The Fantastic Four trailer looks… well, you know. Don’t make us say it.

Is fourth time the charm for Marvel’s first family? Sure looks like it.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is on its way, folks. The fourth big screen outing for Marvel’s quartet of super-science super heroes has been a long time coming, and it’s easy to see why. The Fantastic Four have never quite gelled on the big screen. Sure, nobody took the unreleased 1994 effort seriously except the poor cast, but even the more recent duology lacked that certain je ne sais quoi. Something was missing – possibly a big purple guy. Well, all other considerations aside, Marvel have certainly corrected that element. Check it out:

Well, all else aside, this explains why people in the Marvel Universe weren’t too freaked out by the giant alien that wound up in the middle of the ocean in Eternals. Galactus showed up in the ’60s. Also, I have been saying for years that they should set the FF during the Space Age, so I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself right about now.

Let’s go to the boilerplate:

Showcasing Marvel’s First Family, Silver Surfer, H.E.R.B.I.E. and the retro-futuristic, 1960s vibe of Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a new trailer and poster are now available to download and share.

Opening in cinemas July 25, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The action adventure also stars Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne and Sarah Niles. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis and Tim Lewis.

Not bad. A little breathless, but that’s only to be expected, really. Marvel’s been kinda off the boil for a while now, which is why they backed up a dumptruck full of money to Robert Downey Jr’s front door and he’s now playing Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. That effort, currently filming, smacks of desperation. This, on the other hand, looks fun – light, funny, optimistic, all that jazz. We could use a little optimism right now, don’t you think?