The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel's First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.
Hipster ZOMBIE reviewedJuly 27, 2025
I DIDN’T HATE IT. Which for Marvel Studios nowdays is a pretty big victory.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a visually bold and thematically ambitious reset for Marvel’s First Family, embracing a stunning 1960s retro-futuristic aesthetic that sets it apart from the usual much maligned recent MCU films & television shows. The production design oozes personality—from the sleek/stylish corridors of the Baxter Building to the Kirby-esque cosmic grandeur of Galactus’ arrival. That aesthetic choice alone breathes fresh life into a franchise that has long struggled to find its cinematic identity.
Where the film truly excels is in its special effects. The Thing is finally done justice, with rock textures and iconic brow of the Thing to his lumbering physicality that sells the tragedy of his transformation. Galactus, often mishandled past films, is realized here as a genuinely awe-inspiring cosmic force, straddling the line between godlike and terrifying. His scenes are among the most visually ambitious sequences the MCU has attempted since Avengers Infinity War.
Like Superman (2025), First Steps drops us into an already established universe—but whereas Superman told us about its world through an opening crawl, Fantastic Four makes the better choice by showing us. We walk the halls of the Baxter Institute, watch Johnny blaze across city skylines, and see the team battle various adversaries fans will recognize from the comics. There’s a lived-in texture here that gives the film more weight than your average MCU origin story.
However, that worldbuilding comes at a price. The film struggles under the weight of its ensemble. Characters like The Thing, whose inner turmoil over his monstrous form should be at the emotional core, are left undercooked. We see hints of Ben Grimm’s pain but not enough for it to resonate. Reed Richards, often touted as the smartest man in the room, is frustratingly passive. The film tells us he’s a genius, but we’re rarely shown it. His intellect feels like window dressing rather than a driving force in the narrative.
The inclusion of a female Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal, felt like an attempt to subvert expectations, but it ultimately falls flat. While the performance is fine, it lacks the emotional complexity and gravitas Norrin Radd brought in the comics. Shalla-Bal doesn’t have the cultural or fan cache to carry such a pivotal role, and her presence feels more like a marketing choice than a narrative one.
Circling back to the Kirby influence, it’s firmly embedded in the film’s DNA. Eagle eye fans will even spot someone who might be a young Jack Kirby and Stan Lee working diligently in a comic book office in one of the scenes. Speaking of Easter eggs, at the start of the film you can also spot the original Roger Corman Fantastic Four cast in the sea of people thanking the superheroes.
Despite its flaws, Fantastic Four: First Steps is a step in the right direction for the MCU. It doesn’t revolutionize the franchise or “save” it, but it doesn’t suck and one can argue creates interest for the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday.” But next time, Marvel would do well to stop assuming we’ve been on this journey with this incarnation of the team already. The Fantastic Four are more than powers—they’re a family, next time they should spend more time on that.