The Fantastic Four: First Steps' trailers included several scenes cut from the final film. The third attempt to bring the superhero family to the big screen was a success, with critics praising the MCU's introduction of the Fantastic Four. The MCU's first Phase 6 film arrived in cinemas on July 25, but it did so with a few less scenes than expected.
Marvel Studios films have been known to chop and change during the production cycle, with projects often undergoing a series of reshoots to remold the final movie according to the needs of the broader MCU. The Fantastic Four: First Steps seemingly did not undertake as extensive reshoots as other recent Marvel releases. However, the film did arrive in cinemas without some key moments hinted at in trailers.
Fantastic Four Trailer Moments That Didn’t Make It Into the Film
Reed and Sue's Baxter Building Tour
The first The Fantastic Four: First Steps teaser released in February 2025, opened with a scene of Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) giving a tour of their home, the Baxter Building. "We make a point to do dinner every week. Sunday at 7, we're all here," Reed explained to their guest, revealing the family's tradition that was seen in the finished film.
The scene was seemingly set to introduce the Fantastic family and their values, perhaps for a televised special or interview, like the ones that opened the finished cut of the film. However, despite being prominently included in that first teaser, it was ultimately not included.
Red Ghost
A Marvel villain who fans were excited to see for the first time on screen was Red Ghost, the mind behind the Super-Apes. Director Matt Shakman went as far to cast and film scenes for Red Ghost, with John Malkovich playing the part, and his villainous look was glimpsed in a snippet of The Fantastic Four's trailers. However, shortly before the movie was released, Shakman confirmed that Malkovich had been cut from Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Red Ghost would likely have been included in the opening montage of the movie, as the Fantastic Four are shown defeating some of his Super-Apes. In the end, the villainous maestro was cut from an appearance, with Shakman explaining to Variety, "some things had to go ultimately in terms of shaping the film for its final version."
Reed Richards' Ominous Warning
The second official trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps included an ominous line from Reed Richards, suggesting that he may be the one responsible for bringing the world-eating Galactus to their planet. "It's my fault. I stretched the bounds of space... and they heard," Reed says to Sue during the trailer.
This line never made it into the final cut, suggesting that the film was re-edited to shift blame away from Reed. In the finished film, Earth is chosen by Galactus' herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), and, ultimately, Galactus becomes fixated on it because it is Franklin Richards' home.
Reed and Sue's Heart-to-Heart
As the main couple of the MCU's newest film, Reed and Sue are the beating heart of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The couple has many emotional scenes together, whether it be Sue telling her husband she is pregnant, or the duo arguing over how to protect their child from Galactus.
One scene between them that didn't make it into the film was revealed in the first teaser for the 2025 film. It depicted Sue and Reed sitting on their bed, reflecting on their past before their upcoming return to space. "Before we went up the first time, you couldn't turn invisible, Ben wasn't a rock, and Johnny never caught fire," Reed says, as the trailer cuts to scenes showing the quartet's powers. Sue reassures her husband, saying, "Ben has always been a rock. Johnny is... Johnny, and I'm right here."
While this exact phrasing didn't make it into the final cut of The Fantastic Four, Sue and Reed do share a heartfelt scene before their voyage, with Reed commenting on how Sue is the first pregnant woman to travel into space.
Ben and Sue's Heart-to-Heart
One of the strengths of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the different pairings and relationships between each of the four superhero family members. However, one relationship that didn't receive as much airtime as the others is between Sue and Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
A scene in the initial trailer hinted at a conversation between Sue and Ben at night in the Baxter building, but this was never glimpsed in the finished cut. Sue and Ben are shown to have a close friendship throughout The Fantastic Four, with Ben being the first to pick up on the hint that Sue is pregnant. This omitted scene would have likely built up that friendship further.
While these scenes were cut, The Fantastic Four: First Steps did contain several scenes that set up Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday.
