Movie Review: Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) *No Spoilers*

I've previously written about why I didn't see Fantastic Four in cinemas, essentially the movie being released too close to Superman (2025), to which I gave priority. Since I have a Disney+ subscription for this exact reason (to watch Marvel movies), I've finally seen Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).

I'm not disappointed I chose Superman to see in cinemas.

Set during the 1960s, Fantastic Four is a cliff notes origin story for Marvel's first family before they are thrust into solving world ending events at the hands of a god-like alien, Galactus (Ralph Ineson), who is heralded in by his assistant (I guess?), the Silver Surfer a.k.a. Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner). 

While this movie is definitely a step up from previous Marvel films of late (though I'll maintain Thunderbolts (2025) is a better film than this on a character level), it's kind of a return to the Marvel Phase One Superhero formula too.

That is, set up who the heroes are, bring in the threat, have them try and fail, then have them try again in a big final confrontation battle. Standard stuff.

Where it differs is that the movie is very much designed to look and feel like the period and comics the Fantastic Four were initially set in, the 1960s, along with how 'the future' and technology was envisioned to evolve back then. As a result the film does look really good.

Personally, it didn't feel like we really got to know any of the characters beyond the surface level information given in the various montages and flashbacks. Which is why I feel Thunderbolts is a better film. Even if you're not that familiar with the characters in that film, you at least get to learn enough about each character that you kind of do start to care about them.

Pedro Pascal is fine as a fairly emotionless, and analytical Reed Richards. He's very much playing the character but it makes him feel kind of bland (unless you find super intelligence sexy, then he's probably smoking hot).

His stretchy powers are kind of under used but at the same time this helps them feel less cartoonish and more plausible.

Vanessa Kirby is fine as Sue Storm, who is kind of the backbone of the team, since Reed is often hiding away in his lab, making stuff. Her powers are extended to invisibility and force shields, and, at times, it feels like she's potentially the most powerful of the four.

Joseph Quinn was probably the most eyebrow raising for me as to whether he was right for the role. Having only seen him in Stranger Things (Netflix) that performance didn't scream, Johnny Storm, Fantastic Four, to me. However he fit right in as a kind of wholesome, 60's, ladies man.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm was kind of perfect casting. He has the voice, and can play that sidelined type of character, who has more potential than he lets on.

The problem is, the film does start to explore each character individually, with hints at who they are, but it doesn't take the time to flesh these moments out. The story is already spread over months, and even years by the end, and is constantly jumping forward to keep the action, and key moments coming.

Overall it's a solid superhero film. If it was your first or second superhero movie it would likely be a great time. For me it's kind of a rehash of Fox's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Which may not be a great film but was more fun than this.

As one of the few people that saw the potential in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four (2015) reboot, I've never wanted, more than now, to see the director's cut of that film, which the studio denied, and then butchered with reshoots into a family friendly film. For all it's problems, it had more interesting ideas, than any other Fantastic Four film, even if it did stray a lot from the source material.