Disney+ Reveals 5 Movies To Watch Before Fantastic Four First Steps

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Before diving into “The Fantastic Four: First Steps“, Disney+ offers several Marvel films for enthusiasts to catch up. This upcoming movie marks the entry of Marvel’s First Family into the MCU, introducing them in an alternate timeline before they meet Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for the first time. However, the team boasts a rich history in comic books and cinematic adaptations, which Marvel is heavily drawing upon.

Disney+ offers a collection titled “Fantastic Journeys,” which features the live-action appearances of the Fantastic Four from the past 20 years. The highly-rated series opener, The Fantastic Four: Early Steps, has shattered franchise ratings records. This allows fans to revisit the team’s cinematic odysseys that paved the way for their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. Furthermore, following Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige’s hint, viewers can expect that there will be no prerequisite knowledge needed before watching this film.

Initially, this compilation was debuted on Disney+ in June 2023 across various regions, showcasing the extensive media journey of the Fantastic Four. Since its launch, Disney+ has made adjustments to this collection, incorporating new projects while also eliminating some previously included ones.

The Fantastic Four: Initial Leaps

This upcoming Phase 6 film by Marvel Cinematic Universe, titled “The Fantastic Four: Initial Leaps,” is helmed by director Matt Shakman and features an ensemble cast that includes Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The storyline unfolds four years into the team’s heroic journey, where they are compelled to engage in a fierce battle against Galactus, a cosmic entity threatening to consume their universe and everything dear to them. “The Fantastic Four: Initial Leaps” is set to premiere in cinemas on July 25, 2025.

Everything To Watch on Disney+ Before Fantastic Four: First Steps

Fantastic Four (2005)

In 2005, under the direction of Tim Story, 20th Century Fox released their initial take on Marvel’s iconic superhero team, the Fantastic Four. The movie primarily focused on Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm, and the late Julian McMahon portraying Victor Von Doom (for more on McMahon’s career, check out one of his last interviews with TopMob).

In much the same way as many films from this period do, Fantastic Four focuses on the backstory of its team. They journey to Von Doom’s space station before being imbued with powers by a surge of cosmic energy. Later on, once they’ve adapted to their heroic roles, it’s Doctor Doom who betrays them, sparking a monumental clash in New York City.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

In the following year, 2007 saw the return of the original cast for another cinematic outing titled “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”, directed by Tim Story. Joining the previously mentioned stars were Laurence Fishburne, who debuted as the Silver Surfer, and Galactus, making his first live-action appearance (though in a cloudlike form).

While Reed Richards and Sue Storm were preparing for their wedding, the festivities were suddenly disrupted by the arrival of the Silver Surfer. He announced Galactus’ intention to devour the planet, causing chaos. In the midst of this, team members exchanged powers and had to adapt quickly to work together effectively. Additionally, Victor Von Doom reclaimed his position of power.

Fantastic Four (2015)

Eight years after Fox initially introduced the Fantastic Four, Josh Trank directed a fresh take on the team in 2015’s Fant4stic. The film brought together a new ensemble of actors: Miles Teller took on Reed Richards, Kate Mara portrayed Sue Storm, Michael B. Jordan was cast as Johnny Storm, Jamie Bell played Ben Grimm, and Toby Kebbell stepped into the role of Victor Von Doom.

In my perspective, this movie ventures into uncharted territory by whisking us through a gateway to an alternate dimension prior to our team gaining powers. Once we’ve acclimated to our new surroundings and honed our abilities, a year passes before we reunite to thwart Doom from annihilating the world with his groundbreaking, never-before-seen technology.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

In the film “Deadpool & Wolverine,” while it mainly focuses on mutants, it boasts more than six superheroes from previous Marvel movies that don’t align with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Among this group is Chris Evans’ character, Johnny Storm, who makes his first MCU appearance in The Void, teaming up with Wade Wilson and Logan.

Following Wade’s initial assumption that Evans is Captain America, he makes an attempt to defeat Aaron Stanford’s Pyro by firing a blast. However, Pyro rapidly soaks up the fire and pushes Johnny back to the ground. Subsequently, Johnny is apprehended alongside Wade and Logan, and they are transported to Cassandra Nova. In an unexpected and truthful manner, Wade shares a profanity-laden account of what Johnny had said about the villain. Without delay, Cassandra instantaneously strips Johnny’s skin from his body, resulting in his death.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

In much the same way that Deadpool and Wolverine don’t heavily focus on their story but rather highlight specific aspects, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness doesn’t place a heavy emphasis on the Fantastic Four. Instead, it primarily showcases Doctor Strange’s endeavor to safeguard America Chavez from Wanda Maximoff. This leads him to Earth-838 and a gathering with the Illuminati, where we encounter John Krasinski’s variant of Reed Richards across the multiverse.

Known as “‘the most intelligent individual living,’“, Reed elaborates on the Incursions theory to Doctor Strange, warning that if they escalate beyond control, they could result in the annihilation of all participating universes. However, when Wanda Maximoff breaches the Illuminati’s base, Reed swiftly intervenes against her. Regrettably, she quickly neutralizes him by transforming him into a human pasta shape.

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2025-07-23 22:35