Fantastic Four: First Steps
Released July 25, 2025
Directed by Matt Shakman
Written by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Singer and Kat Wood
* No Spoilers - but some brief discussion about the climax and mid-point action sequence *
After four previous attempts at bringing Marvel’s “First Family” to the big screen, ranging from flawed to absolute garbage, Marvel Studios finally gets it right. While not perfect, Fantastic Four: First Steps is the exciting, thematically rich, and character-driven family drama that these characters have always deserved. Right away, it stands out from other MCU films with a striking retro-futuristic aesthetic. The brilliant production design transports us into an alternate 1960’s New York, with tactile costumes and detailed sets that feel whimsical yet familiar. Exemplified by H.E.R.B.I.E., this movie’s version of R2-D2, a quirky robot with a cassette tape for a face.
The film opens not with an explosive action set piece, but an intimate and deeply relatable family moment. Setting the tone while giving us our first glimpses into who these characters are. The story is less about being superheroes and more about their dynamic as a family, first and foremost. Thankfully, this skips the drawn out origin story, replacing it with a with a clever TV montage of their first years as the super-powered group, recreating shots straight from the classic comics.
The whole cast is incredible and perfectly selected for their roles. The characterization is established early on and carries through the film. Pedro Pascal’s layered portrayal of Reed Richards feels wholly unique, despite being in basically every movie or TV show these days. He is anxious, nervous, and over protective, and Pascal depicts this with nuance and remarkable vulnerability. His fear, guilt, and neuroses come through with subtle shifts of expression and voice. The slight old-timey mid-Atlantic accent was a great touch as well. Reed’s arrogance and self-deprecation fuel each other in a cyclical loop. For a neurotic genius, unknowable uncertainties are terrifying. He promises to protect the planet, but when questioned later, the man who fears nothing more than lacking knowledge utters the dreaded words, ”I don’t know,” with a shaky voice and sullen face.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach is inspired casting for Ben Grimm. He brings a gentle and caring demeanour to the clobbering pile of rocks with a heart of gold. Unfortunately. he has less of an arc than the other family members. The few character moments he has don’t seem to go anywhere meaningful. Aside for one scene, the visual effects for his rocky form are great. Surprisingly, I prefer this depiction to a practical costume, even if some of Bachrach’s performance is lost behind the CGI. Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn, is perfectly boisterous and loud without being obnoxious. While providing plenty of comic relief, Johnny isn’t the dumb jock as he has been previously. He is capable, intelligent, and mature, with more to do than I expected.
The real stand out is Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm. She anchors the family as their emotional rock and natural leader. It’s a great shift to the team’s dynamic, especially as a compliment Reed. Kirby delivers inspiring speeches, desperate commands, and hilarious lines with equal ease. The character is valued as much for her brilliance as she is for being a nurturing and stabilizing presence. Her power, fittingly, stems from her deep care for her family, harkening back to real-life stories of mothers achieving superhuman feats when their children are in danger.
Julia Garner is also great as Shalla-Ball, the Silver Surfer. I loved the gravitas in how she delivers her dialogue and her physicality. As much as use geeks might prefer the traditional Norrin Radd version, I am glad we got her instead. Galactus’ introduction is appropriately epic for a cosmic planet devourer. Ralph Ineson’s booming voice is ominous and billowing, paired with low-angle shots that emphasize his gargantuan scale. A giant in a comic-accurate purple suit could’ve easily looked goofy, but he is genuinely imposing, both in dialogue and presence. He’s powerful and seemingly unstoppable, yet defined by motive and agency, not a giant blob of gas like in 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer.
The midpoint flips the film into a whole different gear, raising the stakes and building on the first acts with a formidable dilemma. A dark revelation propels us into a harrowing light-speed chase through a wormhole and into a neutron star. This is tense, emotional, sci-fi spectacle at its finest, borrowing from A New Hope, Interstellar, and Gravity, but with its own spin. As exciting as it was stunning, this is definitely the highlight of the movie, and one of my favourite sequences in the MCU. The climax follows the overused Marvel city-battle blueprint, but that’s just on the surface. This is one of the most emotionally resonant final acts (that doesn’t have a huge group of heroes like Infinity War or Endgame) since the original Avengers. All of the narrative and character threads converge with such satisfying catharsis that I was left vacillating between an ear to ear grin, and a concerned scowl. Sure some parts are predictable, but I think that’s just effective foreshadowing. There were still swerves I didn’t see coming, especially given what I thought I knew about the MCU’s upcoming plans.
The score is both epic and playful, as Michael Giachinno leans heavily into the retro-futuristic vibe with brassy, operatic flair. Kudos to him for scoring so many Marvel films while keeping each one distinct. While the main theme might repeat a bit too often, the Galactus/Silver Surfer suite, driven by a haunting choir, is absolutely stellar. Reminding me of James Horner’s work on Avatar. It’s a beautiful movie with some great cinematography, especially the scenes with Johnny and the Silver Surfer. The production design is incredible—especially the detail in costumes and sets. It’s certainly epic and a huge feat but sadly the visual effects are wildly inconsistent. Galactus looks phenomenal, but some of the CGI in the finale (particularly with Reed) are shockingly bad. Breaking my sense of immersion. A $200 million dollar tentpole blockbuster has no excuse to look this rough. Limitations breed creativity, but this bloated budget leaded to heavily on an over-reliance on post-production.
At its core, Fantastic Four has always been about family. Whether by blood, marriage, or simply being human. The movie speaks powerfully about the need to connect, to transcend, and to fight for something that is more than ourselves. Quoting Margaret Mead to great effect. Despite its formulaic structure and inconsistent CGI, Fantastic Four: First Steps is rich with emotion, strong character work, and deep thematic weight. So I can forgive its lack of polish. It’s a brilliantly constructed and carefully nurtured character drama about sacrifice, trust, and the power of family (Nobody tell Vin Diesel).
8/10 - Here’s hoping Marvel takes advantage of this fantastic foundation laid and doesn’t shelve this cast for five years after Secret Wars. We finally get a faithful character drama for Marvel’s First Family, and we need to see more of them.
A folky acoustic version of Let us Be Devoured is an awesome touch for the end credits. If you can see this in IMAX please do!
A spoiler-free review of the character-driven drama Marvel’s First Family has always deserved.