NEW MOVIES: July 24-30, 2025, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “Oh, Hi!” “Four Letters of Love,” “Shoshana”

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a 2025 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Fantastic Four. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film series. The film is directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. It features an ensemble cast including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular team, alongside Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson. In the film, the Fantastic Four must protect their 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus (Ineson).

20th Century Fox began work on a new Fantastic Four film following the failure of Fantastic Four (2015). After the studio was acquired by Disney in March 2019, control of the franchise was transferred to Marvel Studios, and a new film was announced that July. Jon Watts was set as director in December 2020 but stepped down in April 2022. Shakman replaced him that September when Kaplan and Springer were working on the script. Casting was underway by early 2023, and Friedman joined to rewrite the script in March. The film is differentiated from previous Fantastic Four films by avoiding the team’s origin story. Pearson joined to polish the script by mid-February 2024, when the main cast was announced. Filming occurred from July to November 2024 at Pinewood Studios in England, and on location in England and Spain.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps had its world premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on July 21, 2025, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 25 as the first film in Phase Six of the MCU. A sequel is in development.

Premise

On the 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic parallel Earth-828,[3][4][5] the Fantastic Four must protect their world from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer.[3]

Cast

  • Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic:
    A highly intelligent scientist and the leader of the Fantastic Four who can stretch any part of his body to great lengths.[6][4] Director Matt Shakman described Reed as “the most scientifically intelligent person” on the planet and a combination of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Robert Moses.[4] Pascal said it was Reed’s mind that was most important to him, rather than the character’s physicality, and he considered “the brilliance of an octopus” when approaching the character.[7]
  • Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman:
    Reed’s pregnant wife, Johnny’s sister, and a member of the Fantastic Four who can generate force fields and turn invisible.[6][8] She is the head of the Future Foundation, which has achieved global demilitarization and peace. Shakman described Sue as “the most emotionally intelligent person” on the planet. Kirby enjoyed synthesizing the various comic portrayals of Sue into her version of the character, focusing on motherhood as the through-line. The actress said she was obsessed with the comics run where Sue takes on the negative persona “Malice“, and she included elements of that version in her portrayal so Sue would not be “the stereotype of a goody, sweet mother”.[4]
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing:
    Reed’s best friend, a former astronaut, and a member of the Fantastic Four whose skin has been transformed into a layer of orange rock, granting him superhuman strength and durability.[6][4] Moss-Bachrach found comparisons between Grimm and his character Richie Jerimovich in the series The Bear (2022–present), noting both were “deeply loyal people” and “fighters with a fierce sense of code, morality, and family.”[9] Moss-Bachrach portrays the Thing through motion capture and computer-generated imagery (CGI) rather than prosthetic makeup,[10] and discussed that process with Mark Ruffalo, who portrays the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) using the same technology.[11] In addition to Moss-Bachrach performing his scenes in a motion-capture suit, some takes were re-filmed with the actor using different body extensions or a stand-in wearing a life-sized Thing costume to help the other actors reference the space that the character takes up.[4] Shakman consulted scientists and studied desert rocks to find the best reference for the Thing’s appearance;[12] a specific desert rock that matched his desired look for the Thing, referred to as “Jennifer,” was also filmed on set as a lighting reference for the visual effects team.[13]
  • Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch:
    Sue’s brother and a member of the Fantastic Four who can control fire and fly.[6][14] While Quinn was a fan of Chris Evans‘s portrayal of the character in the 20th Century Fox films Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), he did not base his portrayal on Evans’s.[15] Quinn and producer Kevin Feige discussed Johnny’s womanizing in previous portrayals and concluded that this would not be considered “sexy” by modern audiences. Quinn wanted his version to be “less callous with other people’s feelings” and more self-aware of his attention-seeking behavior, while still having a lot of bravado and humor. Shakman noted that Johnny is also smart and heroic, despite undercutting that with jokes.[4]
  • Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer:
    Galactus’s metallic-skinned herald who travels through space on a surfboard-like craft.[16][17] Garner said there was a “mysterious energy” to the character and her relationship with Galactus.[17] She portrayed the Silver Surfer through motion capture,[18] combining research on surfing poses with statuesque non-surf poses from the comic books. Garner wanted the character to “[move] elegantly, like a dance.”[17]
  • Natasha Lyonne[19]
  • Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder/Mole Man:
    The ruler of Subterranea, an underground society whose inhabitants refer to themselves as Moloids.[20][21] Shakman compared Elder to a leader of a labor union with humanity and a focus on community and taking care of his people.[20]
  • Ralph Ineson as Galactus:
    A gigantic cosmic being who consumes the life force of planets.[22][4] Shakman called him a “humongous, 14-billion-year-old, planet-devouring cosmic vampire.” Ineson did not think Galactus was evil, calling him a “god of sorts” and a “big, planet-eating guy, simply doing what a big, planet-eating guy does.” The actor spent time “ruminating” at the top of tall buildings to prepare for the role. Feige loved the introduction of Galactus in the comics and had long wanted to use him.[23] Ineson stated that Galactus does not care about a planet’s life since “it’s his food”, only sparing them if there is something that “interests” him there.[20] Feige shared a clip of the character from the video game Fortnite Battle Royale (2017) as a reference for how he should be portrayed.[24] The film uses a comic book-accurate design, in contrast with the cloud-like design in Rise of the Silver Surfer.[23] Galactus’s purple and blue armor was built for Ineson to wear, as it was important to Shakman that someone was “embodying the part”.[4] Ineson had a support crew to keep him cool between takes because of the armor.[20]

Additionally, Matthew Wood voices the Fantastic Four’s robot companion H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics), who generally serves as Reed’s assistant.[4][25] Shakman said H.E.R.B.I.E. is “slightly put-upon” yet “charming and adorable” and invaluable to the team.[25] Also appearing are Ada Scott as Franklin Richards, the newborn son of Reed and Sue;[26] Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert, the talk show host of The Ted Gilbert Show;[27] and Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols, the Future Foundation’s chief of staff [better source needed] [28][29][independent source needed] Shakman’s daughter Maisie appears as a child saved by the Human Torch from falling debris.[2] Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, and Michael Bailey Smith, who portrayed the team in the unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four film, have been cast in undisclosed roles.[30] Robert Downey Jr. is also expected to appear as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom in a post-credits scene [better[31] source needed] though Shakman has said Doctor Doom is “not a part of [his] film.”[32]

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OH, HI!

Oh, Hi! is a 2025 American romantic comedy film directed by Sophie Brooks and co-written with Molly Gordon. Starring Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, and John Reynolds, the film centers on a new couple (Gordon and Lerman) who go on a weekend road trip that takes an unexpected turn.

The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025 and is scheduled to be given a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 25, 2025, by Sony Pictures Classics.

Plot

Iris and Isaac go on a romantic weekend road trip.[2][3] Their first night at the rental house, they engage in some sexual bondage play. In the afterglow and while he is chained to the bed, Isaac mentions that he is not looking for a relationship at this point, which is quite different from where Iris felt they stood. She refuses to unlock him. The next day, she spends twelve hours trying to win him over while he still remains in chains. When this fails, she calls in the help of her friend Max, who arrives with her boyfriend Kenny. When it is realized that they are actually all committing criminal kidnapping, various options are considered. Iris and Max try brewing a witch’s memory erasure formula (which Isaac drinks), followed by a naked ritual which should complete the effect. When Isaac awakens in the morning, he appears to have forgotten everything after the sexual encounter, and cheerfully heads down to the kitchen with Iris, Max, and Kenny to make some breakfast. He excuses himself to go get an ingredient that he had left in the car, but then hops in the car and drives away, as it is revealed that he had overheard the magic plan and was just faking in order to get a chance to escape. Fleeing on rain-soaked roads, Isaac gets in an accident. Police find the wrecked car but not the driver. Iris goes looking for him, finding him in a valley, too injured to walk. They reach an understanding of each other’s positions and their own blame, and he gets taken away in an ambulance.

Cast

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FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE

Four Letters of Love is a 2025 film adaptation of his book of the same name by Niall Williams and directed by Polly Steele. It is starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham-Carter and Gabriel Byrne.

Synopsis

Nicholas and Isabel were made for each other, but how will they ever know it? As ghosts, fate, and the sheer power of true love pull them together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart.

Cast

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SHOSHANA

Shoshana is a 2023 British biographical thriller film directed by Michael Winterbottom.

The film is set in 1930s/1940s British Mandatory Palestine. It follows the tragic love story of Shoshana Borochov (Irina Starshenbaum), daughter of one of the founders of socialist Zionism, and British police officer Tom Wilkin (Douglas Booth),[1] while Wilkin and fellow police officer Geoffrey J. Morton (Harry Melling)[2] hunt for Zionist militant Avraham Stern (Aury Alby).[3]

Plot

Set in 1938, the film takes place in Tel Aviv, where tensions are high as the British, under their League of Nations mandate, attempt to maintain order in a city with a mixed Arabian and Jewish population. Thomas Wilkin, a British deputy superintendent of the Palestinian police, becomes romantically involved with Shoshana, the daughter of Ber Borochov, a co-founder of the Zionist labor movement.

Cast

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7/21/2025 #TheFantasticFour:FirstSteps #Oh,Hi! #FourLettersofLove #Shoshana

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