“Say that again?” Words spoken by Miles Teller’s Mr. Fantastic just before the credits rolled in 2015’s Fantastic Four. I distinctly remember the silence that filled the theatre, a silence that mirrored the expression on my friend’s face, a buddy I’d invited to the movie, assuring him it would be fantastic. Legend has it he still hasn’t forgiven me. Fair enough.
While the Fantastic Four is arguably Marvel’s most important ensemble of heroes, it has never enjoyed the same cinematic prestige as its 1960s peers, such as the X-Men and Spider-Man. Since its inception, there have been four (say that again?) attempts at a live-action Fantastic Four movie. Ranging from unreleased to critically mixed at best, calling the franchise’s track record rocky would be an understatement. However, if there’s one studio that stands a real chance of breaking this cinematic curse, it’s Marvel Studios.
After all, gaining the movie rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four as part of Disney’s acquisition of Fox back in 2019 was a watershed moment for the fandom. While Marvel Studios has been basking in Fox-era nostalgia with the former, it has taken a more radical approach with the latter — enter The Fantastic Four: First Steps. On a metatextual level, the movie’s title reflects Marvel Studios’ noticeably more delicate approach to bringing Marvel’s First Family to life on the big screen. Many aspects of the MCU’s future hinge on the film’s success, including what is presumably set to unfold in the near future. The good news is that First Steps delivers, for the most part.
Aesthetically, First Steps is perhaps the closest the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has come to harkening back to Marvel Comics’ roots back in the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby era. From a production standpoint, the film beams with retro-futuristic design elements, giving it a unique visual identity that stands out, not only compared to its predecessors, but also among its contemporaries within the franchise. No easy feat considering that the movie is the 37th entry in the franchise.
Without veering too far into sounding like Vin Diesel in a Fast & Furious movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps nails the family dynamic surprisingly well. Instead of spending too much time rehashing the team’s origins, the film opens with their dynamic already established. While the core members deliver varying degrees of performance (we’ll get to that later), Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm/Invisible Woman is undoubtedly the heart of the movie. Though the script can feel unpolished at times, Kirby does much of the emotional heavy lifting, grounding the film with her performance.
Conversely, The Fantastic Four: First Steps stumbles in its characterisation of some characters, most notably its primary antagonist, Galactus. As the MCU continues to delve deeper into the cosmic side of its lore, it becomes increasingly difficult for viewers to relate to the motivations of its antagonists. (To be fair, Thanos was notably well-rounded in Avengers: Infinity War.) This reflects a common challenge faced by comic book writers: it’s difficult to craft a grounded story when the threats are too large in scale.
Fortunately, the lacklustre portrayal of Galactus is effectively counterbalanced by Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, who commands the screen with a presence imbued with sorrow and strength. Meanwhile, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm/Human Torch occasionally veers into overly juvenile territory, though this is somewhat mitigated by choices made with his character arc. In addition, both Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic and Ebon Moch-Bachran’s Ben Grimm/The Thing are welcome additions to the canon, with Pascal delivering a particularly compelling performance as a scientist burdened by knowledge.
All in all, The Fantastic Four: First Steps marks a promising new chapter for Marvel’s First Family. It circumvents the pitfalls of past adaptations by embracing a striking visual identity and leaning into the emotional core of its characters, particularly through Kirby’s standout performance. While it struggles with balancing cosmic scale and grounded storytelling, it still manages to capture the essence of what makes the Fantastic Four endure as comic book icons: a sense of wonder, dysfunction, and family. With Avengers: Doomsday around the corner, we hope Marvel Studios gives Marvel’s First Family the continuation it deserves, rather than just another rushed attempt to build the next big franchise crossover.
