The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review: Marvel's First Family Packs An Emotional Punch

Repairing a cinematic universe is a multi-step process, one which Marvel Studios is figuring out in real time. There's no question that the sheen of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has worn off in recent years, as new characters have been introduced with great fanfare only to be promptly forgotten (see: Starfox, Black Knight, Clea, etc.) and promising adventures have devolved into CGI messes.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" can't undo all of that in one fell swoop, but it does pick up where "Thunderbolts" left off by continuing to right the ship. It's another step in the right direction – and an incredibly important one ahead of "Avengers: Doomsday," which is where we'll see Marvel's First Family next.

Thankfully, whether or not you're still fully committed to seeing the Multiverse Saga through to the end, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" features a thrilling standalone story with a beginning, middle, and end that still manages to help set up the fast-approaching conclusion to this chapter of the MCU.

The key to any great comic book team-up movie is casting actors who have real chemistry with one another. It's one of the main reasons why "Thunderbolts" worked so well. It was doubly important for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" because not only is this the first time the audience has been introduced to these versions of the characters, but the movie also skips past the origin story altogether.

As such, we need something to ground us as we're thrown into this alternate reality (Earth-828, to be exact), and the stars are up to the task. Pedro Pascal is a much more gentle, thoughtful Reed Richards than previous cinematic iterations, effectively differentiating this brilliant scientist from the brash, overconfident, and jocular Tony Stark. Vanessa Kirby brings a similar gravitas to the more lighthearted, but equally capable Fantastic Four matron Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman. Their relationship, and Sue's pregnancy, give the movie a beating heart that elevates the stakes and gives the audience something tangible and familiar to grasp onto, even as giant space gods and shiny silver aliens enter the fray.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach has a great time as Ben Grimm – the astronaut-turned-rock monster – and while his character's arc is the least elaborate of all four stars, he gets some of the movie's best jokes and imbues a somewhat one-dimensional character with real empathy. But Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm was the real standout. "First Steps" is far more successful than 2005's "Fantastic Four," but Chris Evans nailed the Human Torch's personality. Quinn isn't as rowdy, but he's fun, charismatic, and strikes a great balance between arrogant and affectionate.

As noted above, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" does not take place in the primary reality of the MCU. In this alternate universe on an alternate Earth, the Fantastic Four are seemingly the planet's sole protectors, or at least the most prominent by an order of magnitude. Setting up the world this way gave director Matt Shakman and the writers the freedom to diverge from virtually all of the established canon of the MCU.

As you've likely seen in the trailers, most of the movie is set in a retro-futuristic New York City. The Fantastic Four live and work in the Baxter Building, where their trusty robot companion HERBIE helps with daily chores and enjoys the occasional head scratch. The world outside is a colorful mashup of 1960s and modern-day America, where old-fashioned cars and old-school fashion combine with technological advancements that outpace the real world.

It's a far cry from the alternate universes Doctor Strange explored in "Multiverse of Madness," which felt more like plot devices than lived-in realities. Earth-828 is somewhere I'm actually excited to revisit – even if briefly – in future MCU adventures.

One of my biggest concerns going into the movie was how Shakman and Co. would handle the Silver Surfer and Galactus – two legendary Marvel villains. Admittedly, the movie doesn't have quite enough time to develop them as fully as I would have liked, but it does make the most of their appearances. Julia Garner and Ralph Ineson give the planet-consuming duo just enough pathos to pique your interest beyond the fight scenes and explosions.

That said, there are some truly epic battles in "First Steps." While superpowered punchouts take a back seat to character development and problem solving, the movie does find time for the Fantastic Four to show off their powers against the seemingly unstoppable threat of Galactus. One of the movie's best scenes involves a face off with the Silver Surfer in space, and it manages to take full advantage of CGI without turning into an incomprehensible mess.

We also get a glimpse of the Silver Surfer's backstory, and while I'm not sure when or if we'll see either of these villains again, I'm hopeful that Marvel finds more for Garner and Ineson to do before this saga comes to a close. They're simply too talented to waste on a combined 30 minutes of screen time.

Although it spends virtually no time trying to connect itself to the larger MCU, it's worth noting that this is either the last or second-to-last (depending on "Spider-Man: Brand New Day") MCU movie before "Avengers: Doomsday." Kang (Jonathan Majors) has been scrubbed from reality and Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) has yet to show his face. Nevertheless, Marvel is about to launch us full speed ahead into the next universe-altering crossover event.

For a variety of reasons, the Fantastic Four are likely to play a key role in whatever story comes next. Reed Richards is arguably the most obvious replacement for Tony Stark as the leader of the Avengers, and even if he technically doesn't lead the team, the comics that the upcoming "Avengers: Secret Wars" movie is based on feature Mister Fantastic in a prominent role. How little Marvel has done to prepare us for whatever comes next remains baffling, but I do believe "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" pulls off something incredibly important – making us care deeply about a group of heroes we've never met before over the course of just two hours.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" starts playing in theaters on July 25, 2025.