After a string of failed attempts, Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been hailed by critics as the studio finally getting the popular quartet right. Previous efforts include a low-budget 1990s film that was buried before release, two early-2000s adaptations with a fun cast but a corny tone, and a 2015 reboot that turned the characters into sullen, moody versions of themselves.
Directed by Matt Shakman, the film adopts a stylish retro-futurist approach, set in the early 1960s and centred on the Baxter Building in Mad Men-era Manhattan. The Fantastic Four are already famous at the start, appearing on an Ed Sullivan-style variety show after four years of protecting the world. The cast features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.
The plot skips the usual origin story to focus on the planet-sized villain Galactus, described as Marvel's most gargantuan threat yet. At the same time, Sue Storm reveals she is pregnant, adding an understandable anxiety about how the cosmic rays that gave the team their powers might affect her unborn child. The film also nods to vintage comics with appearances from Mole Man and Red Ghost.
Ben Grimm, now a hulking rock monster, struggles with his romantic feelings for Rachel Rozman, played by Natasha Lyonne. The production benefits from significantly improved visual effects compared with earlier instalments, and shares composer Michael Giacchino with The Incredibles, which was itself inspired by the Fantastic Four.
Overall, the review suggests that First Steps succeeds where earlier attempts faltered, offering a satisfying reboot that avoids the overcrowded feel of recent Marvel offerings and restores confidence in the studio's cinematic direction.
