Are We Back?: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Review

A Fitting Return The Fantastic Four was the brainchild of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. It shifted the paradigm of who could be considered a hero in comic books. By electing to put a family front and center, the space for heroes as humans opens. Not to mention its importance for comic culture, where the book becomes the beginning of the ongoing Marvel Comics Universe. This movie is about relationships. As a married person, I couldn’t help but understand these characters on such a deep level. This is what First Steps got ‘right’ that can’t be undersold.

No, it’s not Fast and the Furious, but it’s about family. Reed (Pedro Pascal), Franklin (Ada Scott), and Susan (Vanessa Kirby). Photo by Marvel Studios/MARVEL STUDIOS – © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL

Matt Shakman bridges the gap between comic purists, MCU purists, and cinephiles masterfully, but is it enough to get comic readers and MCU heads back on board? Are we back? I don’t care who you have in your ear telling you that Marvel Studios ain’t hitting no more, even if it’s Deadpool himself. Fantastic Four: First Steps is a great comic book movie. It’s a very well-done marriage of the imaginative depth of the comics and the high-level technique of film. A lot of the ingenuity and personality that made Iron Man such a hit in 2008 is present in First Steps. The movie hits all the needed beats and showcases some of the best of both mediums. Character While there is no perfect movie, this comes pretty darn close to …