Marvel fans may still be a year out from meeting Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, arriving December 18, 2026, but his legendary rivals are already taking the spotlight. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) has surged on Disney+ and is currently the number 8 movie on the platform, and the spike suggests viewers are getting a head start on the Doom discourse. With Marvel expected to begin rolling out major teases and promotional crumbs throughout 2026, interest in the First Family is naturally resurfacing. Audiences appear eager to revisit the team before Victor von Doom steps into the spotlight and reshapes the franchise's trajectory... again.
Why 'The Fantastic Four' Is Seeing A Major Streaming Revival
When The Fantastic Four premiered earlier this year, it arrived with a fresh tone for the MCU. Director Matt Shakman leaned into a retro sci-fi style, prioritizing character relationships, cosmic wonder, and a grounded emotional core. The film became a sleeper favorite among fans for exactly those reasons. It felt lighter and more hopeful than the projects surrounding it, positioning Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as central players in Marvel's long-term storytelling plans.
Now its resurgence makes complete sense. Marvel has kept details about Doomsday aside from its stacked cast tightly sealed, but expectations for Doom's rein in the MCU are sky-high. The villain's casting (with Robert Downey Jr. stepping into the role), storyline, and power level are all major conversation points, and fans know Doom is most impactful when framed against the Fantastic Four. That connection is driving viewers back to the movie that reintroduced the family and laid the groundwork for their place in the MCU. The climb to number 8 also shows how deeply the team resonated with casual and hardcore fans alike.
As marketing for Doomsday ramps up in early 2026, The Fantastic Four is likely to keep climbing. Doctor Doom may be the MCU's next great antagonist, but his enemies are already dominating the cultural moment. If this streaming surge is any indication, Marvel's First Family is more than ready for the war their future monarch is about to bring.
7 10 The Fantastic Four: First Steps Like Follow Followed PG-13 Science Fiction Adventure Action Release Date July 25, 2025 Runtime 115 minutes Director Matt Shakman 9 Images Close Cast See All Pedro Pascal Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic Vanessa Kirby Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY
Writers Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Kat Wood, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee Producers Kevin Feige Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe Genres Science Fiction, Adventure, Action Powered by Expand Collapse