First Steps Wouldn’t Work In The Main MCU Timeline Explained By Director

July 22, 2025

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman explains why the Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot for the iconic team is taking place outside of Earth-616. Marvel’s First Family is making their long-awaited 2025 debut in Marvel Studios’ ever-growing superhero franchise, but with a massive catch.

Instead of taking place in the MCU timeline, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will explore the beloved heroes on another Earth, leaning into The Multiverse Saga angle. As Phase 6’s first movie is getting closer to its theatrical release, The Fantastic Four: First Steps director is offering more insight into the multiverse setting for the film.

In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant’s own Ash Crossan for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Shakman opened up about how the team would not have fit into the main MCU timeline. Since the heroes are established, it was easier for The Fantastic Four: First Steps to focus on Marvel’s First Family in a different reality, as he shared the following:

ScreenRant: I think one of my favorite things–and it’s not a knock on anything else–is that you can just walk [in] off the street and watch this. It’s very contained. And I’m curious, creatively, what that was like for you. [With] a lot of these MCU projects, of course, there [are] cameos and crossovers and things you really have to be conscious of that are happening in the universe at the same time. What was that like for you, basing it in this other world? Obviously you kind of had to–how else would you explain the Fantastic Four being around?

Matt Shakman: Yeah, they’re such public figures. The idea that they were just hanging out in the ’60s during our regular MCU timeline wouldn’t work. “Where were they when Thanos came? Where were they when Loki was attacking?” They would’ve done something. They would’ve been a part of that. So, we did want to put them in their own universe for that reason.

But then it offered this great opportunity, which is, “If you know nothing about Marvel, come on in. The water is warm. You’ll get everything you need to know about them and you can enjoy them.” But also, if you’re a Marvel fan, there’s a lot for you in here as well. And eventually these characters will merge up with other MCU heroes and get connected to the main storyline. So, it’s a great entry point because I think there are folks who thought, “Oh gosh, I’m not up to speed on Marvel.”

Shakman’s comments about The Fantastic Four: First Steps story taking place in a separate universe make full sense when looking at the premise of this film, which will not be an origin story, unlike the past cinematic incarnations. With the team already established in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, if they had been on Earth-616, it would have painted them in a very bad light.

Given some of the biggest events that have happened on Earth-616 between 2008 and now, which lacked the Fantastic Four’s participation, it makes them look incredibly bad for not helping the Avengers. That’s why it’s easier to just have the heroes not exist on Earth-616, and be from a different Earth altogether.

But to Shakman’s point, as Marvel Studios is making sure the MCU doesn’t feel like homework, it lets The Fantastic Four: First Steps be as standalone as a movie or TV show can be in this franchise. With The Multiverse Saga tackling traveling between realities, it’s also refreshing to have the Fantastic Four characters come from another world before landing on Earth-616.

Julia Garner's Shalla-Bal flies in The Fantastic Four_ First Steps trailer

Hearing Shakman’s elaboration on the Phase 6 movie’s setting, it is perfectly logical that they never had The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast be part of Earth-616, and just establish that these characters didn’t exist in the main MCU timeline. It’s similar to how Spider-Man: No Way Home explained the lack of Oscorp, which presumably means the Osborns don’t exist on Earth-616.

The Fantastic Four pose for a family picture in First Steps poster

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is undertaking an overwhelming task, trying to adapt one of the most iconic superhero teams of all time.

Given that The Fantastic Four: First Steps heroes will be part of the Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars casts, it won’t be long until they become part of the overall MCU. But until then, fans can catch their proper introduction in The Fantastic Four: First Steps this summer.