Marvel’s "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Runtime Revealed

The runtime for Marvel’s highly anticipated movie "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" has been revealed. 

While AMC Theatres previously listed the superhero adventure at a generous 130 minutes, the theater chain has just quietly shaved that down. It is now officially clocking in at 115 minutes, making it the shortest Marvel Studios release of 2025. For context, that’s 1 hour and 55 minutes — a fairly standard runtime by most blockbuster standards, but surprisingly compact for an MCU film that’s introducing a brand-new reality, a massive villain like Galactus, and Marvel’s First Family all in one go.

This isn’t just a minor tweak. The original runtime of 130 minutes — just over two hours— had positioned "First Steps" among the longer entries of the Multiverse Saga. 

Now, with only a month to go until the film hits theaters on July 25, AMC’s updating the listing brings it down by a full 15 minutes, which is enough time to cut an entire action sequence or at least a few of Reed Richards’ monologues.

Still, at 115 minutes, "First Steps" is now the shortest MCU film of the year, trailing "Captain America: Brave New World" (118 minutes), "Thunderbolts*" (127 minutes), "Deadpool & Wolverine" (128 minutes), and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" (150 minutes). 

The only movie with less screentime in recent MCU history was "The Marvels", which breezed by at just 105 minutes.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The cosmic conflict comes courtesy of Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer. 

It also stars Matthew Wood, Mark Gatiss, Sarah Niles, and some heavily guarded mystery roles played by John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, and Natasha Lyonne.

Directed by Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”) and written by Peter Cameron, the film doesn’t just change the runtime formula — it throws out the entire setting. 

Set in a retro-futuristic 1960s Manhattan, the film introduces a version of Earth separate from the so-called “sacred timeline.” 

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" marks the second MCU movie after "Deadpool & Wolverine" to exist outside the main universe. The multiverse is multiversing.

The full synopsis reads: "Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal."

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" will open exclusively in theaters on July 25.