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Marvel fans have seen plenty of reboots, but Fantastic Four might just be the franchise that keeps getting a second chance. After multiple attempts to bring Marvel's First Family to the big screen, the latest adaptation, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, just dropped its first trailer — and not everyone is thrilled.
Released on Tuesday, February 4, the teaser gives fans their first look at Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.
The clip, set in the 1960s, leans into a retro-futuristic aesthetic, complete with old-school TV footage of a space shuttle launch. The villain, Galactus (played by Ralph Ineson), looms over the city, and there's even a brief cameo from John Malkovich as a yet-to-be-revealed character.
The reactions? All over the place.
"Looks like a cheap TV show. No cinematography at all, production seems cheap," one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Looks like a cheap tv show. No cinematography at all, production seems cheap.
— Lou Bloom (@Lou_Bloom36) February 4, 2025"Looks lame IMO 😔," another said.
"Cringe looking that cast is awful and it all seems out of place. This is a marvel movie now?! uff the bar is low," someone else chimed in.
"Looks like Marvel has another letdown coming our way 🥲," one viewer added.
"Horrible...just like the last 2," another remarked.
Some fans weren't sure what to think.
"I believe this movie is still going to be fantastic BUT! The Thing looks so bad 😬 can't believe this is the actual final look for him," one skeptical fan admitted.
"The movie might be ok, but this is a really poor trailer," another pointed out.
"The thing with a shirt just looks odd. Face and body good but the team suits look too bland," someone else noted.
But for others, this was already a home run.
THIS LOOKS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!!!
— Benji Gotfried (@benji_gotfried) February 4, 2025"THIS LOOKS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!!!" one viewer exclaimed.
"The retro style space aesthetic is perfect can't wait!" another wrote.
"i'm seated. the theater employees are scared and asking me to leave because it's "not released" yet but i am simply too seated," someone joked.
"This trailer is already 1000 times better than the last movie," another fan added.
While Marvel hasn't addressed the conversation surrounding the trailer, the studio did shut down speculation that an official Fantastic Four: First Steps poster was AI-generated after some fans pointed out questionable design elements.
"Ok, did you use AI for this? Looks a bit off," one person asked on Marvel's post debuting the poster.
"@MarvelStudios 100% used AI for Fantasic Four promotion lmao. Per the 3 fingered man and knuckle wielding flag waiver," another said.
"Stop using A.I. You're in a creative industry...use creatives," someone else demanded.
Stop using A.I.
You're in a creative industry...use creatives.
As the criticism spread, Marvel responded, telling IndieWire that, "AI was not used in the creation of these posters."
Marvel's history with AI hasn't helped its case. According to Variety, the studio previously used AI to create the opening sequence for Secret Invasion, which featured eerie, distorted cityscapes and warped figures. More recently, The Brutalist faced similar controversy after it was revealed that AI was used to tweak actors' dialogue.
Catch Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters on July 25, 2025.
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