.B.I.E, who are seen cooking dinner together at the Baxter Building.

While we do not see Reed in action or using his super-stretching powers in this trailer, we do see Sue turn invisible and Johnny launching himself in the sky while he’s aflame. Meanwhile, Ben is the only member of the Fantastic Four who’s permanently altered after the incident that triggered the group’s superpowers, which is why he retains his (radioactive) brown rock-like appearance at all times. However, if superheroes are required to flex their abilities and save the local populace, that means trouble is brewing somewhere in their backyard. Sure enough, we get a glimpse of the big bad in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” replete with the sky exploding as said entity is seen looming over New York City. This Marvel villain is none other than the cosmic being Galactus (Ralph Ineson), who is known for consuming planetary life forces in the comics. But who exactly is this powerful villain and what kind of conflict might be brewing between him and the Fantastic Four?

Galactus was first introduced in “Fantastic Four #48,” in which the comic book’s titular group is warned about the cosmic being’s inevitable arrival on Earth. It is worth noting that Galactus is no puny villain that can be easily overcome by brute strength. Rather, he existed even before the Big Bang, and is one of the most feared beings in the cosmos. Galactus is also a planet devourer who has wiped entire civilizations completely off the galactic map due to his ravenous hunger, acting as a balancing force between Death and Eternity (who are likewise cosmic entities that serve as the physical manifestations of these respective concepts in the Marvel Comics universe). 

So, what is Galactus doing here on Earth, and can the Fantastic Four succeed in curbing his primordial hunger? The retro-futurist 1960s society of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” might be a glaring hint that the movie does not take place on Earth-616 (the version of Earth from the MCU’s Sacred Timeline) at all. Instead, the film may take place in a parallel timeline doomed to be invaded and devoured by Galactus — except, that is, for the titular four, who will presumably find themselves hurtled onto the 616 version of Earth in that event. It’s not a far-fetched theory either; world-ending robotic drones known as Gah Lak Tus have devoured all life-bearing planets in their path in Marvel’s comics and even merged with Galactus in Joshua Hale Fialkov’s “Hunger Vol. 11.”

Why is this assimilation incident important? To put it briefly, the “Hunger” comic books are part of Marvel’s “Cataclysm” series, which takes place after a major post-Ultron time-space rift that allows Galactus to travel to a version of Earth where he can regenerate himself. And which version of Earth did Galactus originally come from before his merger with the Gah Lak Tus? That’s right: Earth-616. If “First Steps” is indeed adapting aspects from this comic book storyline, then it would make sense for the Fantastic Four to force Galactus back to Earth-616 and defeat him there, putting an end to his destructive, unchecked behavior.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is scheduled to open in theaters on July 25, 2025.