Marvel’s ‘first family’ has finally returned to the big screen in a movie that captures the classic comic book-vibe, while also harkening back to the MCU’s earlier phases.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Directed By: Matt Shakman
Written By: Josh Friedman, Eric Person, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bacharach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson
Release Date: July 25, 2025
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a film coming with a lot of expectations. Not only does it have to contend with a history of questionable (to outright bad) previous film adaptations, it was also one of the most anticipated films since Disney got the rights back and could bring them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper. It’s clear Marvel has big plans for the team going forward (already announced as part of Avengers: Doomsday), and the more robust marketing for the film did a great job of selling this new version of the iconic characters.
Thankfully, First Steps manages to meet most of those expectations. While it isn’t a perfect film, it’s a great deal of fun; putting the focus on the character dynamics in ways that remind you of Marvel’s best outings. Let’s break it down a bit more; without spoilers of course.
The story is relatively straightforward. Even if you haven’t kept up with the barrage of marketing (avoiding trailers to save the experience), you’ll likely have a solid grip of the basics going in. The movie takes place on an alternate Earth outside of the main MCU, where the Fantastic Four are the only superheroes around; existing in a retro-futuristic setting. The story starts years after the group got their powers and are a prominent, beloved part of the world at large.
Two major things happen, which changes their lives forever. One, is Sue (Vanessa Kirby) getting pregnant, leaving herself and Reed (Pedro Pascal) to navigate the terrifying world of parenting while also still trying to keep the world safe from harm. The other is the arrival of a strange interstellar being, heralding the imminent destruction of Earth at the hands of Galactus.
The two plotlines intersect in some fun ways (which I won’t ruin here), culminating in a sprawling adventure that puts the heroes to the test like never before. Literally. All they’ve known so far in their world is success, having stopped every major villain who’s appeared while also helping to influence global politics and industry progress. As such, we’re seeing the Fantastic Four come to terms with a threat they legitimately might not be able to beat.
They’re already a functional team by the time the film starts. They aren’t experiencing growing pains or having to learn to work together. They’re already highly efficient at it. In being confronted by an entity they cannot explain, and seemingly have no defenses against, shakes them up. Moreso, it shakes the world’s faith in them, forcing the heroes to reckon with failure in ways they hadn’t contemplated before; making each plan feel more desperate than the last.
Not only does this keep the stakes high and bring the action on a physical level, it forces the characters to wrestle, mentally, with their own limitations. This aspect alone is a big part of what makes this film work. By this point, we’ve seen plenty of world-ending level threats across all comic book movies. Fantastic Four manages to keep things fresh, and the tension ramped up, by narrowing the focus of the story into their family drama/dynamics.
What Works
I’m going to change things up a bit with this review, as I think it’s easier to dive into certain aspects without hitting on story specific spoilers. First, let’s talk about the things I really loved.
Setting/World-Building – On top of not giving us another origin story, First Steps does a great job of establishing this alternate world for the characters. While we know they will eventually join up with the larger MCU, it was refreshing to get an all new world to explore. The aesthetics are gorgeous, copying that retro-futurism style from the 60s, while still infusing it with enough modernity to not feel dated or like a complete period piece. This makes for some fun visuals that incorporates sleek tech into older designs.
Beyond being visually dazzling (the entire section in space and the first meeting with Galactus had my jaw on the floor), I loved how much this alternate Earth felt like a fully fleshed out world. It was just our world with some visual flourish. Instead, the film makes it feel like a real place with its own history and citizens that exist as more than background elements.
Part of this is helped by the fact the film takes place over a longer period of time (at least a year and a half). It’s not just a really bad weekend like many blockbusters, and instead gives the characters room to grow, adapt, and genuinely change as the story progresses.
The benefit of handling it this way adds even more weight to the stakes, and makes the main characters themselves feel apart of the world, rather than merely doing stuff in it. Moreso, it allows the film to lean into the weirder comic book elements and visuals without feeling goofy or out of place. It all pulls together to craft a setting that feels lived in (much like with Guardians of the Galaxy).
Characterizations – Make no mistake, these ARE the Fantastic Four. Each actor brings it all to their roles, fully embodying all the elements of the characters fans know and love, while still making it their own. You’re not watching Pedro Pascal “play” Reed Richards, you’re seeing Reed himself on the screen.
All of them do a phenomenal job, and for the most part, the script gives them all their own moments to shine. It’s very much an ensemble movie and doesn’t feel like any character is cut short in order to give others more. Vanessa Kirby’s Sue is very much the heart of the team and she crushes the role. Pedro’s Reed is the brilliant (sometimes obsessive) scientist, but with very human flaws that keeps him grounded. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm is so much more than “the Thing” and gives the team’s most fantastical hero a very human amount of depth and gravitas.
Joseph Quinn’s Johnny may be my favorite though. He manages to capture that fast-paced, playful, almost antagonistic energy without feeling over-the-top. What I loved most, however, is the film remembers that Johnny is more than the carefree playboy. Beyond his powers, the film gives him something to actually do and has to use his own wits to figure out (even going so far as to establish this version as a fellow scientist rather than just “Sue’s brother”).
Villains – Great heroes need great villains, and the combination of Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner) and Galactus (Ralph Ineson) absolutely bring the goods. Their initial scenes manage to hit with sense of awe and dread, immediately making it clear the threat they pose. While the film isn’t concerned with diving (much) into their backstories—keeping the audience on the same page as the heroes in terms of knowledge—it does an excellent job of establishing them as unique and powerful in just a couple short scenes.
The Silver Surfer is insanely cool. I don’t know how else to put it and her main action sequence in the middle of the film is something I can’t wait to revisit. Also, if you were worried about the VFX on her, the final result is far beyond anything I imagined. Just so, so good.
Galactus simply IS, as impossible as he may seem, and somehow that’s a more terrifying idea than getting some fleshed out history. The sense of scale any time Galactus is on the screen is impressive. There’s a weight to his movements that you practically feel the world shake even as he does the most basic of tasks (like walking). Even after his initial appearance in the movie, which elicited a full-on “holy shit” from me, his subsequent scenes never felt any less impressive, or impactful.
Messaging – On top of all that, The Fantastic Four: First Steps does a great job of keeping its central theme of family intact. Each of these heroes are amazing in their own ways, and capable of great things…but it’s only in working together for the greater good, can they succeed. Their teamwork sets and example for the world to follow, something for others to aspire to, even when they don’t have powers.
It’s a great message. Maybe it’s a little hokey or old-fashioned, but it’s executed well in the movie and I think its something we could all use right now. It left me feeling happy and hopeful, leaving the theater with a big smile on my face. Much like with Superman, it’s nice/refreshing to come out of these stories with joy and optimism.
What Doesn’t
As I mentioned, First Steps isn’t a perfect film, and there are a few quibbles I think are worth mentioning.
Room to Breathe – The general pacing of the movie isn’t necessarily bad, but I’m not sure how else to phrase this: it needed more. I enjoyed how the movie moved the story along, and how it cleverly drops a bunch of pertinent information without feeling like a typical exposition dump. As I mentioned, it was also nice to see the story play out over a longer timeline.
The problem though, is there are a number of moments that feel like they needed to be expanded a bit. Not necessarily expanding the plot, but giving the characters more time to deal with the things they’ve seen/done. For all the action and comic book elements, First Steps shines in being a character driven story. As such, some of the more harder hitting moments needed room to breathe.
Instead, certain moments (being vague to avoid spoilers, but arguments and such) felt resolved too quickly. Whether due to a time jump or simply because the story needed to move forward, some of the character beats are over almost as soon as they start. There are times where you can feel certain cuts were made, rather than flowing more smoothly. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t change all the good things in the film, but certainly holds it back from its full potential.
Missed Opportunities – This ties into the previous point, as I think the issue here has more to do with the time given in the film. There are a couple side-plots that I really enjoyed, with the potential to dive into some interesting thematic elements…But they aren’t given enough time to get there.
I won’t go into specifics, but there’s one involving Shalla-Bal and another with how the world falls out of love with the Fantastic Four and a specific choice they make. To be fair, to fully explore either of these things could likely take over the entire film and veer away from the main story being told. Even so, it touches on some engaging ideas but doesn’t really go anywhere with them.
Some VFX – By and large, the visual effects in Fantastic Four are pretty damn great. Shalla-Bal and Galactus in particular are amazing, Johnny’s fire effects look better than ever, and even Reed’s stretching powers look solid. Which makes some of the wonkiness of other visuals stand out all the more. Namely, a CGI baby just never looks right and First Steps isn’t the film to change that.
