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| Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Reed Richard (Pedro Pascal) and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) prepare for the moment in FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. © 2025 Disney. All Rights Reserved. |
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS
You have to give Marvel Studios credit. For with there already being four – yes, FOUR – Fantastic Four films in existence (in case you didn’t know, there’s a 1994 B-movie that predates all the turn of the century versions and it’s … yeah), bringing Marvel’s first family to life has never been an easy challenge. This isn’t even factoring in supposed “super hero fatigue” coupled with the rise in Internet chatter about “woke” superheroes. (While the film mostly avoided the latter, some were miffed that Pedro ‘I’m now starring in EVERYTHING’ Pascal is taking up the mantle of Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic.)
In the case of FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, director Matt Shakman has delivered what is easily the best take on the heroic quartet – in this case, taking place on Earth 818 and not the main 616 where we “live” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whereas Pascal is able to capture the genius-yet-socially-awkward-but-underlying-caring nature of Richards greatly, Kirby makes Sue Storm’s dedication to both Reed and the concept of family integral to both the team and the overall story. Quinn captures Storm’s hotheaded (pun intended) nature, but balances it with an intelligence previous versions haven’t often shown. The most intriguing individual may be Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s portrayal of Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing, which focuses on all the elements of humanity his character tries to maintain despite his physical stature.
Now, how this iteration of the Four eventually make their collective way to Earth 616 remains a mystery, one which is only intensified by one of the two post-credit scenes following the film’s conclusion. But in the meantime, FIRST STEPS takes significant ones at re-establish the importance of the Fantastic Four along with their potential for the next phase of the MCU.
For longstanding fans of the comic book quartet, that’s a fantastic prospect to look forward to in the future.
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