'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Review: Marvel's First Family's Integration into the MCU is a Fine but Far From Fantastic Flick
Throughout every theatrical endeavor, the Fantastic Four have consistently been given the short end of the stick. After Fox's two terrible misfires and Disney's corporate Galactus-sized consumption of the studio, Marvel's first family is now integrated into the MCU. In the second reboot of the Fantastic Four in the 21st century, we finally have a movie where they act like the Fantastic Four. It’s about motherclobbering time. Although the ‘60s-set narrative that Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are retrofitted into is by no means fantastic, it's a godsend that it's even decent.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Marvel Studios
MPA Rating: PG13 (For action/violence and some language.)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 54 Minutes
Production Companies: Marvel Studios
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Director: Matt Shakman
Writers: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson
Release Date: July 25, 2025
On Earth 828, which is set in a retro-futuristic 1960s, the Fantastic Four are hailed as Earth's greatest heroes who, in contrast to your Avengers, contribute to scientific advancements for a better future. While they’re prepping for Sue Storm’s unborn child, Earth is visited by a metallic intergalactic being, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). She heralds the imminent arrival of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the planet-eating cosmic being. They depart to negotiate with Galactus, who, similar to Rumpelstiltskin, gives them an ultimatum: spare the Earth in exchange for Sue's baby, whom he sees as his successor. As they turn them down and go back to Earth, their reputation takes a hit. Now they have to protect the baby while stopping Galactus and the Silver Surfer from destroying the whole world.
First Steps works when its the Four acting as a family.
The bar for a good Fantastic Four feature and a decent depiction of the familial group was as subterranean as the Mole Man’s (Paul Walter Hauser) domain. Matt Shakman’s vision of the heroes nails the characters in their depiction and their camaraderie. First Steps is at its height whenever the central focus is on the titular family, navigating everyday life as both acting heroes and cultural pioneers. It's as if NASA astronauts were also superheroes. Even Mr. Fantastic is seen as a Bill Nye type, down to hosting an educational program.
First Steps, like James Gunn's Superman – which will be referenced a lot in this review, considering they bear similarities in thematic and narrative story beats – immerses you in a world that has already been established, with the Fantastic Four several years into their roles. It employs a fun ABC Special framing device (good old in-house Disney branding) that prepares you for a seemingly fun adventure akin to The Incredibles.
First Steps is at its finest when the family is together. The characters are finally a functioning familial unit that loves each other deeply, even Johnny and Ben, who share fun banter. The first act is a great start as the family prepares for the impending arrival of the new member, Franklin. Navigating their roles as part-time heroes and trendsetters in advancing the future could have been a standalone film, and I would not have complained. Tim Story's nostalgically revered 2005 film, with Chris Evans and Jessica Alba, is a series of bad vignettes. I would have opted for an episodic slice-of-life, particularly since the light tone was in perfect harmony with the retro-futuristic style of the 1960s, a la Marvel's The Jetsons.
As one of MCU's best stylistic offerings in a long time, the aesthetic is extremely well-detailed. You are drawn in even more by Michael Giacchino's breathtaking orchestral score, which occasionally nearly rivals that of The Incredibles, and Kasra Farahani's amazing retrofuturistic production design, which combines Tomorrowland elements with Art Deco architecture in enticing blue hues.
A fantastic ensemble holds First Steps together
The standout in this iteration by far is Vanessa Kirby, whose portrayal of Sue Storm is the central anchor. Storm is compelled to balance her responsibilities as a public figure and as a mother to protect her child. The grounded realism with which Kirby textures her even reroutes the film's remarkably bizarre story turns. Pedro Pascal's performance as Reed Richards is of secondary praise. Even though he doesn't have enough nerdy inflections, Pascal renders Richards with an arresting neurotypical nature.
First Steps does its darndest to position the Four as defenders of an alternate universe Earth – possibly the only ones – facing a threat greater than them… a plot that every superhero movie has had. This one takes a rather cerebral approach, considering how they're established as they use mind over muscle to take care of matters.
The fun “flames off” during the second act.
Given Galactus's antagonistic role, the film's breezy tone "flames off," and it is treated as a bleak doomsday film (no pun intended). First Steps veers very off course in the second act, and the solemn tone doesn't help it either. Plus, some titular members' roles are undermined. Whereas Joseph Quinn's well-drawn and charming Johnny Storm spends time getting close to the Silver Surfer, Ben Grimm gets sidelined. I admire Ebon Moss-Bachrach's personable and contented portrayal of Grimm. However, he’s lost to a hollow subplot about his loneliness and wanting to woo a local schoolteacher (Natasha Lyonne). This subplot is an entirely different movie – the slice-of-life I preferred over the Galactus-centric plot.
The film initially aims to comment on our reliance on powerful individuals, whether they be celebrities or politicians, who are just as human as we are. This is where First Steps falters. It quickly becomes clear that screenwriters Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer are so laser-focused on getting the character writing right that there's a Galactus-sized hole where an investing arc or a functional narrative should be. Garner's Silver Surfer/Shalla-Bal arguably has more of a character arc than any individual member of the Four.
Back to your regularly scheduled MCU-gram
The longer the film plays, the more it adheres to the MCU norms. The fine burst of color and the distinct retro environment become the normal, drab greyscale color palette when Galactus comes crawling on Earth, so you can’t see the mid CG rendering job on him. It’s a shame considering it’s the most aesthetically distinctive world the MCU has produced since Wakanda. By the end, it looks like every Marvel movie ever.
A lot of how Fantastic Four plays out reminds me of how I feel towards another recent Disney output: Elio. You get the impression that too many people worked on it by committee to make it a good product under a brand, rather than a unique movie deserving of a place in the long line of entries at a studio going through a serious identity crisis.
Final Statement
Technically speaking, First Steps is the best Fantastic Four ever made. The scientifically minded first family might not be as creative or focused as the cast and character writers, but they still have heart and charm throughout. Fine, but far from fantastic, first outing for Marvel's first family within the MCU.
