A new report sheds light on the Earth where The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place, offering clues about its ties to the wider multiverse. The report confirms that the film takes place on an alternate Earth, placing Marvel’s First Family in a reality near the Illuminati’s Earth-838. It clears up earlier speculation and positions the team to cross over smoothly within the MCU’s expanding multiverse.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ dimension is very close to the Illuminati’s Earth
Insider scooper MyTimeToShineHello revealed on May 30, 2025, that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in “Universe 828.”
This places the film’s setting in a reality distinct from the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe, Earth-616, and the Illuminati’s Earth-838, featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The confirmation marks the first official appearance of Earth-828 in the MCU canon.
The Illuminati’s Earth-838 featured a version of Reed Richards played by John Krasinski, who was killed by Wanda Maximoff. To avoid overlap, Marvel Studios placed the new Fantastic Four in a different universe altogether. Kevin Feige previously confirmed that the characters would originate from another universe, and trailers show a stylized, 1960s-inspired setting supporting the idea of a distinct, retro-futuristic dimension.
Earth-828, though new to audiences, connects closely to other known MCU universes. It stands apart from Earth-10005 (Fox’s X-Men universe) and Sony’s multiverses. Marvel Studios seems to have designed Earth-828 to bridge the visual and thematic space between Earth-838 and Earth-616. This approach enables the First Steps team to appear in crossover films like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars without creating continuity issues.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps casts Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene teases their interdimensional arrival in Earth-616. Julia Garner takes on the role of the Silver Surfer, while Ralph Ineson plays Galactus.
The film releases on July 25, 2025, marking the start of MCU’s Phase Six.
