The first trailer for the upcoming MCU feature, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is set to launch on February 4, at 4 a.m. PT and 7 a.m. ET. Before that, Marvel put out a 20-second teaser, building the hype even further. However, it appears that the teaser has drawn some criticism as well, with people taking to social media and complaining about how much kids’ laughter can be heard in the video.
Fantastic Four fans aren’t happy with the First Steps teaser’s ‘stock sound’
Marvel released the teaser for the first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps earlier today. It follows a group of children, excited and laughing, as they gather in front of TV screens to watch the eponymous team get ready for a space launch. The teaser has a retro-futuristic setting, which is in line with what we know about the movie.
However, the clip has also garnered considerable criticism from viewers online due to its purported overuse of the “stock sound” of kids’ laughing.
X (formerly Twitter) user @RohnJobert aimed their criticism at the movie’s director Matt Shakman and also referenced the use of stock audio. They sarcastically posted, “I’m the director of Fantastic Four and I was given the budget for only one ‘children laughing’ stock sound, looping it as many times as needed.”
Fellow X user @Awot2018 claimed the kids’ laughter and how many times it can be heard were the most noticeable things in the teaser.
Movie critic Jeff Zhang of Strange Harbors also mentioned that the “stock audio played three times in 20 seconds,” adding that Disney had reached “completely unprecedented levels of not giving a s—.”
@El_Crazyknight wrote they loved the “visual style” of the teaser but also proceeded to criticize the use of the stock sound of children’s laughter multiple times. “Someone please tell Hollywood video editors that the children stock laugh is not a good choice in 2025 less so twice XD.”
Since its launch, the clip has already accumulated millions of views across different social media platforms, adding to the growing hype despite the criticism. The Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres in U.S. theaters on July 25, 2025.
Originally reported by Tamal Kundu on SuperHeroHype.
