Comic book fans love to have all manners of debates, whether it's about one-on-one battles between characters or limitations of super powers... but while there is plenty of conflict, what must not be forgotten in all of it is that there is a shared appreciation for the medium and storytelling. Marvel and DC fans will always fight about which one is better, but what's more important is the recognition that superheroes are awesome – and it's within that spirit that I love the name that has been created by a fan to celebrate the fact that both James Gunn's Superman and Matt Shakman's The Fantastic Four: First Steps are being released this month.
First there was Barbenheimer, the dubbed phenomenon when Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer arrived in theaters simultaneously. Then there was Glicked, which highlighted Ridley Scott's Gladiator II and Jon M. Chu's Wicked sharing marquee space last November. Now, in July 2025, Instagram user illustraluis has dubbed this summer as the season of SuperFantastic:
What's not to love about that?
To be fair, SuperFantastic is different than both Barbenheimer and Glicked, as what made those two particular theatrical double-billings special is the fact that A) the blockbuster movies came out on the same day, and B) they served as counterprogramming to one another, as each title appealed to different demographics. Still, I think that the proximity of Superman and Fantastic Four: First Steps plus the multi-decade "war" between Marvel and DC makes this moniker appropriate.
At their core, what these blockbuster double-bills really do is deliver excitement about what's playing on the big screen, and there is definitely a lot to be excited about this month as far as superhero fare goes. It begins this Friday, July 11 with the theatrical debut of Superman, which is the big screen launch of the new DC Universe and has been getting exceptional buzz (my four-and-a-half star CinemaBlend review went live this afternoon). It's a blast that delivers fun and action opposite emotion and deep themes, and audiences the world over should love it.
Then, two weeks later, we'll be getting Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, and while the film hasn't started screening yet/reactions are not yet available, one should not forget that this is a blockbuster years in the making. Fans opined for years that the rights to Marvel's First Family belonged to 20th Century Fox and therefore couldn't be featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Everything changed over six years ago when the Disney-Fox merger was completed, and there is hope that we will finally get a great Fantastic Four movie after many failed previous attempts.
It should go without saying that CinemaBlend is keeping a close eye on all things SuperFantastic related, so be sure to keep checking back here on the site all July long for news, updates, opinion and insight. And for a look at everything else that is on the way in what remains of the year, check our or 2025 Movie Release Calendar.
