The Fantastic Four: First Steps [Movie Review] – A Refreshing Origin Story That Truly Clicks

In a sea of interconnected blockbuster epics, The Fantastic Four: First Steps stands out as a welcome palate cleanser. Director Matt Shakman and writers Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, and Jeff Kaplan deliver a film that feels whole—beginning, middle, and end—without dangling plot threads for Phase Seven tie-ins or post-credits teases. Clocking in at a crisp runtime, this origin story unfolds like a retro sci-fi bedtime tale, blending nostalgic optimism with genuine emotional stakes.

Nostalgic World-Building That Works

Setting the story in an alternate 1960s-era universe, complete with flying cars and atomic-age architecture, pays off beautifully. The art direction bathes every frame in Apollo-era charm, creating an immersive backdrop that’s distinct from the usual “multiverse mash-up” aesthetic. This Jetsons-meets-cosmic-horror vibe gives the film a unique identity, making Pandora-style fantasy feel grounded in vintage futurism.

Chemistry of Marvel’s First Family

What elevates this Fantastic Four outing is the dynamic between its quartet of heroes. Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards approaches challenges with scientific detachment—treating parenthood like an unsolvable equation—while Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm brings levity as a flame-wielding heartthrob surprisingly adept at tugging at heartstrings. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm is a gravel-voiced powerhouse whose stoic humor provides some of the film’s most touching moments. And it’s Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm who truly anchors the team, serving as the emotional compass and unbreakable core.

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Sue Storm’s Empowered Evolution

Previous incarnations often relegated the Invisible Woman to a reactive role. Here, Kirby’s Storm is proactive and unflinchingly formidable—whether she’s erecting force fields to shield her family or tempering Reed’s overzealous tech ambitions. It’s her stand against an onslaught from Galactus’s herald that ultimately saves the day, underlining that First Steps finally gets why Sue should be anything but invisible.

Parenthood Meets Cosmic Horror

At its heart, First Steps is as much about new-parent jitters as it is about universe-ending threats. The film treats Franklin Richards’s impending birth not as a mere plot device but as a meditation on the terror and wonder of raising a being with godlike potential. There are no saccharine monologues—just Reed and Sue grappling with the unimaginable responsibility of parenting a literal multiversal reset button. This balance of domesticity and cosmic dread lends the film surprising emotional depth.

Cosmic Menace Reimagined

Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal makes an unforgettable entrance as Galactus’s chrome-skinned enforcer, her presence imbued with ethereal menace. The big bad himself isn’t driven by malice but by impersonal entropy—he’s less a villain and more an unstoppable force of nature. Galactus’s arrival injects genuine horror into the Marvel mix, grounding his world-devouring capabilities in Lovecraftian dread rather than cartoonish villainy.

Teasing the Future

Tucked into a mid-credits scene four years later, Doctor Doom’s silent appraisal of toddler Franklin sets the stage for the next phase. Whether this Iron Man–lookalike is a Tony Stark variant or a purposeful red herring remains to be seen, but the implication is clear: the stakes are only going to get higher.

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Rating: 3.5 / 5 (★★★⯪☆)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps may wander occasionally, but its warm character beats, inventive world-building, and fresh approach to cosmic horror make it the most compelling Marvel origin story in years.