Julia Garner stole the show during Marvel Studios’ CinemaCon presentation with her dazzling appearance as the metallic Silver Surfer in Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. Audiences were left buzzing after the release of breathtaking footage, showing the actress transforming into the fan-favorite cosmic character, gliding through space on her signature silver surfboard. With this latest preview, did Marvel accomplish its goal of bringing excitement to the superhero genre?
Marvel Teases Upcoming Superhero Films
Marvel treated attendees to exclusive new looks at both The Fantastic Four: First Steps, premiering July 25, and Thunderbolts*, hitting theaters May 2. Expanding on February’s teaser, the Fantastic Four preview introduces audiences to Marvel’s first family, which includes:
- Pedro Pascal as stretchy scientist Reed Richards
- Vanessa Kirby as invisible force-field creator Sue Storm
- Joseph Quinn as fiery Johnny Storm,
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the rock-covered Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing.
The team of superheroes’ 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world was established in The Fantastic Four: First Steps footage, which showed how they got their extraordinary abilities following their fateful space mission. Additionally, the preview revealed playful moments displaying the group’s dynamic, including Ben Grimm bonding with their robot companion H.E.R.B.I.E. while cooking. While Marvel successfully balances cosmic spectacle with character-driven humor, it also builds more anticipation for this fresh take on the superheroic family.
Fantastic Four Makes Official MCU Debut
With Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel is quickly integrating its new Fantastic Four team into the broader MCU storyline. Recently, the studio confirmed Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will jump back into action, reprising their roles in Avengers: Doomsday. In a CinemaCon video message, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated that the superhero family will team up with familiar faces, including the Avengers, Thunderbolts, Wakandans, and original X-Men from the 2000s films, facing off against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
During the convention, several Thunderbolts* stars physically appeared to preview an action-packed sequence from their May 2025 film, which featured notable stars including:
- Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier
- David Harbour’s Red Guardian
- Wyatt Russell’s US Agent
- Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost
- Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine
Marvel’s strategy of interconnecting its franchises while giving each property distinct tonal flavors was demonstrated well in the presentation. Specifically, revealing the retro futurism in Fantastic Four: First Step and the gritty-action vibe in Thunderbolts* built substantial momentum for Phase 6 of the MCU.
The Thunderbolts* Preview Clip
In the Thunderbolts* preview, the team discovers they’ve been summoned to the repurposed Avengers Tower, now under Valentina’s ownership for its symbolic value. As their manipulative handler reveals her original plan backfired spectacularly, it’s revealed that she had planned for the misfit squad to eliminate each other, however, they would bond as a team instead. With her irritation on full display, Valentina unleashed scathing remarks at each member:
- mocks Winter Soldier’s failed congressional campaign from Captain America: Brave New World
- criticizes Yelena’s disheveled appearance.
- calling the U.S Agent a “junior varsity Captain America.”
- dismissing Red Guardian’s attempts to contribute any ideas.
While this tense reunion establishes Valentina’s continued role as the team’s sardonic, unpredictable overseer, it also highlights the Thunderbolts’ underdog status within the MCU hierarchy. By showing the contrasts between the team’s genuine camaraderie and their handler’s cynical manipulations, the scene effectively sets up compelling dynamics for their upcoming film.
Marvel’s Epic Phase 6 is Underway
Marvel’s extended preview of Fantastic Four: First Steps at CinemaCon showcases the superhero family navigating their celebrity status in a retro-futuristic world. In the footage, Julia Garner’s mesmerizing portrayal of Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal delivers a dire warning about Earth’s impending doom that puts targets on the team’s backs. Due to this outerworldly threat, public faith in Reed Richards and his team crumbles as they must wage a desperate PR campaign to prove they can still protect humanity and prepare for an inevitable cosmic showdown at the same time.
Additionally, Sue Storm may possibly be pregnant, given the subtle hints dropped in the preview, meaning future storylines involving their powerful children Franklin and Valeria Richards – key figures who could eventually lead to the formation of the Future Foundation – may be the next big story Marvel tells. So, while the people of Earth look to the Fantastic Four to save them from intergalactic danger, the studio is similarly placing its faith in Marvel’s first family to reignite the love for superheroes.
