The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Kevin Feige said The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a love letter to Jack Kirby. It could be, as the soul of the comics is all over the place in this one. It is also whatever you want it to be: Marvel’s unexpected return to form, a cosmic bon voyage set in an I Love Lucy episode, or a feature filled with quirky and satisfying banter. In any case, there might have been no faith in this superhero film, but Pedro Pascal’s entry into the MCU is an example of how finely one can cross this thorny threshold and ultimately succeed.
Set in a utopian, retro-futuristic, too-shiny-to-be-true world, called Earth-828, Fantastic Four gives us two hours of what we can also expect from this patchwork family of four in the further instalments. This idealistic version of Mother Earth is a place where all countries are united by both the vision of a greater dream and a team named “Fantastic Four”, the world’s finest superheroes. They’ve already been around for a few years, making a name for themselves – it’s been a while since they got their superpowers in space, though the incident is recalled right at the beginning. Yet, now our fellow lionhearts will have to face their two greatest challenges so far: the unexpected pregnancy of one of their members, Sue (Vanessa Kirby), and the arrival of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the destroyer (or eater, in this case) of the entire worlds.
As the group’s chemistry as a family is just irresistible, Fantastic Four demonstrates that casting directors’ instincts have consistently been a source of success for ensemble films. All of the members got their five minutes (either Pascal as a genius who doubts his self-confidence, Ebon Moss-Bachrach probing the ups and downs of CGI, or Joseph Quinn, having a crush on an unworldly newcomer), but it’s Kirby, with Sue’s maternal instincts and assertiveness, who becomes the heart and the core of the story about unity and sacrifices. With each display of motherly feistiness and feminine fierceness, Kirby – as an actress – proves she is a worthy successor to almost irreplaceable Katharine Hepburn.
It could be the punk rock of James Gunn’s Superman runs too strongly in this writer’s cinephilic veins, somewhat affecting the landing of this movie’s final note, but it’s still a superb exploration of Marvel’s most famous ménage. Although they occasionally resent one another, each member will always do what it takes to protect the family. Surprisingly, Matt Shakman’s latest superhero venture, guided by an ethereal soundtrack from Oscar-winning Michael Giachinno, is a piece of entertainment that works well on both micro (family dynamics with a new member incoming) and macro scales (the end of the world as we know it).
This is the first heartfelt Marvel flick, which thoughtfully treats its heroes as sentient human beings, rather than lifeless wax figures, as has often been the case in this franchise. While in recent times Marvel lost its way, Fantastic Four should bring the audience’s faith back – at least for a while.
Jan Tracz
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is released nationwide on 24th July 2025.
Watch the trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps here:
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