“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Confirms a New Age of Blandly Enjoyable Superhero Filmmaking

The debate over whether comic book films should keep their modern spectacle or return to the breezier, colorful tones of the 1960s–90s shouldn’t be as fierce as it is — but here we are. Should the genre stick with its formula of city-busting, soulless fights, or reinvent itself à la “The Dark Knight”?

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the latest entry in this ongoing identity crisis. After three previous misfires with the property, Marvel is waving the white flag and leaning into what made the Jack Kirby comics beloved in 1961.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the film’s retro-futuristic aesthetic for Earth 826 — a design choice that’s both awkward and beautiful. Thanks to Kasra Farahani’s production design and Alexandra Byrne’s costumes, it’s a world where the Fantastic Four live not in Avengers Tower but the Baxter Building, where cars fly yet television screens are still curved, and where wormhole travel exists but in vitro fertilization doesn’t.

Like “Superman,” there’s no origin story here. This Fantastic Four has been active for four years, their celebrity status cemented in the public’s mind. There’s also no “Marvel homework” required — Earth 826 is just one of many worlds in the multiverse, separate from Earth 616.

Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) leads the team, his elasticity matched by a calculating mind. On paper, Pascal might seem miscast, but his performance sells the character — more so as Reed than Mr. Fantastic. Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) is both his wife and the emotional heart of the group, wielding invisibility and force fields. After two years of failed attempts, Sue is finally pregnant — but the arrival of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a planet-eating cosmic giant, and his messenger Silver Surfer/Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), threatens both her baby and the planet.

Sue’s brother, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), refuses to sit idle. Together with Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the team heads back into space — four years after the mission that gave them their powers — to confront the threat.

As an expectant mother, Sue meets Galactus’ ultimatum with defiance. Reed, ever pragmatic, weighs the math: one child for billions of lives. His repeated “I have nothing” underscores the burden he carries as the one tasked with finding a solution.

Plot-wise, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” sticks closely to its comic roots — and in 2025, that familiarity can feel stale. The film’s strengths lie in its character chemistry, especially Johnny and Ben’s banter, and in its vivid set pieces. But the stakes often feel undermined by an overly neat resolution. The public’s sudden shift from skepticism to adoration after Sue delivers one rousing speech feels far too easy for a city like New York.

Visually, the film delivers in bursts. A standout sequence sees the Silver Surfer chasing the team’s spacecraft through a wormhole into a black hole, bathed in shades of black and orange, all set to Michael Giacchino’s swelling score — the kind of scene James Cameron might shoot if he stepped away from “Avatar.”

But the third act stumbles. Ineson’s Galactus is imposing in voice and presence, especially in IMAX, but his defeat is almost comical, reducing him to a threat even Spider-Man could swat aside. A more grounded antagonist might have better suited this retro-leaning story. The team’s famous cohesion also feels lacking — too often it’s Reed’s intellect carrying the day while the others act independently, a far cry from the black-hole sequence earlier in the film where their teamwork shone.

Director Matt Shakman, whose “WandaVision” remains his best work, channels Jack Kirby’s spirit while partly rejecting the Marvel formula. The retro style is refreshing, but simply recreating the comic beats isn’t enough to elevate the material.

Much like James Gunn’s “Superman,” which attempts to revive Richard Donner’s vision, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” leaves us with questions: Is it a good film? Is it a good Fantastic Four film? Does it surpass previous attempts? Is it a strong launch for the “Doom-verse”? A simple “yes” to all would be dishonest — and the post-euphoria reality isn’t quite as fantastic.

Release Date: July 25, 2025
Runtime: ~2 hours
Streaming Service: None — Cinematic Release
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Gatiss, Matthew Wood, Ada Scott, Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, Michael Bailey Smith