‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Delivers Emotional Story and Message
Marvel’s First Family has finally returned to the big screen and joined the MCU in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, directed by Matt Shakman. Thankfully, this is not just another superhero origin story but something more intimate, more stylized, and more emotional. First Steps is set in its own separate universe, which makes it easier for the film to step away from the usual MCU style and tone. The film takes viewers into a retro-futuristic alternate reality, where the Fantastic Four have already existed for 4 years as beloved icons.
[Warning: Spoilers from The Fantastic Four: First Stepsare below!]
The Fantastic Four: First Steps story is set in an alternate Earth’s 60s
This movie is not an origin story. Everything we need to know about this version of The Fantastic Four is given to us in the first five minutes during the opening of Ted Gilbert’s Show. This world is set on Earth-828 in the futuristic 1960s, similar to The Jetsons.
Here, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) have already been heroes and a team for 4 years. They’ve saved New York many times, appeared on magazine covers, defeated countless iconic villains from the comics, and built a name for themselves as superheroes, scientists, and saviors of this world.
They’re not hiding in shadows or struggling with their dual identity. This version of the Fantastic Four accepts their fame and responsibility with a sense of old-school retro optimism. Early on, we learn that Sue is pregnant, and that emotional moment becomes the center and soul of the film. The whole family prepares for the coming of the baby, and they all want to make their home safer.
Things change when Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner) comes to Earth and announces that this world was marked for death. She arrives not as a destroyer, but as a messenger, teasing that she is a herald of the Devourer, Galactus (Ralph Ineson).
As the Fantastic Four travels into space to fight Galactus, they find out that they can save the Earth. But the price is too high. To keep their world safe, Reed and Sue must give up their child to Galactus. All because Franklin has unknown powers focused around cosmic energy that can help Galactus stop his hunger. They escape his ship and have to prepare for his coming to Earth.
Reed decides to use The Bridge, a teleporting machine, to move the Earth from one solar system to another one, millions of light-years from the Milky Way. Without going much too deep into huge spoilers, Galactus comes to Earth, they fight him, and all that’s left at the end is preparation for Avengers: Doomsday.
The overall story of First Steps is, foremost, about…family. The importance of family in everyone’s lives. It’s the most important and most heart-warming part of the movie. The love, support, and respect they all have for each other are something worth remembering. Even though we have this massive threat in Galactus, it’s not the most crucial part of this movie. That’s being human, fighting together, protecting each other, like a family.
Fantastic Four characters and their new incarnations
When I first heard about the casting for this new version of The Fantastic Four, I was 50% satisfied. Pedro Pascal was not in that half. Yet, his Reed Richards is not your typical MCU genius, and he’s close to the comic book version of the character. He is thoughtful, equally warm and cold, and he is the real father. Pedro proves that he was a great choice to play this version of Reed Richards. When he has to, he is arrogant, shares his darker thoughts, and is occasionally emotionless like a robot. He’s a man who sees dark probabilities and negative consequences first, before anyone else.
Vanessa Kirby delivers one of the strongest performances in the MCU as Sue Storm. She’s the leader of the team and the emotional center of the movie. As a mother to Franklin Richards, caught between the need for survival and the need to make a sacrifice, she gives one of the most powerful scenes in the MCU.
In one of the film’s most powerful scenes, she gives birth aboard their spaceship while being chased by the Silver Surfer. The way she controls her power, shields her family, and ultimately chooses to bear the baby in the cosmos is astonishing. Her sacrifice to protect the baby and to do everything to save the Earth is what makes this movie one of the core movies in the superhero franchise ever.
Before The Fantastic Four, I wasn’t familiar with Joseph Quinn’s game. After the first teaser, he completely won my heart, and his Johnny Storm is once again my favorite part of any Fantastic Four project (well, except one). He isn’t a cocky hothead, ladies man, or a jerk. He is more mature and knows when he can let himself joke and when he has to behave seriously.
Johnny’s scenes with Shalla-Bal show a more vulnerable, curious side instead of the one known from the 2005 & 2007 live-action adaptations. He learns her language, discovers her trauma, and begins to go beyond the black-and-white narrative of good versus evil by trying to convince her to help them. His empathy becomes an important part of the story, and later it pays off.
Ben Grimm, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, provides more understanding of this version of the character after a rewatch. We can notice his Jewish roots are being shown in the movie, as well as his love for people, and likewise, back to him. He IS the heart of the team. His performance uncovers Thing’s new layers on both a physical and psychological side. He’s stoic, loyal, and often the one keeping everyone together when emotions run high. His dynamic with Johnny is humorous, as they are best friends, but it is also very warm. He is the true uncle to everyone.
Then there’s Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer of this universe. She’s visually stunning. Her chrome skin, perfect reflections, and cosmic glow are handled with minimalism, but they’re made to look as real as they can. Her story arc is about realizing that her mistakes don’t define her, and she can turn against Galactus and redeem herself.
The closer she gets to the Fantastic Four, the more she questions Galactus’s purpose and his mission. And when the time comes, it’s her choice that changes everything. Julia Garner brought more depth and emotions than the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones/Laurence Fishburne) in the 2007 movie.
Ralph Ineson as Galactus is unforgettable because it’s his first live-action, comic-accurate appearance. No more big cloud… yay! Rather than going full CGI, Matt Shakman and other people working on the movie decided to make him as practical as they could. He is massive on the set, causing the destruction of New York, but he IS there.
You feel Galactus’ scary presence as soon as you see him. His voice, his silhouette, and his aura all underline his villainous and scary persona. When he speaks, the depth of Ineson’s voice gives you chills, especially in IMAX. He’s terrifying not because he shouts or is big, but because he doesn’t need to do anything else. The only things you know about him are that when he speaks, he’s calm, coldly logical, and terrifying.
Other characters like Mole-Man (Paul Walter Hauser) and H.E.R.B.I.E. give a nice warm addition to The Fantastic Four. Mole Man is now a resocialized man, and all thanks to Sue. He likes and owes her. No matter what, he will do everything to help her. Even though he has only two scenes, we needed him to be in this movie. When it comes to H.E.R.B.I.E., there are no words to describe him… he just is. But in a good way.
Visuals & aesthetics of First Steps
Visually, I have to admit that this film is much different from other Marvel projects from the past. The futuristic look of the 60s, mixed with cosmic colors, and vibrant textures in details, makes it one of the most standout projects in a long time. It feels like a comic book project balanced with enough down-to-earth things to reach every viewer. The scenes in space are the best, because up there, you don’t care what you’re showing, as long as it’s visually epic and stunning.
The visual effects are mostly excellent, though a few scenes suffer from that overly smooth MCU polish. The Thing looks great in his mo-cap CGI look, and Galactus is done practically, which really helps him. But I noticed a huge difference between 2D and IMAX 3D. For example, in 2D, some scenes with Johnny feel like he’s been visibly pasted in the background, as in 3D, it looks natural and isn’t noticeable at all. Mr. Fantastic stretching and Sue using her power scenes are looking pretty good.
Yet, my favorite part of the movie is the soundtrack. Michael Giacchino composed a soundtrack that touches both on emotional and epic tones of the movie, as well as honors music from previous adaptations. For example, in a scene with Johnny and Shalla-Bal on Earth, he uses parts of the soundtrack from Rise of the Silver Surfer, and adds his bits to it. That shows he is familiar with previous projects, and is using them to create something new that fans will love.
Implications of that post-credit scene on the future of the MCU
There are two post-credit scenes. The mid-credits one shows that Franklin’s powers are already attracting new threats. Doctor Doom comes to the Baxter Building to kidnap Franklin. He is visible from behind just for a second, but his mask looks the same as Robert Downey Jr.’s during San Diego Comic-Con in 2024, and he has the iconic Doom cloak. I hope there is NO nano-tech involved in the suit.
Doom is kidnapping Franklin to probably use him as the MCU’s version of Molecule Man to create his own Battleworld, just like in the comics. This would make The Fantastic Four the most important movie in the entire MCU, as it leads to both the end and the beginning of the MCU.
Final thoughts on The Fantastic Four: First Steps
What’s fantastic about The Fantastic Four: First Steps is how confidently it rejects the typical MCU structure and is its own project. There’s no loose montage, no connecting to previous projects, no unnecessary cameos, and no MCU-fying. It is a standalone superhero sci-fi drama that focuses on family and what’s important in life. Matt Shakman and the cast delivered a film that finally understands the Fantastic Four not just as superheroes, but as scientists and, most importantly, as a family.
First Steps is full of heart, vision, and the kind of cosmic mystery that reminds us why we fell in love with Marvel stories in the first place. It’s also one of the best Marvel movies, so the question remains… how many times will you see it in the theater?
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Also check out: The Fantastic Four: First Steps Movie Review: Marvel’s First Family Finally Returns!
