True Believers, assemble! The first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has dropped, giving us our first glimpse of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Marvel's First Family, alongside their robot companion, HERBIE. The retro-futuristic art design is striking, and the trailer sets a tone distinctly different from other MCU projects. While the July 25, 2025 release date has us buzzing, one character looms large: Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.
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While we only catch a brief glimpse, Galactus already appears far more faithful to his comic book counterpart than the previous attempt in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Let's explore why The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems poised to finally do justice to this iconic Marvel villain.
Who Is the Devourer of Worlds? Galactus Explained
For those unfamiliar, let's delve into Galactus' comic book history. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #48, Galactus is a cosmic entity. Originally Galan, a mortal survivor of a previous universe, he was transformed by the merging with his universe's sentience, becoming the first being of the new universe. Now Galactus, a colossal figure, he roams the cosmos, surviving by consuming life-bearing planets. He employs heralds to locate these planets, the most famous being the Silver Surfer.
In their first encounter, the Fantastic Four were warned of Galactus' arrival by the Watcher, who broke his vow of non-interference to save Earth. They battled the Silver Surfer, but failed to stop him from summoning Galactus. Despite convincing the Surfer to betray Galactus, the Human Torch had to retrieve the Ultimate Nullifier—capable of harming Galactus—from Galactus' worldship, Taa II. Threatened with it, Galactus spared Earth in exchange for the Nullifier, sentencing the Silver Surfer to exile.
Since then, Galactus has remained a major figure in the Marvel universe, repeatedly clashing with the Fantastic Four and Thor, revealing more of his backstory. He's not simply "evil," but morally ambiguous, driven by survival. Despite his coolness, previous big-screen depictions have fallen short—until now?
The Second Coming of Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
While appearing in cartoons and video games (like the '90s Fantastic Four cartoon and Marvel vs. Capcom 3), Galactus's only previous film appearance was in Tim Story's 2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. A disappointment, his iconic design was replaced by a featureless cloud, lacking presence and ultimately easily dispatched. This wasn't the Galactus fans wanted.
However, The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems to be a significant improvement. The trailer's glimpse, along with the San Diego Comic-Con drone light show, suggests adherence to Jack Kirby's classic design. Marvel's choice of Galactus as the villain is telling; acknowledging fan dissatisfaction with the 20th Century Fox version, they aim for redemption. With Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom seemingly reserved for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (though a cameo remains a hope), Marvel can focus on giving Galactus the MCU debut he deserves.
This is crucial given the MCU's recent Multiverse Saga struggles. With many villains already used, Galactus's pedigree offers a chance to revitalize the franchise. A successful adaptation could boost the MCU's reputation and generate excitement for the next two Avengers films, in which the Fantastic Four are set to play major roles.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Trailer 1 Stills
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Fans previously expressed more interest in seeing the Fantastic Four's rogues' gallery (Doctor Doom, Annihilus, Galactus) than the team itself. While the "Fantastic Four are good" sentiment is now stronger (Ryan North's current comic run is excellent!), Galactus and associated characters could be the MCU's key to rejuvenation post-Multiverse Saga.
Galactus is a premier Fantastic Four character, and a proper live-action portrayal is long overdue. Judging by the trailer, The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems to be on the right track. We'll see this July.
