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

Disney+ has a handful of Marvel movies for fans to check out before going into The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This new film will bring Marvel's First Family into the MCU for their long-awaited debut, setting them in an alternate reality before they come face to face with Earth's Mightiest Heroes for the first time. However, the team has a long history in the comics and on the big screen, which Marvel is leaning heavily into.

Disney+ has a "Fantastic Adventures" collection, including the Fantastic Four's live-action appearances from the last 20 years. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps already breaking franchise records for ratings, fans can look back at the team's movie adventures that set the stage for their MCU arrival. This also comes after Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige teased that fans will not have any required homework going into this film.

This collection first appeared on Disney+ (in some parts of the world) in June 2023, highlighting the Fantastic Four's long history in media. However, Disney+ changed the entries in this collection since then, adding projects and removing others.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the MCU's first Phase 6 movie, is directed by Matt Shakman and stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Starting four years into the team's run as heroes, they are forced into battle with the world-eating Galactus, who puts their universe and everything they love in jeopardy. The Fantastic Four: First Steps debuts in theaters on Friday, July 25, 2025.

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

Fantastic Four (2005)

20th Century Fox's first adaptation of Marvel's First Family came in 2005's Fantastic Four, which Tim Story directed. This film centered on Ioan Gruffudd's Reed Richards, Jessica Alba's Sue Storm, Chris Evans' Johnny Storm, Michael Chiklis' Ben Grimm, and the late Julian McMahon's Victor Von Doom (see more from one of McMahon's last interviews with The Direct here).

Like many films of this era, Fantastic Four highlights the team's origins. They travel to Von Doom's space station before a wave of cosmic energy gives them their powers. Eventually, after their adjustment as heroes, Doom turns on the team, leading to a massive confrontation in New York City.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Two years later, 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer brought back the same unit for a second big-screen adventure under Tim Story. Along with the aforementioned five stars, this movie introduces Laurence Fishburne as the Silver Surfer and brings the first live-action adaptation of Galactus (albeit in cloud form).

As Reed and Sue attempt to get married, their ceremony is interrupted by the Silver Surfer's arrival, as he eventually heralds Galactus' quest to destroy the planet. Complete with the team switching powers and having to further learn how to work as a unit, Doom also rises back to power.

Fantastic Four (2015)

Fox rebooted the Fantastic Four eight years later with 2015's Fan4stic, directed by Josh Trank. Introducing a brand-new cast, the studio featured Miles Teller (Reed Richards), Kate Mara (Sue Storm), Michael B. Jordan (Johnny Storm), Jamie Bell (Ben Grimm), and Toby Kebbell (Victor Von Doom).

This film takes a unique direction, transporting the team to an alternate universe through a portal before they get powers and learn to deal with their new reality and abilities. A year later, the group reassembles to stop Doom from destroying the world with never-before-seen technology.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

While Deadpool & Wolverine is largely a mutant-centric film, it features over half a dozen superheroes from past Marvel movies developed outside of the MCU's continuity. Included in this group is Chris Evans' Johnny Storm, who appears in his third Marvel movie (and his first in the MCU) when he shows up in The Void alongside Wade Wilson and Logan.

After Wade initially believes Evans to be Captain America, he flames on in an attempt to take down Aaron Stanford's Pyro, who quickly absorbs his fire blast and sends Johnny falling back to the ground. Johnny is then captured with Wade and Logan and brought to Cassandra Nova, leading to Wade (surprisingly and truthfully) detailing a curse-filled recollection of what Johnny said about the villain. Immediately after, Cassandra swiftly removes the skin from Johnny's body, killing him in an instant.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Similarly to Deadpool & Wolverine, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' focus on the Fantastic Four is not heavy, more so highlighting Strange's attempt to protect America Chavez from Wanda Maximoff. This sends him to Earth-838 and into a meeting with the Illuminati, which features John Krasinski's multiversal variant of Reed Richards.

Dubbed "the smartest man alive," Reed explains the concept of Incursions to Doctor Strange, noting that if things get too out of hand, they can lead to the destruction of all universes involved. Once Wanda Maximoff infiltrates the Illuminati's headquarters, Reed jumps into action against her, but she immediately takes him out by turning him into human spaghetti.