The Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman spoke with CBR's Deputy Editor Sean O'Connell about bringing Marvel's First Family into the MCU, casting Vanessa Kirby, and the trust his team has in Reed Richards.

Matt Shakman recently explained the decision to set The Fantastic Four: First Steps on Earth-828, within the MCU multiverse and outside the main timeline. In a new interview, the director revealed how placing Marvel’s First Family on another Earth avoids major continuity issues.

Shakman's film, which is set for worldwide release on Friday, stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, also known as the stretchy Mr Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm-Richards, the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as the fiery Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the rock-skinned powerhouse Ben Grimm, also called The Thing.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe owes a great debt to Jonathan Hickman's work, especially with 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps" on the horizon.

The Fantastic Four and the Fab Four came along at around the same time in the early 1960s, and thinking of The Beatles helped Vanessa Kirby find the right mindset for her Marvel movie superhero group.

Helping bring HERBIE to life is voice actor Matthew Wood, whose impressive CV includes additional voices in the likes of Star Trek Into Darkness and Knives Out, as well as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (as the Quantumnauts).

Working with then-unknown filmmaker Robert Eggers on 'The Witch' supercharged the actor's career, eventually allowing him to play one of the biggest characters in the Marvel mythos.

With the fourth attempt to immortalize Marvel’s First Family on the silver screen and the official launch of the MCU’s Phase Six, The Fantastic Four: First Steps helmer Matt Shakman said the latest entry serves to tee up further exciting releases from the juggernaut studio.

"First Steps" promises to push the MCU out of its comfort zone, but the movie quickly retreats into a tired version of the same old story.