The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the fantastic cinematic adaptation of Marvel’s first family that comic book fans have been waiting decades for: lively, comic book coded, heartfelt, exciting and led by a brilliant cast of Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best performances to date from Vanessa Kirby, there is no denying that the return of the Fantastic Four to the big screen is peak superhero cinema.

 

It only seems fitting that the fourth time is the charm for the Fantastic Four getting the excellent big screen adaptation they have long deserved. Originally set to make their big screen in 1994 under producer Roger Corman, though never publicly released and only available through bootleg video distributors, the team made their official big screen debut in the Tim Story films in the mid 2000s starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, and the late Julian McMahon. While they weren’t great films, and played loose with some storylines from the comics, the heart of the family dynamic was present and they captured the charm of the early 2000s superhero adaptations. Fox tried to reboot the team again in 2015 with Josh Trank's take on the characters, but after heavy studio interference, the film failed critically, commercially and was denounced by fans. With Disney acquiring Fox back in 2019, Marvel’s first family was finally legally allowed to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and six years later, the Fantastic Four have made their long awaited debut that kicks off Phase 6 and the final phase in The Multiverse Saga. Led by a phenomenal lead cast of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, the Fantastic Four come to life on screen like never before with a beautiful characterization that captures the family dynamic which is the beating heart of these characters, outstanding production and costume design, and a rousing musical score from Michael Giacchino, it’s an incredible return for Marvel’s first family that is magical superhero event that reminds audiences why they first fell in love with this genre many decades ago. 

 

From the second scene of the film, it is evident that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is unique to anything else that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever produced. Director Matt Shakman, returning to the franchise after directing the beloved WandaVision, instantly understands the Fantastic Four unlike any other previous adaptation that audiences have ever seen, both live action and cartoon. While Marvel is known for bombastic action sequences with world ending stakes, and while this film has two such sequences that are phenomenal, the action is not the focus. At the core of every scene and every line of dialogue, is a sense of family which has always been the defining characteristic of the Fantastic Four. From the love between Sue and Reed, the sibling dynamic of Sue and Johnny, and the squabbling banter between Ben and Johnny, it is the character moments that are at the film’s forefront and fuel their fight to not only protect the Earth from Galactus, but keep their family together. Each of our four heroes comes to life like never before, understanding the heroes that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee originally created, and setting personal and emotional stakes for the team that drive the film’s narrative. The themes of family and parenthood are perfectly staged against the world ending threat of Galactus, with the villain getting the proper big screen treatment he was neglected in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, while being set in an alternate universe from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that gives the storytelling team the freedom to create their own world and not adhere to other interconnect projects. The result is that Shakman is able to create an engaging and thrilling superhero adventure that while never forgetting its world ending stakes, feels like a personal tale of love, family and heroes that instills a sense of awe inspiring wonder within viewers.

Helping to create a sense of wonder to the film is the film’s production design. Set on Earth-828, the retro design shines throughout the entire film as this 1960s coded futuristic world comes to life on screen. The stylings have a sense of nostalgia, calling back to the decade in which the team first made their debut in Marvel comics, while blending a science fiction futurism to it that mirrors the forward thinking and scientific developments of the Fantastic Four. From the grand sets that recreate New York City in the 1960s, the great costuming that captures the time period, and the inventive scientific advancements that makes this universe distinctive, it creates an immersive world for the story to play out in and for viewers to get lost in. It’s supplemented by great visual effects work, that for the most part is brilliant apart from a few minor blemishes, bringing to life the powers of the team and the two spectacular action set pieces, allowing Shakman and his team to capture everything that audiences love about superhero films. And on top of it all, Michael Giacchino not only delivers a musical score that captures the creative marvel of the world created on screen, it is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best musicals scores and that of Giacchino’s illustrious career to date.