The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review

The long-awaited day is finally here – The Fantastic Four: First Steps has finally been released. After years and years of whispers, gradual reveals, and teaser trailers, one of the MCU’s most anticipated films of the decade has arrived, and it’s no overstatement to say that Marvel has a lot riding on this one. It’s no secret that the MCU hasn’t been doing the best recently, and for many, The Fantastic Four: First Steps represents a new leaf for Marvel, the beginning of a new chapter, and perhaps more importantly, the closing of an old one.

So, did the film live up to the hype? Today, we’re reviewing The Fantastic Four: First Steps. We will not be discussing any spoilers ahead, so feel free to read ahead if you plan to see the movie for yourself in the upcoming weeks. Superhero blockbusters are in full swing this summer, so there’s no better time to get yourself to the cinema than now if you’re a comic book fan. Let’s get into the review!

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review

Image by Marvel Studios

Marvel coverage is always a doozy – regardless of how well-made and captivating any of these movies are, you’ll always have a crowd of nay-sayers who insist that the MCU is dead and buried, and to be fair, Marvel hasn’t exactly proven those people wrong with their recent releases. On top of this, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in a particularly precarious spot right now with the release of Superman so recently removed from its premiere, a movie that in many ways added fuel to the metaphorical MCU pyre. However, after watching this film for myself, I realised that it was full of the two things I’ve been missing about Marvel the most with its recent projects – excitement and stakes.

In many ways, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a movie all about its characters, and enhances them by placing them in incredibly high-stakes, world-threatening scenarios. While this may sound like the typical formula for a superhero movie, there’s a lot more heart to these characters than we’ve seen in recent MCU outings, and most importantly of all, these characters are all likeable. As simple as it may seem, it’s amazing how many times Marvel has failed to make their protagonists actually likeable, and people worth rooting for. While each of the central four characters vary in terms of how charming they are, none of them stand out as in any way grating or unappealing.

This is thanks to, in large part, the fact that all of the members of the Fantastic Four, as well as the multiple antagonists present in the film, are played by competent, talented, and dedicated actors. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is a particular stand-out when it comes to driving home the heart behind the Fantastic Four, whilst Joseph Quinn actually manages to pull off a much more endearing version of Johnny Storm than I thought was possible from the first-looks at this movie. Vanessa Kirby is solid and compelling as Sue Storm, though it can be a little difficult to pinpoint her actual personality at times beyond being a mother. Pedro Pascal is easily the weakest of the group, not in terms of performance, but rather, in terms of embodying the character we know from the comics. I think we’ve all been a little spoiled by how well-cast Ioan Gruffudd was in the role back in the Tim Story days, so this portrayal of Reed Richards feels a little uncharacteristic of him. Pascal does bring a lot of heart to the role, but I think he lacks the energy needed to take on the role of the ‘smartest man in Marvel’, and some of that is down to the script rather than Pascal himself.

Image by Marvel Studios

As we know from the previews, The Fantastic Four: First Steps draws on ‘family’ as its main theme, and though the trailers and teasers were insistent on how important this theme was, it still didn’t prepare me for just how much of the movie turns to that idea. As was revealed in promotional material, Sue’s pregnancy, and subsequent childbirth, is covered in this movie. However, The Fantastic Four: First Steps almost entirely hinges on this storyline, with the team’s roles as parents and guardians actually being explored more than their roles as heroes. Viewers should be warned that the pregnancy storyline actually makes for some very cosmically creepy moments throughout this movie, so be aware of that going in – there are definitely some squirm-inducing moments.

So, what about the villains, the second-most important part of any superhero movie? This is a department that the MCU has often failed in, even in some of its best films. The Silver Surfer and Galactus are the two main villains of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the latter of which I’m sure you’re curious to hear about. Well, before we get there, let’s talk about Shalla-Bal, a.k.a. The Silver Surfer. To be blunt, this character is fine – we get a few scenes with her that flesh her character out a bit beyond just being Galactus’ herald, but for the most part, her actions as Galactus’ herald are what we see from her. Galactus himself, on the other hand, is a difficult character to discuss. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, all I’ll say is that I think fans were nervous he would fall into the realm of being silly and goofy as opposed to being genuinely intimidating, and in some ways, these fears came true. He’s still absolutely terrifying at times, but there’s a couple of moments that nudge him over the line that he very cautiously toes throughout the rest of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Just remember that this is an MCU movie, and so there are certain sensibilities that Marvel likes to adhere to – you won’t be getting a full-on cosmic horror Galactus in this film.

On that note, let’s talk about that good ol’ Marvel comedy, the thing that many of us dread as prepare to watch any new MCU project. Well, to be blunt, it’s in here. I don’t think that it’s as abrasive as it usually is, so that’s a plus at least. At this point, I’m not sure why Marvel insists on writing in these jokes – it’s starting to feel like there’s some hidden audience that really likes this humour that Marvel is appealing to, while the rest of us groan in the background. In many ways, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a new leaf for the MCU, but actually proves that even in a new era, Marvel’s comedy isn’t going anywhere.

Image by Marvel Studios

In terms of its visuals, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a bit of a mixed-bag. Much to my delight, we are entering a colourful era for the superhero world, and that point is really being driven home with the back-to-back releases of this and Superman. However, with all of its colour, and cool, retro-futuristic environments, there is some rough CGI in this movie. Surprisingly, the visual effects on Reed’s powers actually aren’t the problem. Instead, there are some very jarring visual moments when it comes to The Silver Surfer, Johnny, Galactus, and even Franklin, despite the fact that the baby is not entirely CGI. There’s a certain ‘uncanny valley’ vibe to the visuals that unfortunately take away from how vibrant the rest of the film is. I still much prefer this to straining to see anything that’s going on in a movie, so I guess for now, we’ll take it.

As for the plot of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it’s all-round solid, and I really appreciate how high the stakes are. The cosmic threats explored in the story are perfectly suited for a Fantastic Four storyline, and the film even pays homage to some of the team’s most iconic comic appearances in decades past. There are, however, some glaring inconsistencies in the plot that I couldn’t help but notice. In particular, the public’s thoughts on the Fantastic Four themselves are so erratic in this movie that it makes it difficult to believe that the public are actual human beings with any thoughts of their own.

The Fantastic Four themselves also make some very questionable decisions in this movie, decisions that I would be able to forgive if this were an origin story where the team were just finding their stride as superheroes. However, this movie takes place well into the Fantastic Four’s career, so some of these decisions were a little dumbfounding. At times, I wondered if the decisions they made were meant to be comedic, and while I don’t think they were, the occasional failure of their plans did sometimes make me want to laugh based on how combustible the plan was in the first place.

Image by Marvel Studios

Also, in the back of my mind, while I was having a really good time with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, I did realise that it’s not a good sign for the MCU that one of its best projects in a while feels so disconnected from the rest of the extended universe. With Superman finding success on a brand new slate, is this a sign that superhero fans are tired of the mental gymnastics needed to effectively follow extended universes? Are films like Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, films that allow viewers to go in completely fresh, what fans are really looking for in this era of superhero movies? While the hype for movies like Avengers: Doomsday is undeniable, the desire for standalone superhero projects is certainly something for Hollywood to think about.

With all of that being said, while it has its flaws, this is easily one of the best Marvel movies I’ve seen in a long time, and is by far the best version of The Fantastic Four that we’ve seen on the big screen. The movie is true to the tone of Marvel’s First Family that we know and love from the comics, the story and characters have plenty of heart, and the cosmic nature of the film’s threat is well-explored, if a little comedically-skewed at times. Of course, there is a post-credit scene, and while I can’t say anything about it here, make sure you stick around to see it for yourself.

Overall, it’s been a very good year so far for superhero movies (not necessarily for superhero content, thanks to the existence of Disney+), and I’m hoping that the fun doesn’t slow down any time soon. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is far from perfect but, no pun intended, it marks the first steps in the right direction for Marvel as it begins Phase Six of the MCU. If future plans for the MCU hinge on this team, then I think we’re in safe hands. What did you think of The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Be sure to let us know your thoughts, and thanks for reading mine!

See also: Superman Review

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Where to Watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

Image by Marvel Studios

The Fantastic Four: First Steps released in theatres on July 24, 2025. It marks the beginning of Phase Six of the MCU. A release date to streaming is yet to be announced, but should the film follow Marvel trends, you can expect to see it on Disney+ sometime in November 2025.

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