Marvel's ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps,’ directed by Matt Shakman, isn't just another origin story; it’s a deeply considered character piece wrapped in a retro-futuristic style and cosmic spectacle. With Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby bringing emotional intelligence to the forefront, this fresh take on Marvel’s first family is a confident and quietly radical step forward for the franchise.
Fantastic Four: First Steps Review
Here are seven standout reasons First Steps rises above the recent tide of superhero fatigue:
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Family Over Flash
Unlike many Marvel films that use family as emotional shorthand, First Steps truly lives in the dynamics between its characters. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Venessa Kirby) are not just partners in science or superheroism, they’re expectant parents navigating their responsibilities in real-time. ‘The Fantastic Four’ feel less like a team and more like an actual family, a shift that makes the stakes personal, not just planetary.
Pedro Pascal & Vanessa Kirby Bring Gravitas
Pascal’s Reed is tender and conflicted, a man caught between invention and fatherhood. Kirby’s Sue, refreshingly, isn’t sidelined by her pregnancy; instead, she’s more powerful than ever, physically, emotionally, ideologically. Their chemistry adds grounded depth to the film’s high-concept worldbuilding, anchoring cosmic stakes in authentic human emotion.
Visuals That Actually Serve the Story
Set in an alternate 1960s Earth (Earth-828), First Steps revels in period aesthetics, featuring analogue tech, vintage colour palettes, and smart tailoring with sci-fi enhancements. The production design isn’t just beautiful, it’s purposeful, blending nostalgia with innovation in a way that reflects the characters’ own dualities.
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A Cosmic Villain That Hits Close to Home
Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) are more than galactic threats. Their motives, while abstractly cosmic, are tethered to ideas of survival, protection, and sacrifice. It’s not just about destruction, it’s about moral weight. For once, Marvel villains don’t feel like CGI wallpaper.
Parenthood as a Superpower
Sue Storm’s pregnancy isn’t treated as a narrative obstacle; it’s a superpower in itself. The film explores the existential questions of legacy, birth, and protection with sincerity. It gives voice to the quiet anxieties of parenthood in a world that can’t be fully controlled, a theme more resonant than ever.
Quiet Moments Are Given Room to Breathe
Matt Shakman’s direction prioritises emotional pacing over frantic plot beats. Big action scenes are present but never overstay their welcome. What lingers are the small moments: a look exchanged between partners, a hand placed on a growing belly, a conversation about the future. These moments are the film’s real engine.
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Standalone and Proud of It
First Steps functions perfectly without heavy MCU baggage. While there are a few tantalising references and a compelling post-credit scene, newcomers aren’t left behind. This is a story about four individuals, extraordinary in power but relatable in struggle. It’s self-contained, but expansive in possibility.
With ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’, Marvel seems to have remembered that spectacle means little without soul. Pascal and Kirby lead a cast that understands the assignment: give us something to care about, not just something to look at.
The result is a film that doesn’t just relaunch a franchise; it reminds us why we care about superheroes in the first place. Not because they save the world, but because they carry the world’s hopes, flaws, and fears within them.
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