They may be Marvel’s First Family, but the Fantastic Four have struggled with critical reception in their previous two incarnations under 20th Century Fox. Now they’re being rebooted once again as the team debuts in Disney’s MCU, with Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby in the starring roles. Set in the alternate Earth-838 in a retro-futuristic 1960s, The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits cinemas next week and the first reactions are in ahead of reviews. Check them out below.
Screen Rant
Fantastic Four is visually stunning, stylish, self-contained, and easy to jump into. I had such a good time with this one. The retrofuturism is such a snack. My stand out is Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm – babe I will die for you, you are perfect.
Next Big Picture
Many will say The Fantastic Four: First Steps is fantastic, and they’ll be right for several reasons. The four main cast members are excellent, Michael Giacchino’s lively score is instantly memorable, and the ‘60s retro-futuristic production design & dynamic visual effects are a delightful treat rather than an eyesore. The story’s focus on the theme of family can feel a bit overdone at this point in the MCU, and the villains aren’t the most compelling, but the cast does a lot of the heavy-lifting to make you deeply care about these characters, their relationships and the end-of-the-world stakes they face. Combined with Matt Shakman’s snappy, confident storytelling, this is an intriguing & satisfying first step for Marvel’s new team (easily the best depiction of this quartet on-screen to date) as the MCU continues to regain control of the ship and steer it closer to Doomsday.
Discussing Film
Fantastic Four is a story about family above all else, where each member of the team is equally important. No one is underserved; the movie excels when fleshing out the various bonds between Pedro, Vanessa, Ebon, & Joseph. The retro ’60s aesthetic works on all fronts.
Comic Book
Fantastic Four friggin’ rocks! More than any Marvel movie before it, F4 feels like Jack Kirby’s imagination brought to life on the big screen. Between this and Superman, 2025 might go down as the year movies finally embrace the wonderful weirdness of comic books. I had my doubts going in about some of the cast, but the team chemistry works and they really do gel by the end. Go watch it in IMAX to feel Ralph Ineson’s Galactus voice vibrate in your bones. Also, the retro-futuristic world Shakman has put together here is stunning. I have but one gripe. Like Superman, there are some rough CGI baby moments that might give you nightmares. I don’t know why babies seem to be so tough for animators to get right but I’d almost prefer the actors just wrap a football in a blanket and pretend it’s a baby.
Tremendous Talk
Fantastic Four is SOLID like Ben Grimm! Marvel’s First Family has chemistry that is out of this world. The powers alone make for some great visuals, but the space sequences are quite breathtaking. If these are their first steps, I’m excited to see what steps they take next. I especially enjoyed when Ben and Johnny shared the screen – they’re hilarious together. Reed and Sue seemed so in love. Oh, and Galactus is huge! His voice rumbled my seat! The story is good, not great, but it’s handled very well. I’m excited to see this team’s next outing because I think it’ll only get crazier from here on out!
Brandon Davis
First Steps is visually one of the best things Marvel has ever made. Parts feel like Interstellar and demand IMAX. Galactus is awesome. Silver Surfer looks really, really good. VFX were often immaculate. Cosmically and on Earth, Matt Shakman dropped a visual feast. Fantastic Four: First Steps has a lot of fantastic in it, yet feels it could be more. Visually, some of Marvel’s best work ever and more sci-fi than expected! Story didn’t hook me as I’d hoped but family beats land well. Action scenes are great. I wanted to love it, I liked it! The cast and characters work well enough in Fantastic Four but Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm is the movie’s heart & soul. Johnny might’ve been my favourite character. Also, shoutout to Paul Walter Hauser for stealing his screen time and bringing a great energy to the movie!
The Fantastic Four: First Steps lands in cinemas on July 24, 2025.