Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer introduces iconic heroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The family that eats together fights world-destroying threats together.

Marvel has released the first trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps and it’s very much about introducing the iconic comic book heroes to an audience.

There’s Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic, a super genius with the ability to be very stretchy. We didn’t get to see his powers but the clip established him as the patriarch of the found family, the, uh, daddy, if you will.

He’s the one that, while giving a tour of the group’s Baxter Building headquarters, tells us, “We make an appointment to do family dinner every week. Sunday at 7, on the dot, no matter what, we’re here.”

His lover is Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), who can also create force fields with her powers as well as be very stealthy. Her brother is Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), who has a way with fire.

Then there’s Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who has enhanced strength but looks like a rock monster. He also seems to have quite the sophisticated culinary palette (in the trailer, he expresses great appreciation for a sauce but adds it could do with two cloves of garlic), which feels like a little nod to Moss-Bachrach’s most famous role, Cousin Richie on The Bear.

The four were regular astronauts who went into space and gained their superpowers, which they will need to confront a great challenge, Galactus, a world-devouring villain and traditional foe to the Fantastic Four.

Galactus (voiced by Ralph Ineson) can be briefly glimpsed in the trailer, first as a silhouette looming over Manhattan, then from behind as he stands over the Statue of Liberty.

The film also stars Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles and John Malkovich, who has entered his Gandalf era, sporting long grey hair and matching beard in the video. His character remains mysterious.

Marvel has yet to confirm how the movie will fit into the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, whether it’ll be part of the main timeline or what era it is set in.

The trailer was launched at an event at the US Space and Rocket Centre in Alabama against the backdrop of the Saturn 5, an actual rocket.

While the Fantastic Four is one of the most famous teams on the page, on screen, it’s had a patchier history. This upcoming film is the first time they are joining the MCU.

Previously, the screen rights were owned by 20th Century Fox, which made three movies.

The 2005 and 2007 films starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis while a 2015 reboot recast the lead roles with Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell.

There was also a 1994 unreleased version.

The first signs of the characters in the MCU were “multiverse” iterations, which gives the studio the creative licence to play around. Reed Richards appeared as a character briefly in a parallel universe in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, played by John Krasinski, a fan service casting choice.

Evans also reprised his character in Deadpool & Wolverine, primarily as a bait-and-switch gag.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is in cinemas on July 24