Lade Omotade is a News and Features Author at Collider, covering everything from casting announcements and streaming trends to behind-the-scenes stories and the cultural impact of today's biggest film and TV franchises. Since joining the team in 2024, she has written more than 1,000 news stories, with her work also cited by outlets like AOL and IMDb.
With the year's most anticipated superhero film arriving this December, ABC is building excitement with its biggest surprise yet. As part of MCU Phase Six, Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026, with Robert Downey Jr. starring as the tyrannical Doctor Doom. Before then, fans will get to revisit one of the MCU's best reboots, which ties into Doomsday and will air on network TV for the first time.
Released in July 2025, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the second reboot in the film series, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular team. Set in a sci-fi, retro-futuristic world inspired by the 1960s, the film introduces viewers to Marvel's First Family: Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Moss-Bachrach). Together, they face their greatest challenge yet: protecting Earth from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
As Marvel president Kevin Feige previously teased, The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads directly into Doomsday's plot, making ABC's holiday offering even more exciting. That said, TV Insider can confirm that the superhero favorite airs on ABC on December 13, 2026, from 8:33 to 11:00 p.m., less than a week before Doomsday's theatrical release. It's worth noting that, alongside the Fantastic Four from Earth-828, Doomsday features heroes from two other universes: the Avengers, Wakandans, and New Avengers from Earth-616, and the original X-Men from Earth-10005.
Four villains, and four arguments the films were honest enough to actually let them make. Here is the one you lean towards, the part of it that holds up, and the exact point where it stops holding up.
You align with the one who was right about the problem and wrong about the solution. Killmonger is the most persuasive villain Marvel has produced because the film never pretends his anger came from nowhere.
You align with the protector, which is the most understandable and most dangerous position on this list. Namor is not chasing power or revenge, he is doing whatever keeps his people hidden, and he has been doing it for centuries.
You align with the patient one, the only man on this list with no powers, no army and no hurry. Zemo lost his family in Sokovia and then spent years working out that you do not fight the Avengers, you introduce them to each other's secrets.
You align with the one who decided the answer was arithmetic. Thanos is not angry and not grieving in any way he will admit to, he simply reached a conclusion and never once revisited it, which is precisely what makes him frightening.
The record-breaking Fantastic Four film was directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Upon release, it quickly became a critics' favorite and currently holds a Certified Fresh 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes, along with an even higher Verified Hot audience score of 90%. The sci-fi reboot was also a moderate commercial success, grossing $521.9 million worldwide, including $274.3 million in North America and $247.6 million internationally, making it the highest-grossing Fantastic Four film. Its success continued on streaming, where it ranked among Disney+'s Top 10 globally and topped digital charts, including Fandango at Home and iTunes.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps debuts on ABC in December.
