A new promo for The Fantastic Four: First Steps closely ties to the 2005 Fox movie based on the iconic Marvel team. The MCU is ramping up its promotion heading into its July release, including television spots that offer something different from the regular trailers.
The new Fantastic Four television commercial features some shots from the main trailer but adds something extra that was likely filmed for this specific promo. In the commercial, Sue, Johnny, and Reed are heading up the elevator in the Baxter Building to where Ben and HERBIE are making dinner.
However, what was added was the moment that came next. The family wasn't sitting down to eat dinner together. They were gathering together to watch the NBA playoffs. When Reed tried to share statistics in the elevator, Johnny was anxious that they would miss tip-off and had his own statistics that he would be 100% ready to fly off if they missed it. The team finally gets to their penthouse just in time to join Ben for food and the basketball game on their television.
The new promo can be seen below:
Then, a second commercial aired, showing the team watching the NBA Western Conference Finals on ESPN. Johnny complains about the last time they missed a Game 4 of the NBA playoffs. Sue responds that they were in space during it, changing their lives forever.
This gives a slight timeline to their change, as it means they became the Fantastic Four in either May or June, but it is unclear how many years before this season they gained their powers.
The commercial can be seen below:
This promotional material comes from a partnership between Disney and the NBA or ESPN, with the upcoming MCU movie helping promote the ongoing playoffs. This isn't the first time the MCU has partnered with the NBA, as there was also a basketball tie-in during the Black Widow promotion. However, there is another connection to the promotion of a non-MCU movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases in theaters on July 25, 2025. The new movie features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
How the 2005 Fantastic Four Movie Also Partnered With the NBA
This is the fifth time Marvel has licensed the Fantastic Four as a movie. Director Roger Corman's first attempt in 1994 was unreleased. However, Fox finally released Marvel's First Family into theaters in 2005, with Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Ioan Gruffudd portraying the team.
Interestingly, that movie also had an NBA tie-in during its promotions. During a commercial from that era, the members of the Fantastic Four played basketball with NBA Hall of Fame legend Magic Johnson. The team kept using their powers to block his shots until he revealed Johnny was on his team, and he finally scored:
Twenty years ago, the NBA and Fox collaborated to promote the Fantastic Four. Now, the MCU and the NBA have done the same. It seems like an interesting connection, but it shows that some things never change and that The Fantastic Four: First Steps honors the team's history.
