The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Rating 7/10

Fantastic Four: First Steps is more than a blast from the past; it’s a “fantastic” step forward for Marvel’s First Family.

Astronauts Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) gain extraordinary powers during a space mission and return as beloved superheroes. Four years after their transformation, the group feels more like a family than a superhero team—especially as married couple Reed and Sue prepare to welcome their first child.

However, the arrival of an enigmatic, chrome-skinned being shatters that stability. The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) warns that Earth has been targeted by Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a godlike being who consumes entire planets. However, the cosmic entity senses a powerful, unknown energy within Sue and Reed’s unborn son, Franklin. Galactus offers to spare humanity in exchange for the child. Now faced with the unthinkable demand to surrender their baby, the gang must navigate how to keep their family intact and protect the planet they’ve sworn to defend. It all builds to an epic showdown.

The art direction adopts a retro-futuristic 1960s aesthetic that gives the production a distinct personality. The sets have been pulled straight from the era’s vision of the future (contoured furniture, bubble-shaped lamps, and pastel tones). The home kitchen scene where the Thing prepares dinner presents a cozy domesticity. The story taps into America’s mid-20th-century obsession with space travel. It showcases gleaming rockets, sleek helmets, and polished control panels that evoke that excitement with affection.

That attention to period detail extends to the media landscape as well. The team appears on “The Ted Gilbert Show” for a recap segment that efficiently recounts their origins. The show perfectly mimics The Ed Sullivan Show, complete with vintage cameras and the iconic arrow stage similar to the one the Beatles once performed on. There are other clever nods, too: a modernist skyscraper called the Baxter Building is the FF’s headquarters, a recreation of 1960s Times Square, and Jet Age vehicles like the rocket ship Excelsior and the Fantasticar.  Even their costumes blend comic-book spirit with NASA-style. The superior production values aren’t just a backdrop; they’re a vital component, a character that reinforces the nostalgic tone.

The tale is simple, but that’s what makes it refreshing. Like the recent Superman reboot, it wisely dispenses with an origin tale, dropping us into an environment where the Fantastic Four are already beloved heroes. Directed by Matt Shakman, best known for helming Marvel’s WandaVision, the outing strikes a balance between spectacle and a non-convoluted plot. You don’t need to do homework. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Galactus makes for a genuinely scary villain because of his sheer size, evoking the same primal fear Godzilla inspires. The cast is a strong anchor: I enjoyed the chemistry between Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby as a married couple. Their affection feels genuine. Ebon Moss-Bachrach brings humor as Reed’s best friend Ben Grimm, now transformed into the rock-like Thing, while Joseph Quinn adds spark as Sue’s hot-headed younger brother Johnny Storm. Alongside their robot companion H.E.R.B.I.E., they form a tight-knit family that captures the kind of natural, heartfelt bond that The Incredibles nailed two decades ago.

Right from the get-go, Fantastic Four: First Steps radiates warmth and sincerity. The adventure unfolds in a vibrant, atomic-age futurism inspired by the 1960s era, which first introduced the quartet to readers. It channels the boundless optimism of their original debut. The visual composition is a joy. Every frame pops with style and detail. As for the story, it’s refreshingly straightforward to follow. You don’t need a PhD in comic book history to enjoy it. At its core, it’s about four quirky, good-hearted people trying to do the right thing in the face of extreme odds, and I was immediately drawn in.

07-24-25