Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps is just a week away from hitting theaters, but fans are already piecing together its cosmic puzzle thanks to a little help from none other than Michael Giacchino. The acclaimed composer—best known for scoring everything from Up (2009) and The Batman (2022) to Marvel’s own Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)—has once again delivered not just a thrilling soundtrack, but a sneak peek into the movie’s structure via his trademark playfully titled tracks.The official soundtrack album for Fantastic Four: First Steps was released digitally today, and while Marvel has kept a lot of the plot under wraps, Giacchino’s music might’ve just given us a blueprint of how the movie unfolds, along with a few surprises not teased in any of the trailers.The Main Theme and an Unexpected BeginningThe first track, “Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme,” is instantly recognizable to fans who’ve been closely following the film’s marketing campaign. This sweeping orchestral cue blends classic superhero fanfare with warm nostalgia, perfectly echoing the tone Marvel seems to be going for: hopeful, heroic, and a little bit retro. The theme’s emotional texture suggests Marvel is positioning this version of the Fantastic Four not just as explorers, but as a family first—something that’s also true in the comics, especially during Jonathan Hickman’s now-iconic 2009–2012 run.The second track on the album, “Pregnancy Testing 1, 2, 3,” practically spells out the film’s starting point. Based on early footage released by Marvel, this piece seems to underscore the tender scene where Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) announce to Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) that they’re expecting a child. If this really is the first major scene, it’s a clever way to set the tone: intimate and grounded before launching us—literally—into cosmic chaos.Shalla-Bal and the Coming of GalactusTrack 3, “Herald Today, Gone Tomorrow,” gives us one of the film’s most goosebump-inducing moments. Fans will immediately recognize this cue from the trailer where Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner) utters the chilling line: “I herald his beginning, I herald your end, I herald Galactus.” It’s a heavy moment, and Giacchino underscores it with a haunting, alien melodic structure. Comic readers will know Shalla-Bal as a character deeply entwined with Norrin Radd (the original Silver Surfer), making her arrival in the MCU a huge nod to Marvel’s cosmic past.From here, the soundtrack’s mid-section gives us a flurry of interstellar clues.Into Space and Back AgainTracks like “Out to Launch” (Track 5), “A Galactus Case of the Munchies” (Track 6), “Bowel Before Me” (Track 7), and “The Light Speed of Your Life” (Track 8) seem to correspond to the epic cosmic voyage teased in trailers, where the Fantastic Four leave Earth to negotiate with Galactus. Based on the titles alone, it sounds like these scenes will blend tension and humor—hallmarks of Giacchino’s style—with high-concept stakes.And while fans have seen glimpses of the team confronting the world-eater, the soundtrack suggests they don’t exactly come back victorious.A Cosmic BirthTrack 10, “Starship Birth,” may turn out to be one of the most pivotal and emotional moments of the entire movie. All signs point to Sue Storm giving birth to Franklin Richards mid-space crisis, with the rest of the team rallying to protect her. This moment ties directly into comic lore: Franklin Richards has long been one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, capable of bending reality itself—a potential plot bomb that Marvel could be quietly setting up here.Unexpected Villains and Nostalgic NodsThe back half of the album has its own treasure trove of surprises. Track 13: “A Mole in Your Plan” all but confirms the appearance of longtime Fantastic Four antagonist Mole Man, portrayed by Paul Walter Hauser. While trailers haven’t shown him, director Matt Shakman has confirmed in interviews (including with USA Today) that Mole Man will appear, describing him as “more of a union boss than a supervillain.” That’s a fresh take on the subterranean troublemaker who first appeared all the way back in Fantastic Four #1 (1961).Track 14, “A Walk on the City,” likely refers to the now-infamous sequence of Galactus walking through New York City, glimpsed in the film’s first teaser. Given Giacchino’s ominous yet majestic musical tone here, this track could mirror the magnitude of similar MCU destruction scenes (Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Sokovia scenes come to mind).The Final Battle and Emotional ResonanceTracks 16 through 19—“Don’t Sue the Baby!,” “Without Further Adieu,” “Carseat Drivers,” and “Fantastic Four to Be Reckoned With”—seem to be where all roads converge: the Fantastic Four battling to protect newborn Franklin from Galactus. The titles, humorous as they are, hint at both intense action and deep character moments.Bonus Tracks and Easter EggsPerhaps the most curious addition is “Let Us Be Devoured (Studio Version),” a hauntingly funny acoustic ballad that seems to reflect the emotional weight of the story: acceptance of mortality, sacrifice, and the impending doom at the hands of a giant cosmic entity.Among the lighter entries are “The Fantastic Four Power Hour (Cartoon Theme),” which appears to be the theme to an in-universe cartoon based on the team. It’s a delightful meta-reference to the real-life 1967 Fantastic Four animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, and reportedly features a cringeworthy delivery of Ben Grimm’s classic line, “It’s clobberin’ time!”—a line that the character hilariously loathes in this version of the film.Lastly, “H.E.R.B.I.E.’s Lullaby” closes the album with a gentle tune sung by the team’s lovable robot assistant while babysitting Franklin. H.E.R.B.I.E., a character created for The New Fantastic Four cartoon in 1978 to replace the Human Torch (long story), is finally getting some MCU love.A Soundtrack Worth StudyingWhile the soundtrack doesn’t give away everything, it certainly offers more than a few clues to the narrative structure of Fantastic Four: First Steps. Giacchino’s mischievous and evocative titles help us guess the broad strokes—from pregnancy to space diplomacy, cosmic birth to interdimensional battles—and maybe even the movie’s emotional core.And while it’s tempting to think the Fantastic Four might save the day, a hint from the Thunderbolts post-credits scene suggests otherwise. The team’s ship, the Exclesior (a beautiful homage to Stan Lee’s iconic catchphrase), arriving from a different universe into the main MCU dimension implies the team may not actually win their first battle against Galactus, at least not in the traditional sense. Still, how it all plays out remains to be seen.Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres next Friday, July 25th, and if the music is any indication, the MCU’s First Family is finally ready to step into the spotlight.Are the track titles playful misdirects, or has Michael Giacchino just scored us a roadmap to Marvel’s most emotional showdown yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.The post Breaking Down the Fantastic Four: First Steps Score, And the Spoilers Hiding in Plain Sight appeared first on Inside the Magic.