Fantastic Four? Steven says 3/5

Marvel's first family finally joins the MCU with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, bringing with it high expectations after years of film failures and a decade of meme-worthy letdown

The film, which was released during a period of extreme Marvel fatigue, had to simultaneously revitalize a franchise and revitalize a brand that had been operating on creative autopilot. The outcome? Unquestionably entertaining, gorgeous, and full of possibilities, this mixed bag is still annoyingly bound to the Marvel blueprint.

Let's start with what works: the retro-futurist style of the 1960s. The movie doesn't overpower you with its set design, which what I was afraid of. Without going into parody, it crafts a real world that feels different from the rest of the MCU.

The first act is a slow burn that serves more as an extended flashback, updating us on the team's origins and activities over the previous four years. It’s exposition-heavy, but forgivable once we hit act two. The space-set middle portion, featuring the team’s confrontation with Galactus and a clever black hole gambit to trap the Silver Surfer, is exhilarating. For a moment, it feels like Marvel is breaking its own rules and exploring something mythic and strange. But just when you think the movie might veer off the beaten path for good, the third act collapses back into formulaic territory.

Still, it’s not without moments of brilliance. The Galactus vs. Sue Storm showdown is both emotional and visually gripping. An unexpected meditation on power and motherhood in a movie that otherwise barely has time for character work. Vanessa Kirby shines here, giving Sue a rare, primal intensity.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast isn’t as lucky. It’s clear this film was edited down from something more ambitious. Scenes feel stitched together without much narrative, and character arcs—especially for Ben and Johnny—get the short end of the stick. Every time the film hints at emotional depth or team dynamics, it undercuts itself with a rushed transition or another montage. We barely know these characters by the time the credits roll.

Despite these flaws, The Fantastic Four: First Steps remains watchable, even thrilling at times. The visual effects, particularly during the space sequences, are some of the MCU’s best in recent memory. While it doesn’t rewrite the Marvel playbook, it at least adds a few new pages.

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