This morning at Huntsville’s U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the stars of this summer’s most anticipated movie put their hands together to push a blue button with a familiar “4″ logo on it.
So launched the first trailer for “Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
The film, which reboots the story of Marvel Comics’ first family of superheroes, is set for a July 25 release. “First Steps” stars: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
The trailer launch took place underneath a Saturn V rocket suspended overhead inside a Rocket Center hall.
As event host Angélique Roché noted, “What better place for this launch than here among one of the biggest collections of space artifacts. Rockets, engines and spacecraft. Excitement is in the air, and as you can see so is the Saturn V rocket that took America to the moon, developed right here in the Rocket City in the 1960s.”
With a crowd of young fans, including one in a Spider-Man mask, gathered around in anticipation, Roché brought out Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach. Before counting down from 10 to premiere the trailer (broadcast live on YouTube and social media), the cast answered quick questions from Roché.
Pascal was asked what he wants fans to feel when they watch the trailer for the first time. Famous for his lead role in “Star Wars” spinoff “The Mandalorian,” Pascal simply replied, “I just want them to love it.”
Kirby, known for Netflix series “The Crown,” spoke of her connection to her costars and the Sue Storm role.
“You can’t really manufacture chemistry between people,” Kirby said. “From the minute we all met it felt like a family and that was everything and that’s really what the heart and soul of it all is. And I was so blown away with Sue … She’s so fiercely feminine. She’s maternal, but she’s so badass and I just loved her.”
Roché asked Quinn what Johnny Storm, whose superpowers include the ability to fly, would think of the Rocket Center hall the trailer event took place. “High ceilings … I like he’d love this place, as do I,” Quinn said.
Moss-Bachrach, an Emmy-winning star of the popular FX on Hulu series “The Bear,” was asked what it was like the first time he said The Thing’s famous catchphrase, “It’s clobberin’ time,” while working on the film.
Declining to answer the question directly, Moss-Bachrach proposed instead all the fans at the event should say the phrase to each other at the same time. The fans happily obliged.
Pascal was asked for more thoughts on the moment. He said, “We put our hearts and souls and bodies into this thing, as did our entire crew and director. To get to the day that we get to start sharing it with everybody and make you all a part of that is really a special, exciting thing.”
The “broadcast,” shown in “FantastiVision,” opened with about an hour of retro-tinged Rocket Center footage before the 10 minutes or so with Roché and the “Fantastic Four” stars. During the launch event and video, Huntsville was never actually mentioned by name. It was always referred to by its abovementioned nickname, the Rocket City.
“First Steps” is set in the 1960s, the era Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four” comic debuted. Director Matt Shakman was previously shown a knack for yesteryear-themed production, on Disney+/Marvel series “WandaVision.”
The actual “First Steps” first trailer is one minute and 37 seconds long. In it, there are clips of the Fantastic Four hanging at their Baxter Building. They’re also seen during their earlier journey into space, where on a scientific mission they received their superpowers in an accident. Other clips depict Fantastic Four back on Earth, using and dealing with their newfound powers they didn’t ask for, as well as the dynamics of a superhero team.
At one point in the trailer, the shadow of classic Marvel villain Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson, is shown. “Whatever life throws at us,” Kirby’s Sue Storm says as the trailer builds to its finale, “we’ll face it together. As a family.”
