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After three mediocre attempts at adapting the “Fantastic Four,” all hope seemed lost for Marvel’s first family. That is, until Matt Shakman’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” finally broke its unlucky streak.

Despite a one-dimensional narrative, “First Steps” is a vibrant spectacle that pays a joyous homage to retro-futurism. With its fascinating family of superheroes banding together against apocalyptic forces, “First Steps” has become the definitive comic book movie and a breath of fresh air for Marvel. After many struggling attempts at picking itself up post-“Avengers: Endgame,” Marvel has finally found its footing.

As per Marvel Cinematic Universe president Kevin Feige, “First Steps” is outstanding enough to act as the studio’s “reset” into the Multiverse Saga, like how “Iron Man” set the tone for the Infinity saga. With a mind-blowing $218 million box office weekend opening, “First Steps” isn’t just a promising restart for Marvel; it’s a real contender for this summer’s top blockbuster.

In a montage, the MCU introduces the Fantastic Four detailing their failed mission to space. The family and astronauts Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) return to Earth-828 (a separate universe from previous Marvel projects) with life-changing superpowers.

Four years later, Reed and Sue are elated with news of Sue’s pregnancy. As the four prepare to take on new family roles, Shalla-Bal, also known as the Silver Surfer, (Julia Garner), a human-turned-alien, arrives in New York City. With screens televising her eerie presence, the Silver Surfer warns the world of its end: Galactus (Raph Ineson), a cosmic entity with an insatiable hunger, will soon arrive to devour it.

As the end looms, the Fantastic Four travel to space to negotiate with Galactus. However, Galactus poses an impossible ultimatum: give up Reed and Sue’s baby, or the world faces its foe. Refusing to give up their baby, the four narrowly escape and return to Earth to find a way to defeat Galactus.

Sophia Burke | Digital Design Director

“First Steps” carries a big burden: properly introducing a new set of superheroes to the MCU, adequately depicting its central conflict and setting up the tonality of Marvel’s future. But, “First Steps” is overloaded with narrative, leaving it unable to deeply explore the film’s intentions and live up to its responsibility. With only a two hour runtime, the quick pacing breezes through each event rather than diving into the compelling narrative.

The opening scene exposes this weakness right away. By introducing the film with Sue’s pregnancy, audiences feel like they’re intruding on a vulnerable moment, making Sue’s revelation less impactful. Without getting to know the family backstory first, it almost feels like an eleventh-hour decision to establish part of the movie’s conflict.

The film’s hurried pace hurts Shalla-Bal’s character development the most. Despite being introduced as the villain’s herald, it’s later revealed she sacrificed herself to infinite servitude to spare her world from Galactus’ devourment.

As Johnny forces Shalla-Bal to confront her past atrocities, audiences see her conflicting position. However, it could’ve been enriched with a little self-reflection on her wrongdoings. Though we do see Shalla-Bal sacrifice herself to help defeat Galactus, her character arc was ultimately underdeveloped — a wasted potential for the herald.

Fortunately for Shakman, the film’s strengths outweigh its pacing, with the family dynamic being the biggest highlight. While several comic book movies thrive on spotlighting a solo superhero (think “Captain America: The First Avenger” or “Thor”), incorporating more characters to show off the chemistry between each of them makes the movie more enticing to watch.

For “First Steps,” this is the film’s saving grace. From Reed and Sue’s parental leadership to Johnny and Ben’s playful, loyal nuances, each relationship is relatable to audiences. While the Fantastic Four may be super in a physical sense, they’re just like any other family. “First Steps” is a true family film.

The family’s chemistry can only be brought to life with the actors’ prowess and their relationships off-screen. Reed’s brilliance makes him a natural leader, but he can also turn cold and calculative — especially under Galactus’ ultimatum. Pascal captures both sides with precision. Kirby brings a strong maternal instinct, grounding her as the family’s leader. Quinn balances Johnny’s mischief with confident intellect, moving away from the character’s past portrayals, while Moss-Bachrach’s playful charm highlights Ben’s deep loyalty.

Each actor provides distinct characteristics to portray an enchanting family, but it was Ineson’s Galactus that rounded out the film’s acting scope.

While his enormous scale plays a big part in the villain’s wrath, Ineson’s bellowing voice sold it for me. As Ineson uttered his first words, his booming, low voice made my skin crawl. Ineson’s Galactus is ruthless and shows no mercy, making him one of the best villains we’ve seen in the MCU so far.

Though “First Steps” takes place in an alternate version of the 1960s, production designer Kasra Farahani made sure the film’s setting is notably different. From building a futuristic car to incorporating vibrant colors, Farahani’s physical sets enhance the experience. And by incorporating impressive visual effects (VFX), an issue Marvel has faced over the years, “First Steps” is truly an immersive experience into an exciting new world.

Despite the rushed pacing, the film is an enthralling restart to the MCU. With a work this deeply family-oriented, audiences will note the movie was made with love and care.

Published on July 28, 2025 at 11:08 pm