This Gist
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic herald, the Silver Surfer.
The Review
There seems to be a misconception that there were no good Marvel movies before the arrival of the Iron-Man films that started the whole Avengers franchise. That certainly isn’t the case – there were some decent Spider-Man movies starring Tobey Maguire and two Fantastic Four films starring Jessica Alba and Chris Evans that seem to be forgotten about by the average cinema goer.
Those films are so loved by comic book fans that in 2015 Marvel tried to re-boot the franchise with a film starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan. The film was better than many would care to admit but some savage reviews were enough to end the existence of any future films.
Now in 2025 MCU boss Kevin Feige seems hell-bent on bringing both the Fantastic Four and the X-Men into the mix and the (excuse the pun) first step for that to happen is to bring the Fantastic Four back to the screen with The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Set in 1964 on Earth-828 the film sees New York in awe of The Fantastic Four. The group is made up of brilliant scientist Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal – The Mandalorian ), his wife and diplomat Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby – Mission: Impossible – Fallout), his best friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear) and his brother-in-law Johnny Storm (Jospeh Quinn – Stranger Things).
Since an accident in space years earlier which saw them develop superhuman abilities after being exposed to cosmic rays the four have worked at helping and protecting humanity. In return they are universally loved so there is no surprise that there is much celebration when Sue announces that she is pregnant with her first child.
However, not long after that news is announced a mysterious stranger named Shalla-Bal aka The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner – The Assistant) appears in the skies over Manhattan with an ominous warning – Earth is the next intended victim of Galactus (Ralph Ineson – The Witch). The four spring into action and head into space to confront Galactus only to find what he wants is more sinister and more of a test to the Four than they could ever imagine.
It feels strange describing a comic-book movie this way but what director Matt Shakman (Cut Bank) and his team of screenwriters have created here is something beautiful. They have managed to create a unique universe different to anything else we have seen in the Marvel universe while creating characters that not only capture the characterisation of what we all grew up with reading the comics but also make them relatable.
In a lot of ways Reed Richards is like Tony Stark but here Richards is portrayed as a character who is often unsure of himself, wants to help humanity and is now terrified for the safety of his wife and their child during her pregnancy. It is a character that many of us watching the film can easily relate to.
Likewise Sue Storm is depicted as a woman who wants to keep working during her pregnancy and embraces the fact that together with Reed, Ben and Johnny they have a strong family connection that should never be broken.
It is also feels that the team here have learnt from the mistakes of previous Marvel villains. I often say that while DC create memorable villains Marvels are often forgotten by the time the credits roll – that certainly isn’t the case here. While Galactus might just be another big dumb villain Silver Surfer is something completely different. She is made memorable by the fact that at time, despite being a villain, she seems to connect with the four (especially Johnny) and seems to have a touch of compassion. She is developed in such a way that you can only hope we see her return – either as a villain or a hero as it has been set up in such a way that she could be either.
Credit must also be paid to the set designers here because they have helped create a universe that captures the 1960s so well. The décor, that architecture, the costumes, the vehicles they all together in such a way to not only give this film its own identity but also to become etched into the minds of the audience.
Then there are the performances here. Each cast member seems to bring something different to the film that makes them a standout. Pedro Pascal captures the unsure nature of Reed, Vanessa Kirby is brilliant as the intelligent and fierce Sue while Joesph Quinn puts his own spin on the much loved Johnny. Then there is Julia Garner who excels as The Silver Surfer and once again we are reminded why she is one of the best actresses in Hollywood at the moment.
The Verdict
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a true comic book film with heart. Characterisation is an important part of this movie working so well. The action sequences do work but seem to capture the old style animations like Defenders Of The Earth rather than going over the top like the usual Marvel style. This is a film that I feel I could enjoy over and over again.
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