I’m pretty confident I know how The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ conflict with Galactus gets “personal”. Set to debut a brand-new version of Marvel’s First Family, the upcoming MCU movie is set to release in 2025. To that end, the recently released synopsis has revealed a key clue about the movie’s cosmic villain and his motivations that will likely go beyond eating planets.
Coming from director Matt Shakman, 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to star Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards aka Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm aka The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm’s The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch. Likewise, Ralph Ineson will serve as the voice of Galactus, while Julia Garner is playing Silver Surfer, Galactus’ herald. That being said, The Fantastic Four’s synopsis reveals Galactus is coming to the First Family’s world for a far more personal reason beyond cosmic hunger (and I think I know what it is).
Fantastic Four’s Official Synopsis Teases A “Personal” Twist With Galactus
Marvel’s First Family Taking On The World Devourer
The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps was recently released by Marvel Studios. While the majority is rather expected and features what’s already been known about the cast, the final line confirms that Galactus wants more than just to consume a world:
“Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
“
Taking place in an alternate reality beyond the main MCU, The Fantastic Four’s battle with Galactus will be set in a 1960s futuristic backdrop where science and technology have apparently progressed far more rapidly. As such, The Fantastic Four will likely be on their own as a single team of heroes attempting to save their world from Marvel’s classic World Devourer. However, this teased “personal” connection will most likely make the upcoming conflict more dynamic and dimensional.
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Along with the confirmation that Ineson’s Galactus will look much more like his comic book counterpart as a giant helmeted humanoid who dwarfs the planets he eats, this teased personal angle with Galactus should prove to be very effective in the upcoming MCU movie. After all, 2007’s Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer simply had Galactus as a voiceless space cloud threatening to destroy the Earth. Keeping that in mind, I know of a darkly perfect way in which the stakes with Galactus can become extremely and “suddenly personal” in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
I’m Now Even More Convinced Galactus Is Coming For Franklin Richards (Not Just Earth)
Reed and Sue’s Son Has The Potential To Be Galactus’ Opposing Equal
While he’s not yet been confirmed, I’m fairly confident Franklin Richards will make his live-action debut in Fantastic Four: First Steps, especially after this synopsis reveal. The son of Reed and Sue Richards, the comics’ Franklin is one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel Universe. Also known as Powerhouse, Franklin can create entire new worlds and realities on a whim even as a child, and as such his power quickly gained the notice of some of Marvel’s other most powerful cosmic beings like the Celestials, and notably Galactus himself.
Likewise, an adult variant of Franklin Richards became so powerful that he once turned Galactus into his own herald. Furthermore, it’s been suggested that Franklin and Galactus are each others’ opposites given the World Devourer’s capacity for massive destruction and the power at Franklin’s disposal to conversely build and create. It’s also worth noting that Franklin and his sister Valeria were instrumental in rebuilding the multiverse following its destruction in 2015’s Secret Wars event following the defeat of God Emperor Doom, so introducing Franklin two years ahead of the MCU’s Avengers: Secret Wars does make sense.
“An even likelier possibility is that Reed and Sue’s son could provide Galactus with a limitless supply of worlds to consume…”
As far as the MCU’s upcoming Fantastic Four movie is concerned, Galactus may want to destroy Franklin as a key (and possibly his only) rival. However, an even likelier possibility is that Reed and Sue’s son could provide Galactus with a limitless supply of worlds to consume, either by taking the boy’s power or taking Franklin away from his parents and making him his servant to create new planets for him in perpetuity. Either way, Franklin being in danger would certainly make the stakes far more personal, as suggested by this official synopsis.
“First Steps” Likely Has More Than One Meaning
It’s Not Just About Space Travel
Theories about Franklin Richards’ involvement in The Fantastic Four: First Steps already existed before the release of this new synopsis, and this was largely due to the “First Steps” subtitle. While the connection to space travel feels like the most obvious meaning, there’s likely more than one especially if Franklin was recently born. To that end, perhaps the recent birth of Franklin Richards in the MCU is what draws Galactus to the First Family’s version of Earth in the first place. At any rate, I’m very excited to see Franklin and his powers when he more than likely debuts in the upcoming MCU movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to release July 25th, 2025.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first MCU movie to feature Marvel’s First Family in the same live-action universe as the Avengers. It introduces the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, and precedes Phase 6’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
- Director
- Matt Shakman
- Release Date
- July 25, 2025
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Writers
- Josh Friedman , Jeff Kaplan , Ian Springer