Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, the Silver Surfer.
Marvel hit its peak with “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, but their movies since then have struggled with consistency and often failed to impress. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a prime example—while the film spares no cost on dazzling visuals and cutting-edge CGI, its central quartet comes across as thinly written and emotionally distant.
Set on Earth-828, a version of reality inspired by the 1960s’ vision of the future, the film imagines a world where technology has taken a unique path and the Fantastic Four are the only superheroes around. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and their longtime friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) gained their superpowers after a cosmic radiation event during a space mission four years earlier. Their abilities are classic: Reed can morph his body, Sue turns invisible and generates force fields, Johnny becomes a living flame, and Ben is transformed into a stone-skinned powerhouse.
Their celebrated existence is upended when Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), arrives to warn them that Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a cosmic force, plans to consume Earth. The team tries to reason with Galactus, who offers to spare the planet if Sue and Reed surrender their unborn child—a future mutant with the ability to alter reality itself. The couple refuses, setting off a tense escape with the Silver Surfer close behind. Although the public thinks the danger is over, the team knows otherwise and must devise a plan before Galactus strikes.
The introduction of the Multiverse in “Doctor Strange” gave Marvel almost limitless story potential, leading to fresh takes on fan favorites in films like “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently announced that the current Multiverse Saga will wrap up with “Avengers: Secret Wars” in December 2027, after which the MCU will reset and shift toward more self-contained stories.
Bringing in the Fantastic Four at this moment fits Marvel’s strategy, as they’re expected to be major players in the next AVENGERS installments. Once the Multiverse narrative is complete, Marvel can focus on standalone universes without constant interconnections.
Despite the film’s technical polish, the emphasis on visual effects ultimately sidelines the characters. The movie rushes through the team’s origin story in a brief narration, never allowing the audience to truly engage with their transformation. Instead of developing the characters, the story pivots almost immediately to high-stakes action, sacrificing personal growth and emotional complexity.
The leading actors are left perpetually on the move, facing dangers and dealing with tension among themselves, but rarely getting the space to grow or change in meaningful ways. Pedro Pascal, who’s positioned as the lead, mostly keeps Reed emotionally distant and hard to relate to, with his focus on intellect over family further alienating the audience. On the other hand, Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn bring some warmth and authenticity to their roles as Sue and Johnny, making their sibling bond feel genuine. Even the digital performance by Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing manages to carry more emotional weight than Pascal’s portrayal of Reed. Despite the impressive cast, the film doesn’t manage to deliver a truly engaging ensemble.
The Fantastic Four have always faced an uphill battle on the big screen, and though this latest version has more money and bigger stars, those upgrades don’t automatically make for a better movie. Their looming role in the AVENGERS saga is hardly reassuring, especially when other characters might be better suited to lead. In the end, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a visual spectacle that lacks the heart and storytelling focus needed to make it memorable. The film’s obsession with effects leaves the core story underdeveloped, resulting in a movie that’s technically stunning but emotionally flat.
Now available on Digital, and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, and DVD October 14th
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