The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Marvel’s First Family Finally Gets Their Due (Early Review)

It has never been easy for The Fantastic Four from a cinematic standpoint. Over the last 30 years, there have been four attempts at bringing one of comic book’s most iconic groups to the big screen, with the first of them, 1994’s The Fantastic Four, never being officially released. The closest anyone came to success was director Tim Story with 2005’s Fantastic Four and its sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer. While not critically well received, they were moderate successes at the box office and over the years, have developed some fans within the comic book community, mostly thanks to its cast and their chemistry, but are a far cry from some of the films that have released in-between like 2004’s Spider-Man 2 and 2005’s Batman Begins. Finally, the latest cinematic attempt at bringing the family to life, 2015’s titular reboot, is often regarded as one of the worst comic book movies ever made.

Enter The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the fifth attempt to bring this family to the big screen, and the start of Phase 6 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s and in an alternate universe, the world has been introduced to The Fantastic Four for some years now, and the four members–Reed Richards (Pascal), Sue Storm (Kirby), Johnny Storm (Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Moss-Bachrach)–have established themselves as protectors of the planet and a force to be reckoned with, should any evil come their way. However, their skills are put to the test when a mysterious herald named Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), otherwise known as the Silver Surfer, arrives with a warning that their world will soon be destroyed by a planet killing being named Galactus (Ralph Ineson), and the four don’t know if they will win this time.

Directed by Matt Shakman, who helmed all nine episodes of WandaVision back in 2021, First Steps carries forward that series’ own retro-futuristic style to make the world of this Earth feel as unique as it can compared to the Sacred Timeline audiences have come to know over the years. There is a charm to this version of New York and its people that makes it as much of a character as any of the four heroes, backed wonderfully by its stellar production design, old-fashioned costumes that evoke Jack Kirby’s work, as well as a phenomenal score from Michael Giacchino. Much like WandaVision, Shakman has a wonderful eye for the small details that make the world-building process such a wonderful experience, and sprinkles them into almost every frame, even when there are detours taken to space and new environments are explored.

What makes First Steps work extremely well, however, is the cast. Between Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach, all four have terrific chemistry from the very first scene they share together, creating a compelling family dynamic that’s as heartfelt and funny as it could hope to be. Pascal does a great job of showcasing how much Reed relies on a perfect sequential order to everything around him, and how every calculation and scientific experiment needs to be exactly right, or he begins to spiral. As the film progresses, Reed is tested to the limits as he could make wrong moves, and seeing him balance that out with a more human mindset with Sue is heartwarming. Kirby is its soul in many ways, being the glue that holds everyone together when the going gets tough. She is terrific here, and has some standout moments that rank among the movie’s best. As Johnny and Ben, Quinn and Moss-Bachrach have a great back-and-forth between them and add plenty of levity to the movie, while also proving their efficiency when the time comes and making sure the job gets done.

While light on action for a major chunk of its runtime, when First Steps does dip its toes into more blockbuster territory, the results are nothing short of stellar. From an incredibly unique and creative space sequence, to their eventual battle with Galactus, Shakman delivers on the scale and scope of each moment well, with Galactus in particular rightfully being shown as a gigantic force of nature that moves through everything without any hesitation. Ineson’s performance as the devourer of worlds is terrifying, his voice booming through the speakers and unnerving the four when they are in his presence, and proving to be a worthy foe for them to go up against. As the Silver Surfer, Garner is exceptional in making her presence feel ethereal in moments and horrifying in others, especially as she delivers incoming judgments on people in the most calming, echoing voice with nary a finger raised, and even delivering in some emotional moments as the situation becomes more intense.

What is most effective about First Steps then, in that respect, is how it juggles both those aspects as effectively as it does, and never falters in its tonal shifts. The movie manages to be funny and silly in one moment, and deadly serious in the next, without ever downplaying the stakes of the story. Despite a limited amount of screentime, the specter of Galactus looms large over the entire film, practically knocking on Earth’s door with each passing minute. Despite this, the four remain a family unit that never loses sight of what makes them powerful: each other, and this is conveyed beautifully through their interactions and small gags, like Ben having a rock beard cause it might look good or trying to babyproof the Baxter Building for Reed and Sue’s incoming baby.

Perhaps the only major flaw that can be directed at First Steps is with its breakneck pacing, there are some moments in its wonderful world-building that feel sped up, and some scenes with supporting characters that could have used some more time to create a stronger connection, particularly one small subplot where Ben meets someone in the city for whom he forms an instant bond with. Despite that, The Fantastic Four: First Steps works very well and finally gives Marvel’s First Family the movie they deserve, one featuring some spectacular visual moments, great characterization, grand emotional stakes and the potential for a future in this franchise filled with tons of possibilities and creative directions.

Without a doubt, The Fantastic Four: First Steps ranks among the best projects in the modern MCU era and the collective Multiverse Saga. Also, stick around for the end credits as you will not want to miss what happens.

*still courtesy of 20th Century Studios and Marvel*

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Shaurya Chawla