Synopsis: 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, Silver Surfer.
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson
Director: Matt Shakman
Rated: PG-13
Running Length: 115 minutes
Movie Review in Brief: After spending decades teaching audiences to expect spectacle first, feelings second, Marvel has flipped the script entirely with First Steps, emerging as exactly what its title promises: a confident beginning. 
Review:
For a franchise that’s been rebooted more times than a glitched console, The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gives Marvel’s first family a film that feels like more than just a brand reset. Director Matt Shakman’s sleek, emotionally charged film gets it right by not trying to be louder or flashier than the rest of the MCU, but by being more human. This time, it’s not about stretching powers or flame-on quips. It’s about family, fear, sacrifice, the future, and a massive threat that forces Marvel’s most emotionally grounded heroes to rise to the occasion. Surprisingly tender and unexpectedly personal, it still ends with a massive galactic beatdown, but one you might actually care about.
A Different Kind of Origin Story
Set on Earth-828 in a stylized retro-futurist 1960s, the film introduces a Fantastic Four who’ve already lived through their origin story. They’re global icons—superpowered celebrities. And now, they’re about to become parents. Opening with a pregnancy test instead of a punch, First Steps makes it clear early on that the emotional core revolves around the Storm-Richards family. Sue (Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman) and Reed (Pedro Pascal, Wonder Woman 1984) aren’t just science partners or teammates; they’re now expectant parents trying to save the world with a baby on the way. It’s a smart move, grounding this high-concept story in something genuinely human and universally relatable.
When Worlds Collide
The world is in a relative state of peace when cosmic harbinger Silver Surfer (Julia Garner, The Assistant) arrives in New York City to warn that Earth is next on the menu for planet-devouring Galactus (Ralph Ineson, The Green Knight). Though Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn, A Quiet Place: Day One) manages to follow her up into the stars and obtain a clue to her origin, the Silver Surfer vanishes into the vast universe, leaving him to piece together a mystery that involves his unborn nephew. Galactus wishes to claim the Richards’ unborn child, who carries some untapped power. If they give him up, he will spare Earth. This sets up an impossible choice for the parents that will turn a once-grateful world against them. What follows is a race across galaxies, emotional reckonings, and one absolutely killer Times Square sequence involving teleportation.
A Family Affair Worth Fighting For
Pascal continues his A-list ascent as a man dedicated to his family first and superhero duties a distant second. The actor brings quiet, conflicted leadership to Reed, a man whose most significant power is his mind but whose focus is elsewhere: protecting Sue and the unborn child who may, or may not, hold unfathomable power. He’s rarely seen using his stretching capabilities, which may disappoint some fans, but when he shifts into superhero mode, he feels like a natural fit. Kirby brings regal intensity to Sue, especially in her final act of strength. Her accent occasionally slips, but the performance always connects emotionally. The bond she forms with Pascal feels complex and genuine, a rare quality in superhero cinema.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach (No Hard Feelings) delivers some of his best work on film as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, all gruff exterior hiding a surprisingly tender soul. It’s a complete 180 from the obnoxious and/or toxic characters he usually plays on TV series like Girls and The Bear. Quinn’s Johnny Storm struggles more in a frustratingly one-dimensional role as a horny fireball who postures more than he pummels. He flames out here, overplaying a part that doesn’t need so much theatrical work, making the character feel cartoony when he could’ve been genuinely appealing with a lighter touch.
Silver Standouts
In a brief but hilariously humorous cameo, Paul Walter Hauser (Cruella) is the Mole Man, an underground villain who had a run-in with the foursome a while back but is now on (relatively) good terms with them, especially Sue. Hauser is only in the film for a few minutes, but it’s enough to make you crave outtakes and an expanded role in future chapters.
However, the standout who walks away (or would it be hangs 10?) with the entire film is, without question, Garner. Cloaked in silver and digital solemnity, her Shalla-Bal is tragic and eerie. The character could have been little more than a shiny obstacle, a CGI bore. Garner makes her moving and unforgettable. Managing to out-act everyone even under layers of digitized silver, she communicates volumes through limited resources and shows again what a reliably excellent performer she is. Ineson’s biblical-bass-heavy voice makes for a perfect Galactus, though the character remains somewhat passive until the all-the-stops-out finale.
Marvel Craftsmanship at Its Finest
Technically, this represents top-tier Marvel craftsmanship. Jess Hall’s cinematography is genuinely stunning. There’s a floaty grace to how it captures both explosive action and quiet character moments. Michael Giacchino‘s score, pulsing with creative choral flourishes, elevates key scenes without overwhelming them. Alexandra Byrne‘s ’60s-infused costuming gives everything a stylized timelessness that perfectly complements Kasra Farahani‘s production design. The Baxter Building and Galactus’s ship feel like fully realized worlds. Even the visual effects, with the notable exception of one deeply uncanny baby, represent some of the cleanest work Marvel’s delivered in years.
Not Quite Perfect, But Close
That said, First Steps doesn’t escape unscathed. Not everything works perfectly. Johnny’s one-note bro-energy grows tiresome fast, and Natasha Lyonne feels completely wasted in a glorified background role. And Ineson’s Galactus, while visually imposing, mostly lurks until the final reel of the 115-minute film (short by Marvel standards!). But when the emotional pieces click into place, particularly a final confrontation between Sue and Galactus that’s as heartbreaking as it is heroic, the film finds a beat that few MCU films have reached in years.
A New Beginning Worth Celebrating
This is a Marvel movie that allows grief to sit alongside awe with equal importance. That doesn’t rush its character arcs just to make room for the next punch. Shakman has brought the same emotional intelligence to his film that he did to WandaVision, the series he created for Disney+. After spending decades teaching audiences to expect spectacle first, feelings second, Marvel has flipped the script entirely with First Steps, emerging as exactly what its title promises: a confident beginning. But it’s also a soft reset for Marvel, a signal that maybe they’re finally done chasing scale and ready to start chasing soul again. Stay through both credit sequences, naturally. One’s essential, one’s just for fun. Both feel like steps in precisely the right direction.
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