The Fantastic Four are revived once more in Marvel’s newest “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” Rising stars take on the role of the superhero family: Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”), Vanessa Kirby (“The Crown”), Ebon Moss-Barach (“The Bear”) and Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”). The Fantastic Four set off to save Earth from potential doom after being threatened by an intergalactic figure, Galactus. In the process, they meet the mysterious Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). The Fantastic Four learn how to deal with cosmic threats as they adjust their family ideals.
Matt Shakman directs “The Fantastic Four” as a relative Marvel newcomer. Previously, he led “WandaVision,” a show on Disney Plus. While he has numerous TV credits, Shakman only has one other film directing credit, “Cut Bank.” However, Shakman‘s directing is smooth and easy to follow.
In addition, this version of the comic book superheroes is not their first on-screen representation; there were previous renditions in 2005 and 2015. Even before the trailer was released, there were concerns among fans on whether or not 2025 was the year the Fantastic Four finally got good movie representation.
The strongest aspect of the movie is its aesthetic. To differentiate itself from the previous “Fantastic Four” movies, “First Steps” takes place in a retro-futuristic New York City with a 1960’s style permeating the film. The movie dedicates itself to this theme, from the civilians’ wardrobes down to the theme song and opening title cards. The setting is a revitalizing change of scenery to the franchise, and its uniqueness manages to upgrade the movie’s quality and gives audiences a novel viewing experience.
Compared to the film’s radical style, the graphics are not quite up to standards. Most notably, Moss-Barach’s character, The Thing, is a superhuman with rock-like skin. In order to create this appearance, the film used motion capture instead of practical effects. He doesn’t fit in with the background, and his interactions with other characters feel clunky. While there are ways to make motion capture look seamless, The Thing’s CGI is less than solid. In addition, Reed Richard’s stretchy superpower is barely shown on screen, even in the action scenes where his power is needed. This insufficient CGI hurts viewers’ ability to immerse themselves in the film.
Not only is the CGI mediocre, but the chemistry between the actors is less than stellar. Each individual of the main cast definitely shines in their former projects, but together in this movie, the familial bond is absent. The love that the Fantastic Four receives is directly related to their kinship. Between the four, Johnny Storm (Quinn) and The Thing (Moss-Barach) exude the most realistic chemistry. The overall lack of real connection between the characters results in a story that feels empty. The Fantastic Four might be dysfunctional at times, but they are supposed to come together in moments of crisis. The new cast felt like they met each other a week ago before diving into saving the city.
In addition, the choice to skip over the origin stories of the heroes was notably missing. While Marvel fans are most likely aware of how the characters got their fantastic abilities, casual movie-goers might not, considering that the previous “Fantastic Four” movies weren’t huge critical successes. The choice is understandable, as it reduces redundancy and gets straight into the plot. However, properly introducing the four characters first could have given depth to their interactions with each other and their newfound identity.
Even with all of its ups and downs, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a refreshing Marvel movie. However, the film might have more missteps than successes. Fans looking for action will be disappointed at the lack of fight scenes, and others looking for a familial chemistry won’t find it with this new cast. In addition, the underdeveloped CGI makes audiences question if this movie was really made in 2025.
Because “Fantastic Four” is the movie leading Marvel into Phase 6, the expectations were extremely high. Unfortunately, the film is not quite fantastic enough to exceed this bar of expectation.