The Fantastic Four: The First Steps Review
The opening scenes of The Fantastic Four: The First Steps ignite a tone of tenderness that has characterised 2025’s best comic book movies. Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) has a surprise for her husband Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal): she’s pregnant with their first child. While Sue takes a moment to sit with the news, Reed is busy rattling around in the bathroom cabinets, determined he knows exactly where the yellow iodine is (he doesn’t). Amidst the anxious rambles and reassurances that follow, one thing is clear. Not unlike the camaraderie of Thunderbolts, or James Gunn’s infectiously hopeful Superman, there is real love here. This is Marvel’s First Family and, with a baby on the way, the stakes are high.
This new iteration of the Fantastic Four has a successful start, with director Matt Shakman going against the grain of both previous 2005 and 2015 takes on the Superhero quartet, skipping over any in-depth exploration of the team’s origin story. Instead, we are treated to a highlight-reel style flashback that tells a succinct tale of how four astronauts went to space, got into some trouble with a few cosmic rays, and returned to Earth with superpowers.
This narrative choice pulls you straight into the vibrant, aesthetically pleasing environment of Earth-828, and, when coupled with Michael Giacchino’s glorious score, serves as a memorable welcome to the home of the MCU’s new Fantastic Four: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as his wife Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Sue’s brother Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as their close friend Ben Grimm/The Thing.
Their retro-futuristic world feels alive and full of 60’s charm, adorned with flying cars and blinking gadgets, masterfully put together by set designer Kasra Farahani. It’s an inherently charming set-up that continues from the streets of a retro New York to the interior of the Baxter Building, where we’re introduced to the home of the Fantastic Four that’s dotted with gadgets like a movable ‘Fantasti-Kitchen’ and live-in robot companion, H.E.R.B.I.E. This isn’t Earth-199999 (where the current MCU timeline takes place) and it shows. Earth-828 brings a welcomed depth and true comic-book feel to the MCU, and is one of the film’s undeniable triumphs. It’s a true shame that the Fantastic Four’s upcoming involvement in Avengers: Doomsday means that they will inevitably have to leave it.
We’re lucky, then, to see them if only for a time as protectors of Earth-828, as they fight city-level threats like tunnelling villain Moleman (played by the hilarious Paul Walter Hauser). DNA-alteration aside, things appear to be going well, until the shining Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives to herald the end of the world on behalf of a gigantic, planet-eating god, Galactus (Ralph Ineson). From here, the action takes off, prompting an intergalactic space-chase full of beautiful Nolan-inspired visuals. This is easily one of the MCU’s best-looking films: Alexandra Byrne’s delightful costume design shines under a vibrant colour palette, and the SFX work is pretty exceptional, too, even if it does occasionally fall victim to some disconcerting CGI baby shots.
While this, coupled with Michael Giacchino’s exceptional score and a sickeningly charming and capable cast, does make for a lovely take on these iconic heroes, The Fantastic Four: The First Steps is a superhero flick that is good, but not great. It certainly has some great moments, many of which are helmed by Vanessa Kirby’s incredible take on Sue Storm and carried by the team’s heart-warming family dynamic, but as a complete movie, it struggles to live up to the magnetism of its aesthetic and triumphant theme song. The storytelling has a binary quality that resolves to tackle either character or plot, but never both at the same time, and most of the attempts at Marvel’s usual ‘banter’ (the majority of which are employed between Ben and Johnny) don’t quite land. It looks to be the victim of a pretty savage edit, too, and as a result, the story seems to lose some of its tension rather quickly. This is a definite shame, as it would have benefitted from an extra 2o minutes of runtime. By the time the credits roll, you’re left wanting more, and not in a particularly good way.
While The Fantastic Four: The First Steps isn’t perfect (and might lack the oomph that a certain other comic book movie had this month), it serves as both a fitting introduction for these characters and a step in the right direction for the MCU. Even through its problems, it feels like a true comic book movie with a big, brimming heart at its centre. If love, tenderness and compassion are back in for superheroes this year, then Marvel’s Fantastic Four are right there with them.
★★★ 1/2
In UK cinemas now / Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser / Dir: Matt Shakman / Disney, Marvel Studios / 12A
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