Galactus Looms, but the Real Story Is Family

Marvel’s new Fantastic Four film, titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is stylish, charming, and light on both drama and heart. It also looks exactly like a Fantastic Four film should, with bright colors, clean lines, and distinctly retro comic book energy. The strongest element is the performances, led by Pedro Pascal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who ooze charm and commitment to this fun reimagining.

It’s true that First Steps never really picks up momentum as a thriller, but what it does do well is hit its nostalgic sweet spot. This Fantastic Four takes place in its own, largely self-contained world, and as a result, the focus here is on the characters, not the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s the most lighthearted movie in the franchise yet, and in some ways, it might be Marvel’s most casual movie ever.

Executive producer Kevin Feige was right when he said First Steps is “a no-homework-required” experience. This is the kind of Marvel film that doesn’t demand knowledge of anything that happened before it, and thankfully, it’s the first MCU flick since the mid-2010s to feel that way. There’s nothing here about Kang the Conqueror, multiverses, big-name cameos, new spin-offs, or fan service. It’s a straightforward story about the classic Fantastic Four, one that can be enjoyed with zero prior knowledge.

Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is extremely charming, and the rebooted, 60s-styled movie universe feels surprisingly familiar

The Fantastic Four in question are Reed Richards (Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Moss-Bachrach). A quick talk show scene from Mark Gatiss’ character sets the stage: four years ago, Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben went on a space mission and were irradiated with cosmic rays that changed their DNA. Reed now has super-elastic skin, Sue can become invisible and project force fields from her eyes, Johnny can turn into the Human Torch, and Ben is the rocky, four-armed, super-strong hero known as The Thing.

The cast are all in good spirits, Pascal most of all. His Reed is thoughtful, kind, goofy, and a little bit hapless. The other characters aren’t quite as fully realized, but the two elements here are working in harmony. Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach all give solid performances, too, and they dig into the emotional core of the film. That core is very much “the family,” and that extends to the supporting characters. Reed and Sue’s friends and partners express skepticism and worry, but overall, the vibe here is a very positive one.

As a result of that comfort, the story takes its time, and the threat from Galactus never feels quite pressing. He’s a space monster who wants to eat the Earth, and he’s coming, but the film moves slowly toward that conflict. The film’s main plot point is Sue’s pregnancy, and it’s only a couple of hours later that the threat of Galactus emerges. Sue reveals the news first, and Reed handles the news with understandable anxiety—and it’s very cute to watch. He asks H.E.R.B.I.E. to baby-proof the house, but not the science lab, no.

Johnny and Ben are the sibling equivalents here, the yin and yang of the situation, and both actors have fun with it. It’s a nice change of pace from Marvel’s usual superhero fare, and while both actors are fine, neither has as much nuance as their leading man. That said, they’re invested and it shows, especially since they’re all playing such familiar archetypes. The family thing is also interrupted by Galactus, who’s on his way to Earth at this point. A silver-skinned herald, played in motion capture by Julia Garner, comes to Earth first to give the Fantastic Four a warning.

The Silver Surfer herself is sleek and malevolent, even when Johnny has a crush on her, but the movie is never very energetic. The action scenes are a mix of fistfights and spaceship chases, all stylized to match the movie’s retro vibe. Lighting flashes, fire shoots from people’s hands, and Galactus is a giant, armored robot with glowing eyes. It all feels very much like something from the pages of the comics, and even the film’s climax, in which Sue goes into labor while fighting Galactus in space, has a strange, fantastical air to it.

That’s part of the movie’s charm, but the emotion behind it is lost in that dreaminess. Galactus’ arrival is a problem, but it never quite escalates to crisis mode. Sue Storm having a baby during a space fight is a comedic non-sequitur: it just happens, and there are no dramatic pauses to let it sink in. Director Matt Shakman’s previous work includes classic comedy series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the MCU’s Fantastic Four adventure never gets very frantic.

Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is, for better or worse, very similar in tone to its source material

Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps has heart, but it’s very much a children’s adventure story, not a blockbuster superhero thriller. The stakes never feel that high, and for better or worse, First Steps is its little world. Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach have fun with their roles, and there are bright colors and big comic book action moments to keep it engaging. For those in the market for something lighter and less dense than the MCU typically dishes out, it’s right in their wheelhouse.

But for those looking for something dramatic and dangerous to distract them from their real-world cosmic rays, it may not be as satisfying as they hoped. Shakman’s debut features a stylish mix of sincerity and silliness, but the emotions it’s going for are often swamped by pastel-colored digital dreaminess. The stakes never feel very high, and as a result, neither does the film. The MCU is so effective because even its popcorn fun can feel urgent and important. First Steps might be Marvel’s most chill MCU film to date, but it’s also its flattest.