Behold the First Family of Marvel with The Fantastic Four! Marvel Studios has officially fired the starting flare for its next-gen superhero era, and fans answered in seconds. The Fantastic Four – First Steps just became Fandango’s top first-day ticket preseller of 2025, out-selling every other title—comic-book, franchise, or otherwise—on the 2025 slate. Below, a complete breakdown of what the film promises, why early demand shattered internal projections, and how you can lock in seats plus exclusive collectibles before they vanish faster than a Johnny Storm power-burst.

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What the Film Is About: A Ground-Level Origin With Cosmic Stakes

Kevin Feige has positioned First Steps as a partial reboot and partial MCU history lesson:

• Story setup – Brilliant astronaut–scientist Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) spearheads a deep-space research mission financed by the Baxter Foundation. Joining him: partner Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her hot-shot brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and loyal engineer Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).

Director Matt Shakman (WandaVision) calls the tone “optimism meets scientific horror.” Think early Spielberg awe wrapped in Kirby-dot cosmic energy.

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Box-Office Momentum: Hard Data Behind the Instant Sell-Out

Metric	Result	Context
First-day presale index	1.0 = Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)	First Steps hit 0.82—highest since No Way Home, and the best of any 2025 release.
Fandango summer poll	#2 Most Anticipated Movie	Only Avengers: Eternity topped it.
Most Anticipated Performance	Pedro Pascal at #2	Second only to Florence Pugh in Thunderbolts.

Translation: Four unknowns became global brand overnight; the MCU’s family angle clearly still lands.

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Two Exclusive Collectible Bundles—Choose Your Fandom Level

Fandango rolled out dual merch tiers the moment tickets went live:

Bundle	Price	Includes	Ideal For
Starter Pack	$34.99	1 movie ticket (any format) + limited 5″ metallic “4” logo pin + digital behind-the-scenes mini-artbook (PDF)	Newcomers wanting low-cost swag
Complete Set	$69.99	2 premium-format tickets (IMAX or Dolby) + four enamel character pins + 11″×17″ exclusive poster by Matt Taylor + code for $5 off Marvel Unlimited	Collectors & couples

Both packs ship physical items within 3–5 weeks of purchase. Quantities cap at 25k units; Fandango will gray out the option once stock is gone.

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Ticketing Hacks: How to Max Out Rewards and Give Back

1. Activate Round-Up

At checkout, flip the Round-Up toggle to donate spare change to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Rough math: if 400k fans round up $0.23 on average, that’s a $92k community boost.

2. Free-Ticket Math via FanClub

Fandango’s FanClub ($9.99/month):

• 7-day trial: two free tickets (yes, can apply to First Steps).
• Ongoing credit: $10 monthly + zero convenience fees.

If you’re seeing one blockbuster a month, the program essentially pays for itself after fees vanish.

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What to Expect Opening Weekend—Formats, Length, Credits

• Runtime: 142 minutes (per theater chain booking sheets).
• Rating: PG-13—“sci-fi violence, thematic elements, brief language.”.

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Quick-Start Watchlist—Prep Before July 25

1. Fantastic Four (2005) – For nostalgia and power-origin comparison.
2. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Shakman channeling similar reality-warp visuals.
3. NASA’s “How Cosmic Rays Work” YouTube explainer – 5-minute crash course that will make Act 1 babble click.

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Final Lap: Reservation Checklist

1. Pick your date: Opening night sells fastest for Dolby; Saturday afternoon for kid-friendly groups.
2. Choose a bundle: Decide early—inventory updates daily until sold out.
3. Toggle Round-Up: Micro-donations scale up.
4. Consider FanClub trial: Two tickets free, fees erased.
5. Lock seats: Custom seat map shows Baxter-lab blueprint overlay—fun but also highlights prime center-row spots.

Marvel’s first family is back. Presale data says fans are strapped in. Time to claim your slice of MCU history—before Reed bends the last available seat right out of your grasp.