‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Sets ABC Premiere in December!!

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.

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Officially Debuts on Network TV Soon

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.