Genre – Superhero, Sci-Fi, Action
Director – Matt Shakman
Writer – Josh Friedman Eric Pearson Jeff Kaplan Ian Springer
Cast – Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson.
Runtime – 114 Minutes
My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆
Where To Watch/Stream The Fantastic Four: First Steps
For the first time in forever, I watched a Fantastic Four movie and didn’t leave annoyed, confused, or weirdly embarrassed to admit I saw it.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gets the first family pretty much right, and I genuinely enjoyed it, which I wasn’t expecting really.
We are being spoilt this year with this, Superman and Thunderbolts*.
Plot Summary of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Spoiler-Free)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t waste your time with yet another hour-long, paint-by-numbers origin story. Thank God. Instead, it drops you into a world where the Fantastic Four have already been around for four years. There’s a clever in-universe documentary (very meta, very Marvel) that gives you the backstory quickly.
Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) are not only team leaders but also expectant parents. Their baby, Franklin, is on the way, and everyone’s buzzing around the Baxter Building prepping for full-on superhero parenthood.
The team includes Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who is still a cocky fireball, and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who is basically a walking pile of rock with a soft center.
Just as they’re baby-proofing the building and arguing over the best space stroller, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) shows up to warn them that Galactus is coming. And not a metaphorical cloud this time. A real, armor-wearing god-thing that literally eats planets.
The team now has to figure out how to stop him before he makes Earth his next snack. Oh, and did I mention that baby Franklin might be the most powerful being in the galaxy? Yeah. No pressure.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review: Is It Worth Watching?
Yes. Big yes.
That might not sound like the Second Coming, but trust me, it’s a miracle considering what this franchise has gone through. It’s not just passable, it’s good. It’s fun, smart, full of heart, and doesn’t feel like it was written by a studio algorithm trying to tick boxes. It actually feels like people who like comics made it. I know, what a concept.
From the first scene, the movie has a confident tone that tells you, “We know what we’re doing.” It blends humor, emotion, and cosmic madness in a way that actually works, and I didn’t find myself mentally checking out either like with previous entries.
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards brings a real vulnerability to Reed that’s rare. Reed is usually a cold intellectual, the kind of guy who’d ruin a party by explaining wormholes. But Pascal gives him warmth. You believe he loves Sue, you believe he wants to be a good dad, and you believe he’s trying to hold the universe together while also trying not to screw up a diaper change.
Vanessa Kirby as Sue is the star though, no question. Her character is written with some actual depth – a leader, a scientist, a mom-to-be – and someone who can hold her own against cosmic threats. Her rallying-the-Earth speech might be the first superhero pep talk in a long time that didn’t make me roll my eyes.
Joseph Quinn brings a ton of charisma to Johnny Storm. I wasn’t sold at first, but he totally owns it. He’s fiery in every sense of the word, and while his storyline is more comic relief, it doesn’t feel shallow. And Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm? I love this man. He brings the right mix of sarcasm, pathos, and gruff charm. Plus, The Thing with a beard? Unironically iconic.
The Silver Surfer’s redesign is also sleek and stylish. Julia Garner makes her both mysterious and grounded, which isn’t easy when you’re playing a shiny space alien on a board. And Galactus is big and terrifying. He’s not a weather event. He’s what I always imagined Galactus should be.
What makes this really work isn’t just the cast or the effects, though both are excellent. It’s the tone. The movie knows what it is. It’s not grim-dark. It’s not quippy to the point of nonsense. It’s actually about something. Family. Responsibility. Wonder. All those themes the comics have always carried but the movies have mostly ignored.
Even the structure of the movie works better than expected. There’s no awkward villain twist. There’s no “actually, Reed was evil all along” nonsense. The conflict is clear, the stakes are massive, but the story stays grounded through the characters. Every big set piece means something. And Michael Giacchino’s score is epic, and it elevates every scene it touches.
There are a few clunky lines, a subplot or two that don’t get enough room to breathe, and the pacing stumbles in the second act. But those are nitpicks for something that could’ve been a trainwreck. Instead, it feels like a rocket finally lifting off after years of failed launches.
What I liked (And What I Didn’t like)
Pros
The Cast Feels Like a Real Family
Everyone plays off each other like they’ve actually spent years fighting villains and bickering over the thermostat. That lived-in dynamic sells the story.
Sue Storm Gets Her Due
Finally, she’s not just “the girl.” Sue is smart, powerful, and central to the story. Vanessa Kirby gives a performance that’s equal parts badass and tender.
Reed Richards Is Watchable
That sounds like a low bar, but Reed can be a tough character to like. Pascal gives him charm without losing his genius.
Galactus Looks Amazing
No cloud. No mystery force. Just a massive, scary space god with real presence.
Silver Surfer Redesign
Julia Garner looks cool as hell in that role, and the effects are slick without being overwhelming.
The Heartfelt Moments Land
From Reed’s anxiety about becoming a dad to The Thing holding a baby, the emotional stuff works without ever being cheesy.
Cons
Some Pacing Issues
The second act slows down a bit, especially around the Future Foundation stuff.
Not Enough Time for Side Plots
There are hints at deeper conflicts or character arcs that get brushed past too quickly.
Some Visuals Get Overwhelming
There’s a battle sequence that’s a little too visually noisy. It doesn’t ruin it, but less would’ve been more.
Who Might Like The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Longtime Fantastic Four fans tired of being disappointed
- Marvel fans looking for something lighter and more character-driven
- Parents, especially ones about to have kids (Reed is relatable)
- People who like sci-fi without needing a flowchart
- Viewers who appreciate practical emotions over fake drama
Who Might Dislike The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Hardcore MCU timeline trackers (this takes place on another Earth, calm down)
- Viewers who hate babies in superhero movies (Franklin is a big deal, sorry)
- Folks allergic to sincere moments
- Cynics who just want to keep hating this franchise
- People who loved the 2015 reboot (do you exist?)
Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
Absolutely. This is the first Fantastic Four film where I walked out of the theater thinking, “Yeah, I’d actually watch that again.”
Not because I have to, not because I’m a Marvel completionist, but because I want to. It’s funny, heartfelt, and cosmic without being overwhelming. It’s not the best Marvel movie ever made, but it’s the best Fantastic Four one by a mile, and that finally feels like something worth celebrating.
It gets the characters. It gets the vibe. It gets the balance between science fiction and human emotion that this team has always had in the comics. Most importantly, it doesn’t feel like a studio experiment or a box-ticking exercise. It feels like someone finally gave a damn.
Rating: 8/10. And trust me, that’s high praise when you consider how low this franchise has gone before.
Give it a watch, and let it win you over. It sure as hell won me.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer
Simon Leasher
A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More
And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.
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