Marvel is set to dive back into the world of Fantastic Four: First Steps with its new in-continuity prequel comic, First Foes. After making their Marvel Studios debut this past summer, Marvel's First Family is finally a staple of the MCU. The characters of Matt Shakman's retro-futurist superhero romp are set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which releases on December 18, 2026. There, they will team up with Earth's Mightiest Heroes in their battle against the dastardly Doctor Doom.
However, fans looking for more from the super-powered squad will not need to look far, as Marvel already has another story featuring the team on the docket. The Direct can exclusively reveal that Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics are working on a new comic prequel to 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The new one-shot adventure, titled Fantastic Four: First Foes, will see the MCU's take on the team doing battle with the Mad Thinker.
First Foes is due out on March 4, 2026. The new high-flying epic is being written by Marvel veteran Dan Slott (Fantastic Four, Spider-Boy, Amazing Spider-Man) with art from Fantastic Four interior artist Mark Buckingham. Fantastic Four cover artist Phil Noto will also return to design the special one-shot's cover.
Set on Earth-828, First Foes will be written as if it were published by the Future Foundation, taking place before the events of the movie but after the Fantastic Four have become the world-famous heroes they are in the 2025 blockbuster.
The official logline for the project notes the comic's villain as well, the Mad Thinker:
"As the Fantastic Four rise to become the heroes we know today, the Mad Thinker becomes determined to get his proper due by turning the city of tomorrow against its heroic patrons!"
The Mad Thinker was featured in First Steps as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo, with his name popping up on a newspaper during the movie's talk show-set opening few minutes.
Alongside the battle with the Mad Thinker, the comic will feature an original two-page Fantastic Science strip written by Ryan North (the current writer of Fantastic Four comics), emulating the educational television program that Reed Richards hosts in his Marvel universe.
Fantastic Four: First Foes will be the first of four quarterly in-universe comic stories, releasing throughout 2026. Each of these new stories will tie into the characters and world of the movie, expanding on moments or characters featured in First Steps.
First Foes follows the Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 comic book one-shot released by Marvel earlier this year, all in conjunction with Marvel Comics' editorial team and the MCU film’s producers.
