“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Puts a Fresh New Spin on the Iconic Superhero Family

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman. Courtesy of Marvel Studios

The story of the Fantastic Four has been told in three movies over the past 20 years. All of those films were pretty underwhelming and failed to represent this super family in a memorable way. But I’m happy to say that Marvel Studios’ new iteration, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has finally done something special with these iconic heroes.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

In an era of superhero fatigue, I’ve found that Marvel’s most recent releases, including Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts, have spiked a strong interest for me in an unexpected way. My biggest gripe of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since its inception has been its tendency to play it safe and produce solid but somewhat generic superhero flicks. The films that have stood out the most to me over the years are the ones that aren’t afraid to do things differently, like Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider-Man: Far from Home.  These films pushed the boundaries by stepping outside of the traditional superhero template, and Fantastic Four is another great example of that.

HERBIE and Ben Grimm. Courtesy of Marvel Studios

I think the best decision that was made for this film was to set it in the 1960s. This aesthetic makes it stand out from the rest of Marvel’s filmography: Vibrant retro colors and dated technology really work well to create an authentic comic book feel. The set design in is extremely fun, and it transports you to a world of transistor radios and early space exploration. The filmmakers also really embrace the sci-fi elements of this story, and I think it works perfectly for these beloved characters.

Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Ada Scott as Franklin Richards and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman Courtesy of Marvel Studios

The filmmaking and writing are a another big step up from the previous films. There are many pleasant and eye-catching shots throughout this movie―you can really see the attention to detail and a focus on an artistic choices. When it comes to story, the writers are pushing things toward heartfelt character development over action-heavy fight scenes. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of cool action in this film, but it’s really there to serve the characters and the internal obstacles they’re facing. The main themes represented here are family and the age-old question “Is sacrificing one life worth saving many?” While not completely groundbreaking, these topics do play well into the Fantastic Four’s mythology.

Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch. Courtesy of Marvel Studios

The acting from the four main cast members is also very strong. Each character’s personality felt distinct and realistic, which goes a long way toward building a strong connection and empathy for the heroes. I enjoyed the group’s banter as well and caught myself chuckling at many jokes and quips that were made. Typically, the Marvel humor is a little cheesier than I like, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. I found the antagonists very intriguing as well. They felt unique enough while still successfully representing a believable and ominous threat.

Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer. Courtesy of Marvel Studios

All in all, I had an absolute blast with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I think this was a very good step forward out of what has been a somewhat stagnant trajectory since Avengers: Endgame. It has gotten me more interested in seeing whats to come in Phase Six of the MCU, and I hope Marvel continues to up its game and take some risks.