The Fantastic Four: First Steps will mark the team's first live-action appearance since the controversial 2015 film Fantastic Four, also known as Fan4stic, and Marvel Studios is already taking steps to avoid making the same mistakes as Fox.
The marketing for First Steps, which arrives in theaters on July 25, 2025, has been keeping things close to the vest. The shots of characters using their powers are few and far between, and there's little in the way of story details. However, to celebrate tickets going on sale, a new teaser for the movie dropped, and it's chock-full of interesting nuggets.
Of course, the standout moments are the first appearance of Franklin Richards and the Fantasti-Car in action. In between all the action, though, there's a piece of dialogue that reveals the lighthearted tone First Steps is aiming for.
Toward the end of the new look at the movie, Johnny Storm asks, "Is it Clobberin' Time?" He's speaking to Ben Grimm, who responds, "Hell yeah!" The moment is a reference to The Thing's iconic catchphrase from the comics, "It's Clobberin' Time!"
First Steps follows in the footsteps of the 2005 Fantastic Four movie, in which Ben initially wants nothing to do with the phrase because it's part of a marketing campaign Johnny is backing before embracing it during the fight against Doctor Doom.
Fan4stic takes a similar approach, making "It's Clobberin' Time!" something Ben wants to avoid. Unfortunately, this takes things too far and hurts The Thing along the way.
Fan4stic Goes Dark Just to Be Different
Fox's early Fantastic Four films aren't great by any stretch of the imagination. They're campy and fail to do right by their villains, including Galactus, who appears as a giant purple cloud rather than a massive being.
To avoid any comparisons to those movies, Josh Trank's Fan4stic takes a much darker approach. The abilities the heroes receive are more like curses than gifts. It also provides darker backstories for the titular team, especially for Ben.
Growing up in a rough area, Ben befriends Reed Richards early in life, and the two start working on science projects together. Reed's friendship is really the only distraction Ben has from his home life, which is tough because his older brother, Jimmy, abuses him.
Jimmy even uses "It's Clobberin' Time!" as the signal for an impending attack. It makes the iconic line feel more unsettling than heroic when it comes back around later in the movie.
Now, there's something satisfying about Ben taking back his agency and coming into his own as a hero. But it feels too little, too late because Fan4stic puts him through the wringer after he gains his powers, making him into an agent for the government without his best friend by his side.
First Steps isn't looking to make the same mistakes (read about other ways the movie will improve on its predecessors), as its marketing focuses on the positive relationships in the film. Johnny is asking Ben about "Clobberin' Time" because he believes in his abilities as a hero and enjoys seeing him let loose.
That's not to say the two won't have a rivalry; after all, it's an important part of their dynamic in the comics. However, good-natured ribbing appears to be replacing dark dialogue and betrayal.
What makes the Fantastic Four different than teams like the Avengers is the fact that they're a family. They're always there to support each other, no matter what.
After seeing Fox swing and miss with its team dynamic in Fan4stic, Marvel Studios is turning up the dial to 11 and ensuring that there's no confusion about their characters' personalities. Their journey won't be a walk in the park, but at least they won't have to worry about fighting against their family in addition to Galactus.
