Hello, friends! Another week gone by, and another week closer to the release of Ironheart on Disney+ and The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters around the world. Kyle and Robby took a break from the multiverse last week to turn the clock back to The Infinity Saga, adding an “S-Tier” to their rankings and creating a unified ranking of all 23 movies from the saga.

This week, Robby has another very special comic creator interview, this time with comic book artist David Marquez. You may know him from “Ultimate Spider-Man” or “All-New X-Men”, but after this interview, you’ll know him as a friend from work, also.

Meanwhile, over on FFW+ Kandace makes her return to cover the next installment of “The Road to Secret Wars” with Robby. They’ll be discussing the next chapter in Jonathan Hickman’s iconic “Avengers/New Avengers” run. For those who like to get their homework done early, the Fantastic Four rewatch pods are also fast approaching. Just sayin’.

Now, over to…

THE WATERCOOLER

THIS WEEK IN THE MCU

• Tickets for The Fantastic Four: First Steps are now on sale! Fandango reported that first-day ticket sales were the largest for any movie so far in 2025. Shawn Robbins of Box Office Theory wrote about the early box office tracking numbers for First Steps and is currently projecting a $125-136+ million domestic opening weekend. Showings begin at your local multiplex as early as 2 pm on July 24th.

• An Entertainment Weekly report says that Ryan Coogler confirmed in a podcast appearance that he has written a role specifically for Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) in the third Black Panther movie currently in development. Washington had previously revealed this in an interview last fall.

• Last week I mentioned this possibility as part of our “rumor of the week” but now it is official, according to Deadline. Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek) has been cast to play the human version of E.D.I.T.H. in the Vision series currently filming. E.D.I.T.H. was the Stark tech AI gifted to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

• Marvel officially released the main theme of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on all streaming platforms, from composer Michael Giacchino.

• Scottish newspaper The Herald exclusively revealed that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be filming in Glasgow this summer. According to the report, the production will begin shooting scenes in mid-August under the working title “Blue Oasis.” Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently scheduled for release on July 31st, 2026.

• Marvel released the first official clip from Ironheart via IGN. The three-episode premiere is only 16 days away.

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman spoke to Collider about the importance of grounding his movie in practical sets and real locations wherever possible.

BEYOND THE MULTIVERSE

• In many ways, Wicked was the surprise hit of 2024, catching audiences by surprise and grossing over $750 million at the box office. Now, finally, the first trailer for Wicked: For Good has been released. The movie is set to bow on November 21st of this year.

• Tickets go on sale Wednesday for James Gunn’s DCU feature debut Superman.

TRUE BELIEVERS RUMOR OF THE WEEK

• Is Mike Colter returning to the role of Luke Cage in the second season of Daredevil: Born Again? After Marvel confirmed that Krysten Ritter would be returning as Jessica Jones, speculation increased that the other members of the Defenders would not be far behind. Colter has only added fuel to the fire over the last week, first appearing alongside Charlie Cox at Des Moines Con in Iowa and then posting an Instagram story with an image of himself as Luke Cage.

Before I wrap things up, I just wanted to remind you about our comics and apparel partners, Organic Priced Books and Homage. OPB is always adding new books to its inventory as well as restocking popular titles. Use code “FRIENDSFROMWORK” to get a discount every time. Homage just released a brand-new line of Avengers-themed merch with incredible designs. Make sure to use our unique partner link when ordering.

Last but not least, be on the lookout for NEW Friends From Work merch coming this week, too.

Have a great week everyone!

-Greg