A Comic-Book Film That’s More Comic Than Epic

Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a visually stunning, nostalgic homage to one of its earliest superhero teams. Littered with great performances—particularly from Pedro Pascal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach—it leans hard into a 1960s-inspired look and feel with panache. But for all of its style and nostalgia, it never amps up the thrills or emotional stakes enough to make much of an impact.

As producer Kevin Feige said, it’s “a no-homework-required experience.” For a film in a cinematic universe that’s become dense with subtext, multiverses, and oblique references, it’s refreshing to have a Marvel entry that doesn’t assume much in the way of homework. That’s because First Steps is a standalone story with only the most tangential references to past efforts. Marvel doesn’t try to explain away or build on the continuity of past adaptations of the Fantastic Four. The movie is content to tell a stripped-down origin story. And that’s both a boon and a problem.

The film opens with a chat show hosted by Mark Gatiss. Gatiss plays it straight, but his character’s job is to recap how the Fantastic Four got to where they are. Four years ago, the quartet was on a cosmic space mission that exposed them to radiation. The space rays changed their DNA. Reed (played by Pedro Pascal with thoughtfulness and a light touch) now has the elasticity to stretch his body like a rubber band. Vanessa Kirby’s Sue can turn invisible and project force fields. Joseph Quinn’s Johnny becomes the Human Torch: He can set himself aflame and fly. And Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm mutated into his now-permanent state of The Thing—a rock-covered behemoth with super strength.

The four now live together in what we can only imagine is a mid-century modern space compound, replete with flying cars, chalkboard equations, and a toddler-sized robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. that is handy around the house. In the world of First Steps, you won’t find smartphones or even flat-screen televisions. The Square ones are a pleasant anachronism. Hints at a lush, pre-COVID world peek through: at a bar, patrons are sipping cocktails and listening to music on jukeboxes. Think The Jetsons meets Lost in Space at a Marvel comic shop.

It’s a charming world to visit, but the plot doesn’t create much of a sense of urgency. The driving theme is family, specifically the nuclear family among the four leads. We learn early on in the film that Sue is pregnant, and Reed is, predictably, both nervous and cute about the news. In one delightful montage, Reed talks H.E.R.B.I.E. through baby-proofing both the house and his science lab. Johnny and Ben bicker like siblings; they also clearly welcome the role of soon-to-be-uncles, and they provide much of the comic relief.

The family feels like a real family unit. But the group moment is punctuated by a ringing doorbell. On a cosmic scale, Galactus is headed toward Earth with a plan to eat it. Before the planet is devoured, the almighty intergalactic space thing sends a herald to forewarn the Earth’s denizens. The herald is a silver-skinned humanoid in motion-capture from Julia Garner, who also provides a voiceover to herself in the flesh. The Silver Surfer is as sleek and threatening as her costume suggests, but she’s also an object of fascination and infatuation for Johnny.

The action never quite ratchets up, though. As the Fantastic Four pursue Galactus through space and take evasive maneuvers against the attacks of the Surfer, the visuals keep with the retro theme. There are lightning-like bursts, flame trails, and grotesque goop, but it all has the look of 1960s comics made into a movie. The climax—Sue’s contractions beginning in the middle of the mission—just compounds the surreality. It’s a peculiar combination of birth and planetary doom, but it’s still more surreal than suspenseful. Plus, it’s in space. It’s all wrapped in a space-age color palette.

The strange juxtaposition between sincerity and silliness characterizes the film’s tone. There are earnest emotional beats, but they often get lost in a soft, pastel-colored haze. The stakes rarely feel high, even when Earth’s very end is near. It’s closer to a children’s adventure story than a knock-down, drag-out superhero action flick.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is ultimately a pleasurable and well-acted movie that just lacks the dramatic intensity to make an impression. It’s accessible, nostalgic, and earnest—but also light on thrill. For fans of something a little more whimsical and a little less world-ending, it will be right on the mark. For most, it will feel like a beautifully wrapped gift that lacks a satisfying payload.