Fantastic Four: First Steps releases later this summer, and Marvel is pulling out all of the stops to promote this movie. Not only are the characters’ comic counterparts getting a new ongoing series around the time of the movie’s release, but Disney announced at the South by Southwest film festival that the Four will be appearing in parts of Disneyland outside the typical Marvel locations, just as Tomorrowland. More importantly than any of that, however, we now have confirmation that Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics will be collaborating to produce the first-ever canon comic set in the MCU.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps comic book is a one-shot comic that will delve into the lore and world of the movie before its release, and its events will be entirely canon-compliant with the world of the movie. It boasts a superstar creative team of writer Matt Fraction (Fantastic Four, Uncanny X-Men) and artist Mark Buckingham (Fantastic Four, Fables), each of whom has experience with the Fantastic Four from their storied careers. The creators of the film worked closely with the comics team to capture the look and feel of their specific take on the characters to the best degree possible. Fraction and others from the comic team even spent time on set during the filming of the movie, so it’s clear that this comic isn’t just a spur-of-the-moment release; it has been in the works for a very long time.
Why Is The MCU Fantastic Four Getting A Tie-In Comic?
The fact that the two giant sides of Marvel are working together to create a comic book for the first time ever shows exactly how much faith the company is putting into Fantastic Four: First Steps. It makes sense, given that this is the MCU debut of Marvel’s First Family – the characters that would completely flip the standard for all Marvel comic storytelling going forward. They put Marvel Comics on the map, and it looks like Marvel Studios is trying to capture lightning in a bottle again to light a fire under its fanbase.
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The fact that this comic features work from both facets of Marvel shows exactly how much they both believe in this story. Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski himself has commented on the comic’s upcoming release, saying, “As Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four and their stories have always been at the very center of the Marvel Universe. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming later this summer, we at Marvel all felt this was the perfect opportunity to bring our teams together in honor of their legacy in both the world of the film and within our comics. It’s been a blast to have our teams in Publishing and Studios bounce ideas back and forth to create something truly special and one-of-a-kind, and we can’t wait for fans to be able to dive in to this comic—squarely in the world of the MCU—and experience the Fantastic Four like we’ve never seen before this summer.”
What Can We Expect From the Comic?
Based on the cover art we have been shown, it is safe to assume that this comic will depict an adventure the Fantastic Four had before the movie takes place. The cover, art by Phil Noto, pays homage to the first ever appearance of the Four in Fantastic Four #1, so it might be a story closer to when they first gained their abilities. As we know that the movie will take place four years after the Fantastic Four’s space accident, it is also likely that this comic will shine some light on their origin in a way the movie won’t.
We don’t know for sure what could happen in the comic, but whatever it is, it’s safe to say that the very fact that it exists is worth celebrating. Marvel is giving everything they have to promote The Fantastic Four: First Steps and place them on the pedestal they deserve as the original beating hearts of Marvel Comics that pushed every boundary of what a comic book was. As C.B. Cebulski said, “The heart of Marvel has always stemmed from the comics, and Kevin and the team have been bringing those pages to life in extraordinary ways with each and every film. With this comic, we’re bringing those two worlds together in a way we think fans will love.”
This could even open the door for future MCU events and canon-compliant comics, which would mean all kinds of stories we would never get to see on just the big screen. Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios working together on making a comic book just means even more content for the characters that we all love, and I am all for it.
Fantastic Four: First Steps, the comic, releases on July 2.
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