“We’ll face it together— as a family.”
Ultimately, I felt that for a film which wanted to inject something new (but also somehow nostalgic) into the MCU, it seemed reluctant to take any big swings in terms of style or narrative construction.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the year, with many looking to it for clues about where Marvel and the MCU would be headed next. Not only that, but it offered a new take on a fan-favourite group that many believed hadn’t ever gotten proper cinematic treatment. In this story, the Fantastic Four are introduced on their home planet of Earth 828 (for reference, the parallel planet Earth 616 is where most MCU films take place). Already having gained their powers and defeated a number of enemies, the group is famous around the world and beloved by the public; we learn that there’s a cartoon show and children’s toys based on them. The film also introduces us to Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the central villain of the story, and one who has also been a part of previous Fantastic Four adaptations. Galactus, alongside his servant the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), have been travelling around the universe consuming planets, and have set their eyes on Earth 828 as the next target.
As someone who’s historically loved the "origin story" projects in the MCU, I was really looking forward to seeing the studio take on (albeit not for the first time) this large-scale introduction to a new team of superheroes. Interestingly, the film didn’t actually show their origin story, instead opting for a summarized version presented through the format of an in-movie television program. This introduction, though short and maybe a little rushed, worked pretty well in getting audiences up to speed with who these characters were, as well as contributing to the 1960s television feeling that the film opens with (which is clearly evoking Ed Sullivan). Because of this framing, the film can dive into the action pretty quickly, a choice which serves it well overall.
One of the most interesting things about this film, in comparison to other Marvel projects, is its focus on developing the relationships at the center of the story. Whether it’s married couple and soon-to-be parents Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic and Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby) or best friends Ben Grimm/The Thing and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn), the film is determined to show audiences that these people have a real bond rather than just having been thrown together like many other superhero teams. And this worked, in my opinion, with varying levels of success. Kirby’s performance was particularly strong, and the dedication her and Pascal’s characters have to each other and their child was one of the highlights of the film. I wasn’t as impressed with many of the film’s attempts at humour, often coming through Johnny Storm, which relied on the one-liners and quips that are basically synonymous with Marvel projects now.
Ultimately, I felt that for a film which wanted to inject something new (but also somehow nostalgic) into the MCU, it seemed reluctant to take any big swings in terms of style or narrative construction. I’ll give it credit for the '60s production design, which was present for much of the story, but when it came to the space-related parts of the plot, the film found itself back in familiar Marvel CGI territory. When the team journeys back into space in their first attempt to defeat Galactus, for instance, the film loses all of its period framing and feels like it could be any other superhero movie. In many ways, I wish Marvel had had the confidence to leave this kind of multiversal alien-life-form formula of storytelling behind, or at least work to change up the way it was presented here. I was so disappointed to hear, for instance, that Pedro Pascal had been told to tone down the period-accurate transatlantic accent—how cool would it have been if the film fully committed to its vintage setting? Instead, it feels like we got a compromise between two parties— a period piece and a 2025 Marvel film— and the end result didn’t really satisfy either one.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theatres.
Photo: Marvel/Disney
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