Marvel Studios has finally released the final trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps, and it’s not pulling any punches. The new footage teases a sweeping cosmic epic that’s less about superhero splash and more about fate, family, and fear—anchored by the looming presence of Galactus.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 25, 2025, as the first film in Phase Six of the MCU.
Galactus in Full Form
For the first time on screen, Galactus is being realized in his full, towering, comic-accurate form—complete with his classic purple-and-blue armor. Voiced by the gravel-toned Ralph Ineson, this version is a far cry from the cloudlike entity in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Fans have praised Marvel’s choice to embrace the grandeur and scale of the original Jack Kirby design. Galactus isn’t just a villain—he’s a force of nature, and the trailer makes that terrifyingly clear.
A Darker, Sadder Marvel Story
The emotional tone of First Steps feels closer to Infinity War than a typical MCU debut. The trailer leans heavily into tragedy, inevitability, and loss, setting up a narrative where not everyone may make it out alive. The Fantastic Four we meet are already established heroes, not rookies—they’re facing extinction, not learning the ropes. The stakes are deeply personal, especially for Sue Storm, who is shown pregnant with Franklin Richards, a character whose reality-warping powers could become central to the future of the MCU.
Meet the Cast of the 1960s
Set in an alternate retro-futuristic version of the 1960s, the trailer embraces mid-century design, fashion, and even technology—think Mad Men meets The Jetsons with cosmic consequences. This version of the First Family already has a history, and that weight shows.
- Pedro Pascal plays a hardened but warm Reed Richards
- Vanessa Kirby is a fiercely protective Sue Storm
- Joseph Quinn gives a spark of reckless energy to Johnny Storm
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach grounds the team emotionally as Ben Grimm
This is not an origin story—it’s the beginning of the end for this universe’s Fantastic Four, who will eventually cross into the main MCU timeline.
Silver Surfer’s Haunting Warning
The trailer also delivers a major twist: Julia Garner plays a female version of the Silver Surfer, who arrives not as a savior but as a harbinger of doom. “I herald his beginning. I herald your end,” she whispers over crumbling cities and collapsing skylines. Her eerie calm adds to the trailer’s slow-burning sense of dread.
Release Date and MCU Impact
Fantastic Four: First Steps lands in theaters July 25, 2025, officially launching Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rather than a traditional team-up romp, this film promises to shift the MCU’s tone toward deeper cosmic mythos, setting the stage for upcoming entries like Avengers: Doomsday and potentially introducing Franklin Richards as a pivotal multiverse-bending character.
Why This Trailer Changes Everything
- It introduces Marvel’s biggest cosmic threat in cinematic form—Galactus, not just teased, but unleashed.
- It redefines the Fantastic Four as a tragic, fully-formed unit with emotional stakes higher than ever.
- It hints at a multiversal collision, with this alternate ‘60s reality possibly merging into the prime MCU.
What To Watch For Next
Expect deeper dives into:
- The tragic fate of this universe’s Earth
- How the multiverse storyline intersects with Secret Wars
- Franklin Richards’ potential as a godlike figure in the next saga
- Easter eggs pointing to cosmic entities like The Living Tribunal or Eternity
With Phase Six now coming into focus, Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t just a reboot—it’s a seismic reset button for the MCU.
A Look Back At Galacta’s Gift
Marvel Rivals has shifted the spotlight to Galacta’s Gift—a celebration-style update that rolled out on May 15, 2025, alongside the Season 2 patch. The headline feature is a permanent milestone track stuffed with free cosmetics, while the initial launch window (May 16–29) offered a limited-time Chronovium spray via Twitch Drops and revived the original Season 0 Battle Pass for a two-week encore. Although the timed drops have ended, players can still grind out the milestone rewards today, and a fresh wave of Twitch Drops—most notably the free “Will of Galacta” Magik costume—runs through July 16.
Outside the game, Galacta’s future remains confined to alternate-universe cameos and live-service tie-ins. Marvel Comics executive editor Tom Brevoort reiterated in a recent interview that the publisher has “no current plans” for a mainstream Galacta series, arguing the character undercuts Galactus’s cosmic gravitas. That stance keeps her 2010 digital one-shot and anthology shorts firmly in collector-item territory.
Key Takeaways
- Galacta’s Gift milestone track is live indefinitely—log in, play matches, and collect sprays, cards, nameplates, and a Costume Coin good for any Season 0 hero skin.
- The launch-week Twitch campaign (May 16–29) awarded the exclusive Chronovium spray; a new campaign grants the Will of Galacta Magik skin by watching 6 hours of Drops-enabled streams between June 19 and July 16.
- Marvel has no new Galacta comics in development; existing issues continue to appreciate among collectors.
- Data miners have unearthed references to an unreleased map in the Season 2 files, but NetEase has not announced a release window.
Galacta’s Gift: How the Event Works
Unlike March’s short-lived Cosmic Adventure board-game event, Galacta’s Gift boils down to straightforward match completion: every victory, defeat, or assist funnels points into a 12-tier milestone ladder. Early tiers hand out sprays and nameplates; the final tier drops a universal Costume Coin—letting you unlock any premium Season 0 costume if you missed the 2024 beta.
The event launched in tandem with major Season 2 balance tweaks (Emma Frost’s debut, revamped Team-Up ultimates, and a ranked reset). While Clone Rumble and other novelty modes remain in custom lobbies, Galacta’s Gift focuses on core playlists so newcomers aren’t gated from rewards.
Permanent vs. Timed Rewards
• Permanent: All milestone cosmetics, the Costume Coin, and the S0 Battle Pass tiers you unlock now stay on your account forever.
• Timed: The original Chronovium spray (May 16–29) and each rotating Twitch-Drop skin (Magik now, Emma Frost next month) disappear once their window closes.
Twitch Drops & Community Challenges
To join the current Drops campaign:
- Link your Marvel Rivals and Twitch accounts in the in-game Connections menu.
- Watch any Drops-enabled stream for the required time blocks (30 minutes for sprays, up to 6 hours for the Magik costume).
- Claim rewards in your Twitch inventory, then open the in-game mailbox.
Community milestones—tied to collective match totals—will unlock bonus XP weekends throughout July, giving latecomers a chance to sprint through the S0 pass and event tiers.
Season 0 Battle Pass Returns
If you missed the 2024 closed beta, the return of Season 0 is a second shot at cult-favorite skins like Infinity Gambit Thanos and the Lunar New Year Iron Man. The pass remains purchasable until NetEase rotates in Season 3 later this summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Galacta’s Gift permanent?
The milestone track and its rewards are permanent once unlocked. However, individual Twitch-Drop campaigns tied to Galacta rotate every few weeks.
Will Galacta appear in new Marvel comics?
Marvel editorial has no current plans for a Galacta comic series. Her only printed appearance remains the 2010 digital one-shot (later collected in Girl Comics #1) and brief cameos in alternate-universe anthologies.
How do I get the Magik “Will of Galacta” skin?
Watch six total hours of Drops-enabled Marvel Rivals streams between June 19 and July 16, 2025. Claim the costume in your Twitch inventory, then open your in-game inbox to finalize delivery.
Are more map teasers hidden in the Season 2 files?
Data miners have spotted geometry tags referencing “Project Odinson,” believed to be a New Asgard-themed control map. NetEase hasn’t confirmed a launch date, but the developer historically drops new maps mid-season or with major hero additions.
Does Galacta affect balance in other Marvel games?
Outside of Marvel Rivals, Galacta remains strictly cosmetic—her cosmetic bundles in Marvel Snap and Fortnite don’t impact gameplay metrics. NetEase’s developers cite internal “cosmic power limits” to prevent a lore-breaking power creep in Rivals itself.
