Two major Marvel divisions will join forces in a historic collaboration ahead of Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The film will be the first opportunity for Marvel Studios to deliver a solo story centered on the titular quartet after a couple of multiversal cameos in recent Multiverse Saga movies.
Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics will collaborate to develop a Fantastic Four: First Steps comic, which will be available on July 2 (a full 3 weeks before First Steps releases on July 25th). This is the first time the two Marvel entities have collaborated on a comic set in the world of a specific MCU movie.
This is a major move for both the movie studio and comics, which have largely avoided each other until now.
According to the Deadline report, Hawkeye writer Matt Fraction wrote the story with drawings by Mark Buckingham and cover art by Phil Noto. The comic is said to be a one-shot book, designed to be an artefact straight from the world in which The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set. Fraction and others also visited the set of the movie to get the right feel for the comic.
The Fantastic Four is also taking another comic-inspired leap with its story, thanks to the inclusion of an Easter egg tied back to DC Comics' Superman from its second trailer.
As for the movie, it will unite Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and a massive cast to show the MCU's take on the Fantastic Four. The team will be in its early stages as the four find themselves facing Galactus, the most dangerous threat they've ever seen.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will fly into theaters on July 25.
Why This Marvel Collaboration for The Fantastic Four is So Important
As noted, this is the first collaboration of this magnitude between Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios to bring this comic to life ahead of an MCU movie. While it's unclear if it will ever happen again, it shows how important this movie is within the entire MCU landscape.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige pinpointed this movie as the one he is most looking forward to as far back as November 2024. Having first announced it for development in late 2020, it has consistently ranked high for MCU fans as one of the most anticipated movies on Marvel's slate for years.
That excitement was reflected in 2025 as well, as The Fantastic Four's first trailer ranks 10th all-time for most global views in its first 24 hours. Combine that with Marvel being fairly careful about what else is released for the movie's promotional tour, and it makes for a movie fans are itching to learn more about.
With this comic now set to release only about three weeks before the film itself, fans will have plenty of time to digest its details before Phase 6 of the MCU kicks off.
