Kevin Feige Reveals the Greatest Benefit of Fantastic Four for Marvel Fans

Kevin Feige recently discussed Marvel Studios’ approach to The Fantastic Four: First Steps and its Earth-828 setting in a new press interview. He explained the early decision to set the film in a separate universe, the goal of making it accessible to new viewers, and how Disney+ overexposure influenced the studio’s direction.

Kevin Feige confirms no homework is required to watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps

At the Marvel Studios Burbank headquarters Kevin Feige said, “We always were planning… to introduce them in their own world in which they are the only heroes” (via Variety). This marks the first MCU film to fully introduce a major superhero team in a separate continuity.

Marvel decided early in development to isolate the Fantastic Four. “It is a no-homework-required movie,” Feige said. “It literally is not connected to anything we’ve made before.” This approach contrasts with other Phase 4 and 5 entries, which often relied on prior Disney+ series or earlier MCU films for full context. Although Marvel designed Thunderbolts* as a standalone film, Feige noted that some viewers still felt obligated to watch previous titles.

Feige emphasized that First Steps offers an accessible entry point, especially for viewers new to the franchise. He pointed out that after Endgame, Marvel produced over 127 hours of multiversal content, much of it tied to Disney+.

This led audiences to feel like they had to do excessive homework to follow new films, contributing to declining box office returns. “For the first time ever, quantity trumped quality,” Feige admitted, referencing Marvel’s recent overextension. First Steps aims to reduce this fatigue by avoiding interconnectivity and functioning as a fully self-contained story.

The characters in First Steps include Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn). They will face original villains like Mole Man and Galactus, portrayed by Paul Walter Hauser and Ralph Ineson, respectivey. These antagonists are native to Earth-828 and do not appear in any previous MCU projects.

The Fantastic Four will join the main MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, but their origin is standalone. Directed by Matt Shakman, the film releases on July 25, 2025, and reportedly runs 114 minutes.

Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.

Source: Comingsoon.net