The Fantastic Four: First Steps

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS💥 

With a newly introduced team of heroes in an unexplored universe, Marvel Studios is stretching the boundaries of what we know of the multiverse in their latest entry in the MCU, THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS.

I’ve never cared about The Fantastic Four; they’ve always felt like a relic of the golden age of comic books that I was too far removed from to connect with, but now I care more about this family of four than I do any other story going in the MCU.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a fresh, aesthetically pleasing deviation from the MCU we’ve seen on the big screen over the last two decades. It simultaneously feels larger than life, yet completely dialled in on the journey of this family you can’t help but root for.

I found Joseph Quinn to be a complete delight as Johnny Storm; he literally stole almost every scene he was in, but Vanessa Kirby is the light that shines the brightest amongst this star-studded cast. Her role as the protective mother hits on so many different levels and allowed the grand finale to hold so much weight emotionally in ways other Marvel films have been lacking lately.

The one part I found most surprising was how uninterested I was in Pedro Pascal’s performance as Reed Richards. I know he’s one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood, but he felt like he lacked the aura of assuredness that I feel Reed should be exuding in a story as monumental as this. He may not always be right, yet his desire to be fell flat in ways that didn’t match the character I’ve read about over the last while.

Then we have Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, who was written perfectly but seems destined to remain fourth in line while they focus on the main part of the overarching story. I’d love to see him have his own series as he hangs around the neighbourhood while entertaining the reserved romance between him and Natasha Lyonne.

Also, THIS is how the Multiversal Saga should’ve begun.

The whole time I was watching this, I couldn’t help but think that Marvel had missed a golden opportunity to start their era of multiversal storytelling in a universe well beyond the one we had spent almost decades with. It would’ve been the perfect pivot away from End Game and would’ve allowed that story to breathe in ways I don’t feel the movies/series allowed it to.

Alas, we have what we have, and now my curiosity shifts to trying to speculate, theorize, and decipher how the end of Thunderbolts connects to the Fantastic Four.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is a rock-solid introduction that stretches the MCU into refreshingly uncharted territory, simultaneously cloaking the future with mystery while still lighting the fuse for what’s to come. 

7.6/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 1hr50mins

Where:  In Theatres July 25th
Mid & Post Credit Scene: ✅

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review (2025) The Richmond Reviewer - July 29th, 2025.

#FantasticFour #Marvel #MCU #PedroPascal #VanessaKirby #JosephQuinn #MovieReview #Movie #MarvelStudios