A newly surfaced video from The Fantastic Four: First Steps offers an early look at Reed Richards' powers and shows how they could've been used. Pedro Pascal brought the stretchy genius to life in the 2025 film, and the project is re-generating buzz as more behind-the-scenes content is now being revealed. Recently, fans even got their first deleted scene, featuring Walter Hauser's Mole Man.
Marvel Studios concept illustrator Rodney Fuentebella shared a video on Instagram he created for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which shows Pascal's Mr. Fantastic using his abilities in ways not shown in the final film.
The artist explained these "cool" ways of showcasing Reed's abilities, highlighted by "stretching and hitting debris:"
"Hey there! Here is another idea I created for @marvelstudios Fantastic Four: First Steps. This is another idea of more cool ways to show Reed's powers. In this case, I wanted to show during the 3rd act how Reed would get from the top of the Baxter building to the ground in a kinetic way… stretching and hitting debris and such."
The video is essentially of a free fall for Mr. Fantastic, including a section where he swiftly wraps his elastic arms around a pole or a piece of building construction.
Included in his descent was the hero striking a pose with his arms out, ready for his next rubberized maneuver.
One of the most exciting moves, certainly something not seen in live action this past July, was Reed stretching how one leg, wrapping that foot around something, to change his speed and direction amongst the chaos.
A little clumsiness was shown, too. Reed may be brilliant, but not perfect. This image shows where it seems like he accidentally hits something while slinging to the side quickly, of course, his body wraps around the object effortlessly.
One of the more exciting uses of his unique body structure was Reed wrapping his body around a pole, flattening it like a Fruit by the Foot, using that to gain momentum.
Finally, before making a superhero landing, Mr. Fanytastic wisely thins out his torso to create a parachute effect and slow down. A similar move was made famous in The Incredibles, when Elastigirl saves Violet and Dash after the plane crashes and they float down to the water.
Check out the full storyboard video below:
Audiences largely praised Pascal's take on Reed Richards, but many felt the character's elastic abilities could have been showcased in more inventive ways, now more than ever, after seeing this concept footage.
The film did offer some memorable moments, like Reed using his momentum to launch the Super-Ape into the water and a chilling sequence where Galactus nearly stretched him to death like a snapped rubber band (adding to the narrative that he's weaker in the MCU).
Still, none of these sequences quite matched the creativity of Fuentebella's concept video, which presented far cooler possibilities for the character's powers.
While that left some fans a bit disappointed, it also opens the door for Marvel to explore these unused ideas in Reed's future appearances, potentially as soon as Avengers: Doomsday.
Did Marvel Studios Do The Fantastic Four Justice?
The Fantastic Four: First Steps delivered a science-driven take on the team’s iconic powers, though not all fans were convinced it fully did them justice.
Beyond Reed, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm benefited from director Matt Shakman's approach, with her invisibility and force fields shown through refracted light, giving her abilities a sense of authenticity rarely seen in past adaptations.
Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) had his share of fiery flight sequences, though some critics thought they lacked the visual dynamism of Superman's recent big-screen flights, as a direct comparison that month in theaters.
Meanwhile, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm's CGI appearance was praised, the debate remains about whether his character was too restrained compared to the comic book powerhouse, and if he was underused.
Still, for many, First Steps marked a major leap forward compared to earlier Fantastic Four films, regardless of how Reed stretched, setting a solid foundation for the characters' future, potentially even a direct sequel in early development.
