Review:
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps"
The fourth time’s the charm for the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s so-called First Family that has suffered through three failed live-action franchise launches dating back to 1994’s Roger Corman-produced unreleased cheapie. Unlike the previous adventures starring the superpowered quartet, The Fantastic Four: First Steps hails from Marvel Studios—and it shows from start to finish. Directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, the bright and breezy First Steps is a faithful comic-book adaptation that knows what makes the Fantastic Four tick both as individuals and as a group. More important, it is a terrific soft reboot of sorts that whisks us away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s main timeline of Earth-616 to Earth-828, presumably allowing Marvel to not just introduce its 2019 acquired Fox properties the Fantastic Four and the X-Men into the MCU but to introduce new versions of Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, et. al. Set in a retro-futuristic 1964, First Steps opens with Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm/the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm/The Invisible, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm/The Thing fully coalesced as a family, a group of forward-thinking scientists and explorers, and Earth’s mightiest protectors. The tight and intimate bond between the four cast members is evident from the opening moments, and it is this essential dynamic that drives First Step as the Fantastic Four fend off an attack from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus (The Witch and Nosferatu’s Ralph Ineson) and his emissary, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). This immediately benefits First Steps as there is no need to waste time rehashing an origin tale audiences already know, allowing Shakman et al. to go straight into the business at hand. (Footage shown during a Fantastic Four fourth anniversary TV special not only reveals how they were blessed/cursed with superpowers after their exposure to cosmic rays during a space mission but shows them briefly battling such notable villains as the Red Ghost, the Mad Thinker, Puppet Master, and Mole Man.) First Steps also takes the position that the whole is the sum of its parts, treating each member of the Fantastic Four with equal importance and giving their own moments to shine. This is especially true of Johnny Storm, who is portrayed in First Steps not just as his typical death-defying “flame-on” flyboy self but as smart and resourceful, even if he must constantly prove himself to an unconsciously dismissive Reed Richards. While Joseph Quinn retains much of Johnny’s rashness, he does tone down the flashy behavior that made Chris Evans’ Human Torch the center of attention in the Fantastic Four films of the 2000s. Pedro Pascal counterbalances Reed Richards’ hyperintelligence with an honesty born out of social awkwardness that often works against him. Vanessa Kirby makes Sue Richards the heart and soul of the Fantastic Four with her strength, wisdom, and nurturing warmth. She is equally protective of the team as she is of the child born to her during a mission to save humanity. Then there is Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who alternates between gentle giant and one-man wrecking crew depending on the occasion. Moss-Bachrach also displays no bitterness for Grimm’s transformation into an a walking pile of orange rock and certainly does not harbor any resentment toward Reed for what happened during their first mission into space. This is a Ben Grimm who has accepted his fate and seems very much at peace with himself and his friends. Of course, it helps that the Fantastic Four exist in a world without any other acknowledged superheroes, and that the public knows and trusts them. Ben can walk down the streets and receive a superhero’s welcome. He’s not treated like a misfit or an outsider, which obviously contributes to his healthy state of mind. That’s not to say the public is always in the corner of the Fantastic Four. Galactus offers to spare Earth in exchange for the Richards’ newborn son Franklin, a being with so much potential power that Galactus wants the child to grow up to replace him as the destroyer of worlds. When the Richards refuse Galactus’ proposition, the public turns against the Fantastic Four, questioning why the Richards would not sacrifice their infant boy to save billions. That’s a big ask, of course, and the public eventually returns to the Fantastic Four’s corner. Setting First Steps in the early 1960s—around the same time as creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby launched the Marvel comic book—is a stroke of genius. First Steps understands and appreciates the team’s place in a United States still filled with post-World War II hopes and aspirations. This is a grateful nation that trusts its leaders and puts its faith in its heroes. The Fantastic Four are a reflection of their time and of the people they choose to serve and to protect. There’s no cynicism to be found in this United States, even one facing an uncertain future. And there is no greater threat to a world defended by the Fantastic Four than Galactus. Unlike the cloud-shaped entity that diminished 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, this flesh-and-blood Galactus towers over his human adversaries and benefits from Ralph Ineson’s imposing presence and commanding voice. Still, there are times when First Steps undermines Galactus’ supremacy, resulting in a climax too tidy for its own good. As Galactus’ herald, Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer doesn’t feel quite as essential to First Steps as the Lawrence Fishburne-voiced/Doug Jones-motion captured titular being of Rise of the Silver Surfer. But Garner imbues her Shalla-Bal with the necessary balance of obligation to a cruel master and empathy to the worlds she seeks out to fulfil her master’s appetite. But what of the Fantastic Four’s arch-enemy Doctor Doom? Part of First Steps’ purpose is to set up the confrontation between the Fantastic Four and an army of superheroes against the Latveria despot in next year’s Avengers: Doomday, and it does so without revealing very much about what we can expect from that sequel. But First Steps’ primary function is to introduce the Fantastic Four to the MCU. And, based on First Steps, the future of the MCU is in great hands. Aired: Aug. 6, 2025. Web site: https://www.marvel.com/movies/the-fantastic-four-first-steps |
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