Fantastic Four: First Steps (3 stars out of 4)
It’s hard to think of a superhero franchise that has struggled on the big screen more than “The Fantastic Four.” Its first movie was a low-budget write-off that never got released, the so-so 2000’s movies paled against their more successful peers, and 2015’s “Fant4stic” was staggeringly bad.
Much of that futility has been attributed to the wrong people holding the franchise rights, so with the Fantastic Four back in the Marvel stable, fans are hoping the fourth time is the charm. The verdict? Despite some struggles, “First Steps” mostly succeeds where its predecessors came up short.
Set on an alternate Earth from a parallel universe, “First Steps” takes place a few years after the titular four have become established as the planet’s superhero protectors. Some flashbacks and exposition explain how the quartet flew off into space and got their powers, but “First Steps” isn’t an origin story.
Thanks to those previous movies, the characters should be familiar. The leader of Marvel’s so-called “First Family” is Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), whose ability to stretch like a rubber band feels like less of a power than his scientific intellect. Reed’s wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) can turn invisible and use some telekinetic powers, and her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn)—the Human Torch—can manipulate fire and fly. Finally, Reed’s BFF Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach)—AKA “The Thing”—has mutated into a powerful rock monster who gives off Professor Hulk vibes.
As the film opens, Sue has become pregnant after years of trying, but the prospect of a super-baby feels ill-timed when a mysterious metallic woman on a surfboard shows up in New York City to announce the impending destruction of the planet. The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) is essentially the Hype Man for an ancient being named Galactus (Ralph Ineson), who uses a massive—but luckily slow-moving—starship to eat planets from the inside.
Reed and co. set out to nip the problem in the bud, but following an unsuccessful battle in outer space, they return with a diabolical offer: Galactus will spare the earth if the Four give up Sue’s unborn child.
What follows is one of the more enjoyable recent Marvel films, and certainly one of its most unique voices. Setting the film on an alternate Earth allows director Matt Shakman to give “First Steps” a fun, retro future vibe out of the 1960s (when the comics originated), and it feels like the best use of Marvel’s multiverse concept. Combined with some dramatic space visuals and a tense score, “First Steps” checks the spectacle box.
The story racks up wins and losses. The plot is pretty straightforward, and even predictable in its final scenes, and some liberties with scale and timing might raise a few eyebrows. Combined with some hit-and-miss humor, the tone in its best moments achieves a genuine comic book feel, but some of the more cartoonish bits—like Reed Richard’s Stretch Armstrong routine—can feel jarring against the film’s more serious elements, such as an obvious Christian sacrifice theme that is only loosely explored.
Some fans have lamented Marvel’s gender-swap in the case of the female Silver Surfer, which creates a curious romantic dynamic between the character and Johnny Storm. More viewers may be taken aback by the obvious similarities to Pixar’s “The Incredibles”—which was reportedly inspired by the Fantastic Four, and may still be the best Fantastic Four movie. And regardless of your level of fandom, audiences in general will cringe at some rough CGI once Sue’s baby officially joins the cast.
Taken together, these issues don’t ruin “First Steps,” but they do suggest this is a movie best enjoyed at arm’s length. It isn’t so obviously rough that you have to “turn off your brain,” but where most modern superhero movies try to ground their stories and characters in a more believable reality, it helps to think of this one more in terms of its comic book origins. It’s a backhanded compliment to say “Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the best Marvel effort of 2025, but compared to its dour predecessors, it is a breath of fresh, if not fantastic, air.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” is rated PG-13 for standard superhero action mayhem and some scattered profanity.