Marvel Studios has special plans for 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, bringing it to theaters in a way that has not been done since Eternals. Both movies are recognized for bringing powerful new teams of heroes into the greater Marvel universe. Due to the grand scale seen in Eternals and expected to be seen in The Fantastic Four, Marvel is not holding anything back for its release.
Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps was shot partially in the 1.43:1 IMAX ratio. This is the first time Marvel Studios has used this ratio for any movie since 2021's Eternals, which showcased numerous expansive landscapes through the multiple eras of world history used in the story.
Listed on cinematographer Jess Hall's website, First Steps is confirmed to have full scenes that were shot in the 1.43:1 aspect ratio. Other footage was captured on 16mm and 35mm film, and most of the rest of the movie uses the 1.90:1 aspect ratio.
For perspective, only 22 movies in history have scenes filmed in 1.43:1, including almost half an hour of footage from the 2025 hit horror movie Sinners. The only other MCU movie to use this specific ratio was 2021's Eternals, which earned praise for its cinematography and visuals after its debut in theaters. Avengers: Endgame was shot completely with IMAX cameras, but it utilized a 1.90:1 ratio rather than the 1.43:1 ratio seen in Eternals and The Fantastic Four.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will feature Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as its core heroes alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson's Galactus. Directed by WandaVision's Matt Shakman, the movie will explore an alternate-reality take on the team as they take on Galactus, hoping to stop him from devouring their world. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will debut in theaters on July 25.
How IMAX Ratio Will Help The Fantastic Four
Outside of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Deadpool & Wolverine, every MCU movie from Phase 3 and later has utilized the 1.90:1 IMAX ratio for various scenes (most recently seen in Thunderbolts*). Even considering how it's become common practice for the MCU over most of the last decade, using this unique ratio should bring an even bigger scale for The Fantastic Four.
Looking past the reviews of Eternals' story, the film was lauded for its use of IMAX to help bring a massive feel to what fans were seeing on the biggest of screens. Particularly utilizing IMAX cameras to make landscapes like the desert and the Indian Ocean feel larger than life, many wonder how that will transfer to the MCU's first Phase 6 movie.
Largely, the 1.43:1 ratio was used for Eternals' scenes set in outer space, an area that will be used much more often in The Fantastic Four due to the team's status as explorers. Marvel already teased a few massive sequences set in outer space, and that trend will continue when the movie is released in full.
Additionally, the scenes in this movie will only be the tip of the iceberg for Marvel Studios, with massive IMAX-camera-filmed scenes expected to be highlighted later in Phase 6's Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
