Prepare 4 Launch: The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review

Welcome to Earth-828 — where the world has already welcomed the Fantastic Four as its beloved protectors for four years. This super hero team has fans all over the planet, plenty of merchandise, and even an animated show! In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we’re introduced to a nostalgic vision of what life could be like living with super heroes. Of course, that idyllic fantasy comes to a screeching halt with the arrival of Galactus.

Once the Silver Surfer announces the World Devourer’s imminent meal, the Fantastic Four scrambles to defend their planet. Matt Shakman’s Marvel film achieves what many fans hoped it would — ushering in a new era of Marvel storytelling. It keeps what we love, challenges what we know, and builds up a future of doom and destiny.

Cosmic Warning: Major spoilers ahead.

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Fantastic Four: First Steps Gives Style + Substance

“Space is the greatest mystery of all.”

On Earth-828, the only super heroes present are the Fantastic Four. As a nod to creator Jack Kirby’s birthdate and the team’s comic book debut in 1961, Earth-828 has a retro-futuristic style. It harkens back to our own Earth’s Space Age and captures that same sense of wonder and discovery. With bright colors and perfectly kitschy set design, First Steps is a visual breath of fresh air.

Unlike previous MCU films, the only dark scenes are, accurately, in the depths of space. Otherwise, the team’s blue and white suits light up the screen in a warm, comforting New York City backdrop. Placing the team in another universe, and not Earth-199999, answers the question “Why have they never helped before?” But it also lets these new-to-the-MCU characters exist on their own for a bit. Another universe gives Reed Richards a chance to flex his technological prowess, filling a world full of fancy gadgets that look like they’re from the 1960s. It’s pure fun.

“Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world.”

Plus, First Steps excels in its world-building. Considering Shakman also brought WandaVision to life, this isn’t a surprise. At the film’s beginning, we hear about the team’s battles against Mole Man, Mad Thinker, Red Ghost with his Super Apes, and Giganto from the cover of Fantastic Four #1. Throughout the film, there are blink-and-you-miss-it Easter eggs, such as storefronts called Westview Appliances or Timely Comics (the original name of Marvel Comics).

In addition, Johnny Storm himself appears in countless advertisements, from action figures to a cheeky Coppertone billboard. The team’s rocket is named The Excelsior, paying homage to Stan Lee’s catchphrase. News segments from WHIH further connect this Earth to the MCU’s Earth. And Mister Fantastic has his own children’s show, Fantastic Science with Mr. Fantastic! Even if he doesn’t have that Bill Nye charisma, Reed does his best to simplify multiversal theories.

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Fantastic Four Nails the Team’s Dynamic

“We came back with anomalies.”

First Steps presents a refreshing level of super hero realism. As with any comic book story, world-ending danger is ever present. But  the team’s limitations are shown extremely well during battle. They’re still struggling to understand themselves. While he’s a skilled pilot, The Thing is only brute force. Likewise, Johnny is underestimated by his team plus his powers require oxygen to burn — space battle becomes a bit of a problem. Sue Storm is weighed down by not only protecting her family but also the entire planet itself. Finally, Reed, as the team’s big brain, is almost hesitant to engage in anything. He gets bent out of shape in his own head all too often.

All of these obstacles set the heroes back but, in their own ways, each learns to work around them. Ben Grimm leans into his faith, becoming the team’s heart. Reed examines every reality, proving that impartial logic hurts but also saves. Sue steps into her natural role as the team’s visible leader. And Johnny uses that signature charm to build on his connection to Shalla-Bal. As a whole, this portrayal of the Fantastic Four is complex — they love each other deeply, they hurt each other often, but together they play upon each other’s strengths to become a powerful whole.

Surfer on Our Six

“Hold your loved ones close and speak the words you’ve been afraid to speak.”

Everything begins with Silver Surfer’s chilling warning to Earth. Naturally, the team pursues her to learn more, and she says to Johnny, in Zenn-Lavian, “Die with yours.” It’s an ominous blessing, but a hint that Shalla-Bal could be their door to defeating Galactus. Early on, Johnny becomes a focal point of the team. He’s the youngest (and least science-inclined) so he’s often overlooked by his team. But he’s the one who recognizes Shalla-Bal’s language as the same from the audio samples he’s been collecting.

Since their first mission, the Fantastic Four has monitored deep space transmissions. They’re trying to understand their powers and what exactly happened. Reed’s mission becomes a bridge teleportation test, which would allow objects and eventually people to move across time and space. Of course, faced with fatherhood, Reed retreats into his work as a coping mechanism. Still, his heart shows when he comforts Sue in the lab during her ultrasound. Together, Sue and Reed question what parenthood will bring to the table. What changes and what doesn’t? Each is scared of the potential for change but they meet that fear head on, as every hero does.

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Galactus + Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: First Steps

“He doesn’t want, he feeds.”

While it was fun to see the team interact with some of their classic villains, Galactus and Silver Surfer are the clear choices for raising the stakes in the Fantastic Four’s first cinematic adventure. Only these two villains could adequately challenge the team. Up against these cosmic threats, the Fantastic Four must find ingenious ways to win. They’re a team of scientists, after all. It’s not just about clobberin’.

From a cinematic perspective, it can’t be easy showing the colossal scale of Galactus, but his extremely industrialized ship makes the planet devouring process more impersonal. With its writhing parts and massive mechanisms, planetary destruction becomes business as usual for Galactus and his Herald. And that’s even scarier than if it were personal because then we believe Galactus when he calls our heroes “clever little bugs.” To him, even our greatest super heroes are inconsequential.

Channeling the Power Cosmic

“The unknown will become known, and we will protect you.”

Still, the Fantastic Four manages to give Galactus pause. He offers to spare Earth in exchange for Franklin Richards, Sue and Reed’s unborn child. It turns out Franklin possesses the Power Cosmic. Like other MCU stories, it seems like the film is shifting Marvel lore a bit — whereas the Power Cosmic is something only held by Galactus and his Heralds in the comics, now it’s something that can be born within someone else. Galactus point out, “He hides his nature from you,” which casts further mystery upon who exactly Franklin could grow up to be.

As soon as Franklin was revealed to be part of the film, we knew things would become turbulent. Readers of the comics know him as an unfathomably powerful being whose abilities have been coveted by Galactus, Kang, Onslaught, and many others. Move over, Scarlet Witch. There’s another reality warper in town.

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Major Themes of Fantastic Four: First Steps

“We will face this together, we will fight this together, and we will defeat this together … as a family.”

Elsewhere in the Multiverse, up against Thanos, we’ve seen super heroes grapple with how far they’re willing to go against an enemy. What’s too high a price to pay? New parents Sue and Reed of course deny Galactus’ bargain, but to the people of Earth, it’s a betrayal. Why won’t their heroes do whatever it takes to protect them? Suddenly, public opinion of the Fantastic Four plummets. When asked what they’ll do to stop Galactus, Reed says, “I don’t know.” For Reed Richards, that is the most devastating sentence he could ever speak.

Fortunately, Reed’s intellect prevails. He and the team devise a plan to teleport their Earth far away from Galactus. The Fantastic Four, in a rousing speech, encourage their fellow citizens to “move heaven and earth” together. “If you do something well, now you can do it for your planet.” Reed’s speech is a rallying cry for the planet as it unites to set up teleportation bridges across the world. Super heroes shine the brightest when they let us see what’s possible. Even when this plan fails, the Fantastic Four pivots. Again, these heroes aren’t just smashers and blasters. They think and problem solve like nobody else.

To turn Shalla-Bal against Galactus, Johnny plays audio transmissions from Zenn-La, stopping her destruction and appealing to her own heartbreaking past. Meanwhile, Sue brokers a deal with Mole-Man to evacuate NYC below into Subterranea. If they can’t transport Earth away, then they’ll just have to send Galactus himself off into space.

Uniting an Entire World

“I’m gonna let you tell me who you are.”

However, the major hitch in this plan is that baby Franklin must be the bait to lure Galactus into a teleportation trap. This change of plans is, briefly but significantly, a huge wedge between Reed and Sue. All along, Sue Storm proves herself to be the team’s leader. She forms the Future Foundation, pivotal in later uniting Earth (minus Latveria) against Galactus. Her negotiation with Mole Man foreshadows potential villain relations with Namor. Invisible Woman is the team’s powerhouse, the unrelenting backbone for husband, brother, and friend.

But it’s not always easy. Sue and Reed’s arguments about Franklin demonstrate why we love the Fantastic Four dynamic. There’s tension between Reed’s detached logic and Sue’s unwavering protection. It’s a tension we all know in our own relationships with those we care about. She tells Reed, and the world, “We don’t know what he is or what he might become but I’m not giving him up.” Sue would do anything to protect her family. She even tells her brother, “Johnny, kill her” when Shalla-Bal threatens Franklin. It’s a stark contrast with Avengers ideology. But it’s relatable.

Among her teammates, Invisible Woman is the clear hero in charge. While Reed’s careful scientific strategy helps bring the conflict to a clean climax, only Sue’s powers have any physical effect against Silver Surfer or Galactus. She grounds Reed in reality when she tells him, “Sometimes you being you hurts me.” Her encouragement allows Johnny and Ben to be their best selves. And her love for Franklin saves the entire planet. That’s true power.

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Fantastic Four Post-Credits Scenes

With little Franklin in tow, the Fantastic Four is now 28% more fantastic! Four years after Galactus’ dismissal, we see Sue reading to Franklin in a mid-credits scene — just some light Charles Darwin theory, typical storytime fare for a toddler. When Sue steps away to get a new book, Doctor Doom appears next to Franklin. His mask is off but all we see is his green cloak as he kneels beside Franklin.

Then, in a more lighthearted post-credits scene, we’re shown the Fantastic Four’s in-universe animated TV show intro. It’s a cheerful salve to the thought of what Doom might be planning with young Franklin Richards.

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First Steps is a powerful standalone story that still taps into the richness of Marvel lore and lays the groundwork for connection to the larger MCU. And the Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday. Until then, we’re left wondering how and when Marvel’s First Family will make their way into Earth-199999.

What are your theories about the Fantastic Four’s next steps into the MCU? Join the conversation with other Marvel fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Fantastic Sideshow!