Did Pedro Pascal Just Confirm the Sequel to The ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Is in Development?
Disney revealed on Wednesday that Marvel Studios has slotted an untitled movie for release on December 15, 2028. If the schedule holds, it would mark Marvel’s fourth film of that year, following releases planned for February, May, and November.
However, Disney often reserves dates as placeholders, adjusting as needed. For instance, Marvel’s Blade was delayed from November 2025 after Disney secured a slot for Predator: Badlands.
Fans are buzzing about what the 2028 film could be, with many guessing it might be a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, set for July 2026. Variety also implied in the report that the sequel is in the works.
Marvel’s 2026 and 2027 slate is leaner, with only two films in 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day (with Sony) in July and Avengers: Doomsday in December, and two in 2027, an untitled project in July and Avengers: Secret Wars in December.
Secret Wars is expected to close the Multiverse Saga, paving the way for stories featuring X-Men and other characters from 20th Century Fox, acquired by Disney in 2019. Jake Schreier, who directed Thunderbolts*, will helm Marvel’s first mutant-focused film.
It now seems those rumors weren’t entirely baseless, or at least Pedro Pascal added fuel to the fire by liking a poster related to news that Fantastic Four is getting a sequel.
While a 2028 release slot has been added to Marvel’s schedule, the original report doesn’t state that it’s definitely for that sequel; it could be for two other movies, Blade and Black Panther 3.
Second, the studio is likely waiting to see how the first Fantastic Four film performs at the box office and with critics before committing to a follow-up. Remember, the only real box office hits Marvel has had in recent years were Deadpool & Wolverine and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, all other releases lost money as far as we know.
Lastly, Pedro Pascal might have simply been showing support for his fans and the Marvel community. It’s not unusual for actors to like posts about rumors or fan castings, even when those ideas never materialize.
The sequel is likely in development, but it’s probably still in the very early stages. Remember the Nova TV show? That project was officially confirmed to be in development before the studio shifted its strategy and placed it on indefinite hold.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman, with a script by Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson. The main cast includes Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the Fantastic Four. Other stars in the film are John Malkovich, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson.
The story is set in a 1960s-style world where the team must stop Galactus, a powerful being who eats planets.
The movie will come out in the U.S. on July 25, 2025. It will be the first movie in Marvel’s Phase Six.
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