The MCU’s Fantastic Four are Getting a Prequel Comic

Come July, the Fantastic Four are taking their First Steps to theaters in nearly a decade, and along the way, they’ll step into comics.

On Friday, Marvel announced the MCU version of the First Family will take to the page in a one-shot story from writer Matt Fraction and artist Mark Buckingham. The comic, which hits stores on July 2, will cover the team’s origin story and show how they went public, in turn making them global celebrities and the only superheroes of their universe on hand to save Earth from Galactus and the Silver Surfer.

Longtime MCU fans may remember there used to be tie-in comics that helped set the stage for then-upcoming movies like Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. If you haven’t been keeping up, they’re actually still around, to an extent: Phase Four and Five movies like Black Widow and Eternals both received prelude or tie-in comics—the latter was on Webtoon, but it arguably counts—and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man had a prequel miniseries which recently wrapped.

Phil Noto/Marvel

Still, there’s some significance here to the Fantastic Four’s comic, since Marvel is leaning into this being a big deal. In-universe, it’s meant to celebrate the team’s fourth anniversary since they debuted, and it’s been “authorized” by the Future Foundation, which is run by Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby). Using a comic to sell the idea they’ve been around for years and have a history is an inspired choice that’ll hopefully make the Fantastic Four: First Steps movie feel more alive when it releases on July 25.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.