MarvelBlog News for June 29th, 2025

Last week, we learned that development on a Fantastic Four sequel is already underway.

This week, we learned why Marvel remains so confident in the project. Oh, and Spider-Man is about to get Punished.

I’ll explain what you need to know in this week’s MarvelBlog News.

The Marvel Roller Coaster

Let’s start with the clip that you probably haven’t seen. It’s this 30-second teaser for The Fantastic Four: First Steps:

Somebody just distilled 60+ years of Fantastic Four comics into a single clip, and they did a masterful job.

As a child, I wasn’t much into comic books…with one exception. I adored the Fantastic Four.

Whenever we went to the grocery store, I’d try to convince my mom to buy me the latest issue.

I’ve got a drawer full of them, but they have no monetary value whatsoever. That’s because they’re so well-loved.

I’d read them over and over again because as someone with Smartest Person in the Room Syndrome, I overidentified with Reed Richards.

Throughout the years, I’ve felt perennial frustration over the fact that we’ve had three Fantastic Four films – four if you count Roger Corman’s – that have all sucked.

None of those were Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, though. We’ve got higher expectations for them.

I say that the day after I wrote a different article about Marvel being in another downswing.

I’ll go ahead and tell you that Captain America: Brave New World debuted on Disney+…to middling results.

The movie earned 750 million viewer minutes, which is more than one billion less than Deadpool & Wolverine.

Nobody should be surprised because Brave New World and Thunderbolts* have totaled $800 million in box office.

Not that long ago, critics were trying to paint Thor: Love & Thunder as a box office disappointment for “only” grossing $760 million.

That’s how quickly the Marvel roller coaster has plummeted back to Earth after soaring with Deadpool & Wolverine last year.

So, that clip matters greatly to the MCU. It’s an elevator pitch about why this film will be different.

“Don’t Tell Me How to Kill Sexy Aliens!”

For the longer pitch, you should watch the final trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps:

While we’ve seen previous clips of Marvel’s First Family, this is the one that sells the entire story.

We’ve got a full-sized visual of Galactus. More importantly, we watch the Silver Surfer herald his purpose.

We learn why the entire planet hero-worships the Fantastic Four, a group whose watches signal them when they’re in danger.

There’s the teeniest hint that they’ve sold out a bit as well. Johnny’s in a Coppertone ad, and we learn about a Fantastic Four cartoon.

Everything ties together how seminal they are to their people, which is why it’s chilling when Reed Richards is honest.

He tells reporters that he doesn’t know whether the people are safe from Galactus. Richards refuses to lie in the face of the obvious.

This new opponent has devoured worlds. How can four members of the same family hope to prevent it and its herald?

I think we all suspect the answer: They can’t. Galactus probably wins, forcing them to leave their known universe, possibly accidentally.

Remember that this film sets up Avengers: Doomsday, which makes it a marketing pitch for an even bigger movie.

Remarkably, the trailer sells the entirety of this story in just two minutes, a heroic feat.

First Steps was already tracking very well. In the wake of this clip, I fully expect it to excel at the box office.

And I fully understand why Marvel has already greenlit a sequel. The Fantastic Four has nailed its casting.

Between Thunderbolts* and First Steps, fans should forget about Brave New World’s lackluster quality quite quickly.

These two films in tandem appear redemptive for the MCU writ large.

That’s a Weird Combo, Right?

Jon Bernthal recently joined the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again. Well, that’s debatable.

Since Marvel is acting like Daredevil is canon, that means Bernthal was already in the MCU. I think. It gets confusing.

Anyway, the point is that the actor made famous by The Walking Dead has evolved into a bona fide star.

In fact, I was just admiring his work last night in season four of The Bear, a noteworthy character arc.

Bernthal’s character has been dead since before the series began, yet he’s appeared every season.

That’s how much the producers of The Bear, one of the most acclaimed series ever, revere Bernthal.

Marvel must feel similarly, as Bernthal’s character returned before three of the Defenders officially did in Daredevil.

If you’re ahead of Jessica Jones in line, you’re doing something right. And now, Bernthal will join Daredevil actor Charlie Cox in another facet.

Cox appeared in the most recent Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now, Bernthal has signed on for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

This lends credence to the rumor that the Kingpin may be involved, although literally dozens of villains have been linked to the film.

To a larger point, the Punisher’s presence in a Spider-Man story brings a previous MCU story full circle.

Bernthal and his younger counterpart, Tom Holland, were working on a movie together in 2017.

During their downtime on that film, Pilgrimage, the actors filmed one another’s auditions for the MCU.

Obviously, both attempts proved successful, and now they’ll reunite in Spider-Man 4.

Still, I cannot wrap my brain around the fit of the super-violent Punisher with the earnest, kindly Spider-Man. That’s a weird fit.

Marvel Miscellany

In other Spider-Man: Brand New Day news, the film’s cinematographer is hinting that the Savage Hulk will appear.

I await official confirmation, but that’s a strong hint that Mark Ruffalo appears in the movie as well.

Circling back to The Fantastic Four: First Steps for a moment, we recently learned that the film’s run-time is 115 minutes.

I think it’s a good idea for Marvel to make shorter movies right now, as fans seem a bit jaded to the longer stuff.

Speaking of run time length, we just learned from the production crew that Vision Quest will last for six episodes.

By the way, that cinematographer is Brad Pawlak, a longtime collaborator with the film’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton.

I mention this because Pawlak has strong roots to members of the MCU.

He has previously worked with *deep breath* Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson, and (if he counts) Jamie Foxx.

Oh, and he did Wonder-Man, too. So, Pawlak is becoming the invisible hand of the MCU.

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