THE FANTASTIC FOUR FIRST STEPS Review

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world. [The film follows] Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

For years, commentary surrounding the state of comic book films, especially those from Marvel Studios, has been divisive. With many voices claiming the quality has dipped, leading to superhero fatigue, these sentiments may have only stemmed from loud echo chambers of hate and ignorance. While all films are subjective, the general consensus among loyal fans online has been consistent: Marvel films of late may not be knockouts, but at the very least they remain entertaining with competent characters and thrilling stories to follow.

That’s not the case with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s much more, and a step in the right direction to quell the majority of naysayers online. Still operated by the same company, this film takes place in its own universe—Earth 828 (a parallel Earth to our own), to be exact. Since 2008 with the debut of Iron Man, all characters in the MCU have been connected in some way. Yet this time, it’s different. Iron Man, Spider-Man, The Avengers—they’re nowhere to be found, and everyone since has lived in Earth 616 for the majority. However, this time around, the creative minds at Marvel decided to do something different, and it’s all for the better.

There’s no origin story with these Fantastic Four characters, nor previous plot points or character arcs that would tie down any potential artistry. If past illustrations wrote the studio into a corner, this film is free from those shackles and soars across the galaxy into an unknown, unexplored universe that is beyond exciting.

We can all appreciate something that diverges from the norm, and that’s the occasion here. The entire production has a vital backdrop of the 1960s, yet is set in a futuristic environment. If you were to imagine a world that wasn’t plagued by corporate greed, bias, and ego, but instead led with justice, righteousness, and love, you’d have Earth 828. The film is filled with unique costume designs, practical effects, and technology that is easy on the eye while simultaneously mind-blowing. It’s still not a perfect world—there is crime—but there’s a strong sense of community that’s inspiring.

(L-R) Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL

If you’re tired of origin stories, you can put those worries aside because there are none. The first five minutes is a super montage tribute to the Fantastic Four: who they are, what they’re about, and how they obtained their powers. It’s an easy narrative to follow for diehard fans and casual moviegoers being introduced to these characters for the first time. The small issue is that it needed to be dialed down a bit. It’s so long that it brings up the question: who is this message for?

The Fantastic Four in this film are the Santa Claus, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles of this world. Everyone knows them, so even if they’re being showcased on a television show for promotion, a 6–10-minute glazing session of attention and praise shouldn’t be necessary. If they were telling a biographical story within the film to remark on their past lives, that would suffice, but the characters are alive and well. So, the glory fest super montage was great but a tad excessive, or at least in its execution.

The lead, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), played by Pedro Pascal, does what is necessary to complete the role. He’s one of the smartest men on the planet and is deserving of the title. Always wanting to be perfect and possess all the answers to the world’s problems is commendable for his character. People like this only deserve respect, and he certainly attains that from everyone he encounters. In short, he’s a fantastic lead.

His wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), The Invisible Woman, for sure has her moments to shine and is willing to give her life for those she loves dearly. Her character had a pivotal point that shifted the plot further along and is the type of example society needs to maintain compassion and empathy for others to uphold a healthy, thriving community.

(L-R) H.E.R.B.I.E and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

What’s also impressive is the CGI used to bring Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), The Thing, to life. He’s such a lovable man and has a great relationship with women, children, and local civilians who admire him on any random stroll during the week.

Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), The Human Torch, is just cool—or at least that’s the case with his powers. Known as a ladies’ man from the source material, this is somewhat consistent here, but the film focuses more on his intellect than his ability to attract the opposite sex. Overall, they’re a great group to follow, know, love, and aspire to be. They felt like the model family and worked well together, whether as coworkers or a superhero team. Their chemistry was eternal.

Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), The Silver Surfer, and Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the antagonists of the film, were splendid too. As soon as they appeared, it was danger, danger, danger—no questions asked. Their presence was felt, and it was scary. The only drawback is the film needed more development from both. There was a small backstory for The Silver Surfer but it still felt short. While the main gist of Galactus was addressed, there’s still more of his character left on the cutting room floor, or neglected by the writers for unknown reasons.

Across the board, the visuals were stunning, both aesthetically and for all the characters. This is easily one of the better-looking films in the entire MCU catalog. The vibrant display of powers and abilities from each character was another highlight. Every single character in this film had a moment to shine with what they’re capable of—except for one.

(L-R) Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

It is disappointing that Galactus was powered down significantly during this film for plot reasons, given that he’s a space god. It’s forgivable with the explanation provided, but also ridiculous. He’s a freaking space god! However, there is one sequence in space that will have scientists, nerds, and geeks online speculating for years. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson will have a field day with this material. There are concepts and ideas that are just wild beyond normal comprehension during this runtime.

Unfortunately, there are a few other drawbacks, especially when it comes to Johnny Storm’s humor. It’s as if Marvel can’t help but throw in comedic beats, but always at the wrong time. There’s nothing wrong with comedy or humor, but when positioned poorly it removes the stakes from the situation or kills an epic moment of superhero bravery. The world’s in danger, yet he thinks it’s a great idea to flirt instead of being serious.

There was also a slight pacing issue at times. The film would rev up but then lull out shortly after. This occurred after the intro, after The Silver Surfer showed up, and after they arrived back from space. There were more instances as well, and it became a nuisance.

It doesn’t hold the film back from greatness, however. This is easily in the top 20 of Marvel Studios films, and that’s a win. There were a ton of bold choices taken with the production, and the majority paid off. It’s obvious that the studio put a large amount of energy into this project, and it appeared to work out for everyone—both employees and fans of the franchise.

This is a prime example of what can be accomplished when a studio takes its time and is not constantly rushing production, as was done by past CEO Bob Chapek. If Bob Iger were more involved and producer Kevin Feige had the same amount of control he had up until Avengers: Endgame (2019), this is for sure a lesson learned that should be taught in film school as a proper example of the do’s and don’ts to run a successful film studio.

My Rating : 8/10