While Disney might not have acquired 100% of the rights for all the Marvel characters to create the flourishing universe that they dream of, they did merge with 20th Century Fox in 2019 for a whopping $71.3 billion. With this, Disney and Marvel Studios were finally able to use characters from the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises. It was only a matter of getting the stories right and finding a place for them to fit in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, which leads us to the most recent Marvel adaptation, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Fantastic Four has had numerous iterations from movie to television, but unfortunately, they’ve notoriously been known for not producing the best films. There was the 1994 unreleased Fantastic Four movie, which very much speaks for itself. The 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films are nostalgic, campy and fun, but fail in a lot of areas. The 2015 Josh Trank reboot of Fantastic Four attempted to take Marvel’s first family in a different direction, which blew up in Fox’s and everyone else’s face. Finally, in the hands of Marvel Studios, Matt Shakman has finally produced the film that The Fantastic Four have deserved after all these decades.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps follows Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) in an alternate reality on Earth-828. They’ve been the Fantastic Four for four years and have become a global sensation. Soon after Sue’s pregnancy announcement, Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives to warn them that their planet is marked for death and that Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the devourer of worlds, is on his way.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Nails Its Origins
There are 8 live-action Spider-Man films featuring Peter Parker, 12 Batman movies, 10 Superman films, and now 5 Fantastic Four movies. What Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Batman and Superman (2025) proved is that the majority of general audiences are well aware of the origins for these characters, and there’s no need to retread them. Unlike a recent superhero film, The Fantastic Four goes over the origin of these heroes and their adventures in the last 4 years in a creative manner.
Now that the Fantastic Four are celebrities in this reality, we get a rundown of their classic origin story through The Ted Gilbert Show as Ted Gilbert (Mark Gatiss) himself speeds the audience up on this iconic team. It’ll quickly catch newcomers up on the team, and comic fans will have something to enjoy as they see classic villains finally brought to life.
This introduction helps keep the narrative structure intact for the duration of the movie, as it doesn’t ever feel like there’s too much going on with the film, keeping a steady pace, and there aren’t any gaps to fill, leaving unanswered questions by the end. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a standalone, contained movie that doesn’t rely on the previous 17 years of history from the MCU.
Matt Shakman Continues The Trend Of Mothers In The MCU
Matt Shakman has come off the critically acclaimed WandaVision, which highlighted Wanda as a mother to two kids. There are more similarities with WandaVision, with an episode being set during the 60s and The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Earth-838 having a retro-futuristic 60s aesthetic to it. The Fantastic Four: First Steps follows suit by introducing Franklin Richards for the first time in live action, who acts as the centrepiece for everything this movie’s story revolves around.
Vanessa Kirby commands the screen as Sue Storm and, thanks to Sue being a mother, is able to deliver a performance that showcases how being a mother makes you a stronger person. It’s motherly love that brings them all together; she’s loving and caring, but she also holds her ground emotionally and physically. It’s an aspect of Sue Storm that hasn’t been explored in the Fantastic Four films before, and it brings a whole new dynamic that keeps the film feeling fresh, which is what’s needed from a fifth Fantastic Four movie. While everyone brings something to these films, and together they’re unstoppable, this movie wouldn’t be the same without Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm (and Franklin).
A Fantastic Family
The Fantastic Four have always been known as Marvel’s first family, but while some previous films got individual relationships right and others completely failed in all areas, we’ve never once gotten a Fantastic Four team that truly feels like a family. This movie highlights how they operate as one, from their weekly Sunday dinners to the excitement of baby Franklin’s arrival and being uncles and parents.
Reed Richards is a no-nonsense genius who runs every calculation before making a decision. Pedro Pascal brings nuance to the role, making him feel like a perfect fit. Reed is the most intelligent member of the family, but this film shows that even he sometimes needs their help, proving they’re stronger as a team. When faced with a world-altering choice that could tear his family apart, we see him under pressure, trying to keep composed for the sake of his family, but deep down, he’s not just this intelligent superhero, but he’s human, a friend, a husband and a father deep down who can also feel fear.
Johnny Storm has always been a fan favourite, but with the casting of Joseph Quinn, there was some worry that we wouldn’t be able to bring that charming, witty, chaotic energy that you normally find with Johnny, but I was proven absolutely wrong. Johnny’s relationship with Ben is an absolute joy to watch as they mess around with each other. His relationship with Reed is an interesting one, as it feels like he’s trying to prove himself to the smartest man in the room, but also deep down, they have respect for each other.
Johnny has the most love for his sister Sue, as he puts himself first to ensure that she’s always safe. It’s an endearing relationship that, unfortunately, the film doesn’t have enough of. The highlight of Johnny’s relationship is between him and Shalla-Bal, which highlights the emotional depth in their character arc as Johnny strives to connect with her. It’s one of the shining moments of the movie.
Finally, Ben Grimm is treated like the kindhearted man that he is, and while the movie delves into how his looks personally affect him, he’s never once treated like some monster by his peers or the civilians. I can’t honestly recall a moment where they call him The Thing, and it’s a nice change of pace for the character. The movie plays around with the “it’s clobbering time” joke, but unfortunately, due to the trailers showing it all, it’s never really as funny as it should be.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a simple story, and it’s a movie that is trying to focus on the team and their looming threat. This, unfortunately, means we don’t get enough time with Rachel Rozman (Natasha Lyonne). The time we do get with the two lovebirds is small, and you only end up wishing that the film spent more time fleshing out their relationship.
Villains And Visuals Are A Match Made In Heaven
Julia Garner brings so much emotional depth with her performance in the role of Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer. She’s a woman of very few words, but everything she says is carried with such elegance and importance. It’s her action that stands out in the film, from how she surfs on surfaces in various environments, from lava to wormholes and black holes. Visually, it’s beyond impressive what The Fantastic Four: First Steps is capable of when it takes us to space. The Kubrick and Interstellar inspirations are clear as day, and it really helps this film stand apart in its genre from the rest of the MCU, even if the story is surface-level.
Galactus is finally this towering, intimidating cosmic threat that felt like the first real villain to bring stakes to the MCU since The High Evolutionary. His introduction leaves you on the edge of your seat as you begin to realise the scale of it all. Ralph Ineson feels like the only actor who could’ve portrayed Galactus this well, with a voice that reverberates throughout the screen. The practicality of Galactus also adds to how good the CGI is during the final act, although there are a few Franklin moments that look completely out of place. The destruction is felt, and his presence makes your heart sink into your stomach as you’re left wondering how the issues will resolve.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ – Final Thoughts
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a family movie that also happens to be a great cosmic sci-fi film with the best visuals yet from the MCU. It’s another step for Marvel Studios in the right direction for their cinematic universe. It’s easily the best Fantastic Four movie and is a great start to Phase 6. The film being a standalone really helps it thrive under its conditions and saves it from having to worry about what came before. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are more than just fantastic as a team; they’re remarkable.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theaters. Check out a trailer below:
