Marketing for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has already spoiled one of the biggest twists that takes place halfway through the new superhero film. The first Phase 6 movie will introduce audiences to the MCU's Fantastic Four, a superhero family that includes siblings Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Sue's husband, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), and Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Together, the four make up Marvel's first superhero family, but audiences may meet a few more family members throughout The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
It's long been suspected that The Fantastic Four's "First Steps" subtitle may hint at more than just the superhero team's first outing and could be referencing the first steps of a new family member. Trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps confirmed that Sue Storm is expecting, with the most recent teaser revealing that audiences will meet Sue and Reed's newborn in the movie.
Star Vanessa Kirby confirmed in an interview with Empire Magazine that Sue will give birth on-screen during The Fantastic Four: First Steps and that this happens "in the middle of [the movie]." The arrival of their child raises the stakes for the Fantastic Four family, as Kirby notes, "we're having to risk things for this baby:"
"It feels unusual, in a Marvel movie, that there's a birth in the middle of it. We're having to risk things for this baby. The questions in this movie feel like fundamental human ones."
This quote provides several insights into The Fantastic Four: First Steps, including that fans won't need to wait until the film's finale to meet Sue and Reed's baby. This means their child will have a decent role and plenty of screentime in the movie.
It also suggests that the events of The Fantastic Four: First Steps may take place over several months, allowing Sue to progress through the stages of pregnancy. It's known that The Fantastic Four: First Steps won't spend much time on the origin story of its heroes. Spending time with the family during Sue's pregnancy and the child's infancy will be a first for the family on-screen and give a unique insight into their dynamic.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will test the family unit as they attempt to protect their world (and newborn) from the world devourer, Galactus (Ralph Ineson), and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). The film is directed by WandaVision's Matt Shakman and is set on an alternate, retro-futuristic Earth. Releasing on July 25, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the last MCU film for 12 months, until Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases in July 2026.
How Important is Sue and Reed's Child in Fantastic Four: First Steps?
Now that it's been confirmed that audiences will meet Sue and Reed's baby midway through The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the question remains how vital the young superhero will be to the plot. The baby will motivate the Fantastic Four to protect their world, but he might have a deeper significance.
In the comics, Sue and Reed's son, Franklin Richards, is a superhero in the making. Franklin grows up to become one of the most powerful Marvel super-beings, able to rework reality and the Multiverse. As this is Marvel's Multiverse saga, the introduction of Franklin in Phase 6 could be hugely important.
A new clip from The Fantastic Four: First Steps at CCXP hints at as much. The scene reportedly showed Sue going into labor, with the Silver Surfer attempting to steal her baby. As the Surfer is a herald of Galactus, she may be aware of Franklin's power and wants to bring it to her master. Galactus typically seeks out the life force of planets to feed on. But if Franklin Richards is as powerful as he is in the comics, the baby could be an even more substantial force to fuel the cosmic being.
There's also the question of whether audiences will see Franklin's powers in action in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It's unclear whether Franklin will exhibit his abilities in infancy, but his birth in the middle of the film could indicate there's room for him to grow and perhaps start to show some of his godly powers.
