Finally! It took a few missteps (looking at you, Fant4stic!) but with the latest Marvel Studios film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we now have the definitive live-action version of Marvel Comics’ First Family, the Fantastic Four.

Unlike most films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), The Fantastic Four: First Steps does not take place in the MCU’s 616 universe but in an alternate world designated 828, in honor of Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby. And what a fantastic (couldn’t help it) world this is!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in a alternate 1960s-era world that has a colorful retro-futuristic vibe with flying cars, clean energy, clunky robots and a New York cityscape that looks like something that Stanley Kubrick, Walt Disney, and architects Eero Saarinen and Oscar Niemeyer would have conceived and executed.

This optimistic world celebrates the superhero team, the Fantastic Four, who were four astronauts that gained superpowers after a mission in space went wrong. The team is made up of its leader, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) aka Mr. Fantastic, his wife Susan Storm (Vanessa Kirby) aka the Invisible Woman, her younger brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) aka the Human Torch, and Reed’s best friend, the pilot Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) aka the Thing.  

For anyone who is unaware of the team, Reed is an Einstein-level genius who can stretch his body like rubber, Susan is the grounded foundation of the team and can project invisible force fields, Johnny is an impetuous hot-head who can burst into flames and shoot fire, while Ben is trapped in an orange rock body but has super strength. These heroes (and the other characters) were splendidly cast, and the actors perfectly emulate the essence of the Fantastic Four, while capturing the family chemistry that is essential to this superhero team. It was important for Marvel Studios to pull this off since the Fantastic Four are famous for being a family first and a superhero team second. Thankfully, Marvel Studios was able to accomplish this with a casting miracle.  

Unlike the previous Fantastic Four films, this one relegates the team’s origin story to archival footage in the film’s inventive and colorful opening montage. After the montage, the film jumps right into the story. As the Fantastic Four go about living their somewhat normal lives and prepare for the birth of Reed and Susan’s child, an alien being called the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) appears over Times Square in New York City and announces that the world is slated to be consumed by her master, Galactus (Ralph Ineson). As the last and only hope for the Earth, the Fantastic Four set off in their spaceship to confront Galactus, who is on his way to Earth. What follows after meeting the cosmic colossus pushes the team to their emotional limits as they and the world prepare for the coming of Galactus.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is simply stunning. Its visuals and production design are certainly Oscar worthy, and a lot of credit has to go to director Matt Shakman who skillfully created a believable and optimistic world that never was and frankly we should have had. The production people clearly went above and beyond to bring this colorful world to life. Just like Superman presented us with a faithful rendition of the goofy Silver Age comics we loved, so does this film in its own right. This film emulates the classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby epic sci-fi stories that established Marvel Comics in the 1960s.

Unlike Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, we get a comics-accurate rendition of Galactus, who is honestly very terrifying. This cosmic force of nature evokes a dreaded feeling of cosmic horror with the way he towers over humanity and his indescribable machinery fills viewers with a sense of dread. Yes, Galactus has to be seen in the biggest screen to appreciate the scope of his monstrosity. There is a space sequence midway into the film that was heart pounding, intense and full of visual flair. The filmmakers have to be applauded for pushing the envelope with special effects and utilizing accurate physics, which emphasizes the onscreen action and tension. It was one of the best MCU sequences ever filmed.

It’s a blessing that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in a world separate from the main MCU. This increased the tension regarding Galactus and the Silver Surfer since this world only had the FF to handle this cosmic threat. They could not call the Avengers or Doctor Strange to come to help fight Galactus, and this has become a common complaint with many MCU films. Having this film take place in another universe also adds to the sense that the so-called Multiverse Saga indeed involves other universes, not just the 616 universe, and more of this should have been done by Marvel Studios.

At this point, we do not know if the FF will remain in the main MCU after their appearances in the next Avengers films or if this world will be wiped from existence once the MCU undergoes its “reset” following Avengers: Secret Wars. It would be a shame if this intricately developed world was never seen again in the sequels.

With all its merits, the film is not perfect. It is a fast-moving film, but it should have had more time to explore additional character moments. One thing that makes the Tim Story Fantastic Four films a bit better was that those films presented the team as more of a dysfunctional family that bickered and fought with one another. This was a key part of the comic books and although there are some tensions among the team members in the latest Fantastic Four film,  it is not as prevalent and would have added more oomph to the story.

The Ben and Johnny feuds were largely neutered here although they retained the brotherly dynamic which is an important aspect of their characters. It should be mentioned that all four characters have relevant screen time together and separately, although it could have had more time devoted to Ben as he dealt with his condition. On the other hand, given that the film takes place four years after the FF got their powers, it is logical that much of the tensions with their relationships and their powers would have been smoothed over. Still, this is something that could be addressed in a sequel.

Quibbles aside, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of the best MCU films to date and clearly the best FF film ever made. The film painstakingly and successfully captures the family dynamic and the wild sci-fi aspects that made the classic Lee/Kirby comics so beloved. It is a much-needed win for Marvel Studios that continues the film quality streak that began with Thunderbolts* and reinforce the comeback for the MCU.

José Soto