Marvel’s Fantastic Four is a franchise that has been featured prominently throughout pop culture history, and even the most casual fans would recognize the characters. The IP has had many adaptations, both animated and live-action, with the last three live-action films being critically and commercially disliked and unsuccessful. So, when Marvel Studios’ parent company, Disney, bought 20th Century Fox and successfully secured the rights to the iconic superhero group—and even the X-Men—excitement for the studio’s take on Marvel’s First Family began to mount. Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home) was initially set to helm the project, but he backed out, and Matt Shakman (Wandavision) took over, creating his own take on the characters’ introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
That take includes casting Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us), Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible– Fallout), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, respectively. The film finally hit theaters this weekend, and it seems that the world has finally gotten what it’s been longing for—a great Fantastic Four movie. The Fantastic Four: First Steps does some interesting things with Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Thing, and The Human Torch. But most interestingly, the creative team behind the film decided to place First Steps in an alternate universe, designating it 828, keeping this story completely separate from the MCU. This turned out to be a smart move, as I’ve finally seen the movie and can confirm that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an absolute banger.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not only the best Marvel Studios film this year (yes, that includes Thunderbolts), it’s probably the best film they’ve released since Avengers: Endgame. Directed by Matt Shakman, First Steps blends Sci-Fi and space travel akin to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and even Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. With a retro-futuristic New York City setting, where the Fantastic Four are Earth’s only protectors, Marvel Studios leaves any and all previous attempts to adapt Fantastic Four somewhere in Johnny Storm’s exhaust stream. First Steps focuses solely on the family dynamics of the Fantastic Four, adding heart, levity, and sometimes even raising the stakes. The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gets it right. Marvel Studios knocked it out of the stratosphere with this one, and it should get fans excited for what’s next.
Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is very different from the movies we’ve seen before. For one, as I mentioned earlier, it’s set in a retro-futuristic New York City sometime in the 1960s. The Fantastic Four: First Steps reintroduces us to Marvel’s first family by displaying a montage of how they received their powers and became Earth’s best defense… that is, until Shalla-Bal, a.k.a. the Silver Surfer, appears and warns them that a giant planet-eater named Galactus is en route to their planet. This leads our team on a high-octane mission in space to plead with Galactus to spare the Earth, but the villain demands too high a price—Sue and Reed’s unborn son, Franklin Richards. This forces the Fantastic Four to flee back to Earth and figure out another way to stop him. First Steps features great special effects and direction, but what really sells this movie are the fantastic performances from the main cast.
First Steps reintroduces Marvel’s first family with a fresh ensemble: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn. Pascal steps into the role of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, bringing the expected brilliance and leadership, but with a welcome paternal dimension that adds emotional depth. Known for playing protective, quietly intense figures, Pascal is well-suited for this version of Reed. His portrayal is quirky, cerebral, and grounded—doing justice to one of Marvel’s most iconic minds. Those quirks come into sharper focus in scenes opposite Vanessa Kirby, who plays Sue Storm, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman. Kirby delivers one of the film’s most commanding performances. Her version of Sue is layered and assured, as well as a compassionate mother, an unwavering protector, a natural leader, and an unstoppable force.
The film also introduces a grounded and more emotionally resonant version of Ben Grimm (The Thing) and a standout Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), with the latter offering the film’s most charismatic and memorable performance. Fresh off his breakout role in The Bear, Moss-Bachrach steps into the MCU as the heart and rock of the team, Ben Grimm. The actor has the advantage of portraying the character in a fresh light, free from any angst or animosity that defined previous versions, and his natural charm shines through the rocky exterior of The Thing.
Quinn, on the other hand, delivers The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ most memorable performance. His take on Johnny Storm stays true to the character’s comic book roots—cocky, charismatic, and effortlessly cool—while adding a distinct flair that feels entirely his own. Quinn lights up every scene he’s in, injecting the film with energy, humor, and a magnetic presence that never feels forced. When paired with Moss-Bachrach’s The Thing, they provide some of the film’s most entertaining moments, and his dynamic with Julia Garner’s (Ozark) Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer adds surprising depth to a character often played for laughs.
While Garner’s Shalla-Bal doesn’t have extensive screen time, she makes a strong impression as a powerful, reluctant herald of Galactus, played with ominous restraint by Ralph Ineson. Galactus himself is more of a traditional force-of-nature bad guy, singularly focused on consuming planets and, in this case, fixated on Reed and Sue’s son Franklin Richards. Though his portrayal is intentionally monotone and enigmatic, it’s a significant improvement over previous live-action incarnations, finally giving the character the weight and scale longtime fans have hoped for.
Overall Thoughts: The Fantastic Four: First Steps brings new life into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anchored by standout performances from Joseph Quinn and Vanessa Kirby, the film injects fresh energy and emotional weight into the MCU. Not only is this the strongest Fantastic Four movie to date, it’s also the best Marvel movie of the year. The mid-credits scene teases exciting developments ahead in Avengers: Doomsday, offering a satisfying payoff for longtime fans. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is absolutely worth a trip to the theater.
