The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review—Marvel's first family finally brings Galactus-sized fun

The Fantastic Four saves the world—and Marvel Studios—with a spectacular return to form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And it starts with one of the smartest moves Marvel has made: eschewing the drawn-out origin story to give us a fully fleshed out Fantastic Four—Reed Richards and Sue Storm married and deeply in love, a Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm at ease with their roles. By picking up after the team's formation (with their origin neatly summarized by Mark Gatiss as a talk show host in the first 5 minutes), we're now free to dive into emotional stakes rather than the minutiae of setup.

Which also means we have more time to take in their fantastical world. Director Matt Shakman transports us to a vibrant alternate-1960s Earth (designated Earth-828 for the multiverse fans following at home) with a retro-futuristic flair. The bubble-domed cars, Space Age architecture, and lively colors are unlike anything we've seen from the MCU recently, elevated even more by Michael Giacchino's flighty, nostalgic score.

At home in this world of innovation are its sole protectors, The Fantastic Four: Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). They've faced a variety of villains, from crime lords to Subterranean mole men. But when a silver surfer (Julia Garner in bechromed CGI) arrives on Earth to herald the world-eater Galactus (voiced by a menacing Ralph Ineson), the Fantastic Four is finally faced with a foe they may not survive from.

For the interconnectivity the MCU flouts, it's a boon to The Fantastic Four: First Steps that it's firmly entrenched in their own corner of the multiverse. You don't need to have watched Avengers: Endgame or some random Disney Plus to understand and enjoy it.

The cast swings for the fences and doesn't miss. Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards makes being a nerd while oozing Hollywood heartthrob charm look effortless. His chemistry with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm is off the charts, and she portrays a character as weird as Invisible Woman with both feminine strength and maternal fierceness. Ebon Moss-Bachrach may be hidden under orange CGI rocks, but his Ben Grimm is the most down-to-earth of the four. And Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm is less mean-spirited than Chris Evans' take, turning him into a much more loveable hothead.

Their chemistry as a family is also a big part of what makes this all work. These characters arrive on screen fully realized as a solid family unit. They bicker and banter, and yet when faced with annihilation their first instinct is to love and protect each other. It's a refreshing change of pace for Marvel, harkening back to the softer, more earnest early years of the MCU.

But the biggest grin in my face is due to seeing Galactus in all his glory on the big screen. If you're a Big G fan like me and still fuming at the cowards behind Rise of the Silver Surfer, you'll find yourself awestruck as the Devourer of Worlds fills the screen with all the grandeur Jack Kirby intended. This Galactus is monumentally terrifying as he should be, and Ralph Ineson's authoritative timbre joins the ranks of Jonathan Adams and the late great Tony Jay as some of the best Galactus voices ever.

Yet not all is perfect in this retro utopia. The drama of Marvel's First Family is front and center of First Steps, with their superheroics often relegated to in-universe archival footage, so those hoping to see a lot of superpowered action might be bored until the last 20 minutes of the final battle.

And while the movie is bursting with style and charm, the movie also rushes through its 1 hour, 55-minute runtime. You're dropped into a world of world devourers, teleportation devices, and alien planets with little room to breathe. Like its cinematic bedfellow Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn't ask you to keep up with the plot—you're gonna get dragged along whether you're ready or not.

But what a ride it is regardless. The Fantastic Four: First Steps succeeds by embracing what makes the team unique: an optimism rooted in innovation and genuine human connection. In a world of flying cars, friendly robot helpers, and countries coming together to help each other at the drop of a hat, the Fantastic Four are allowed to be brilliant and compassionate people whose powers are less important than their ability to help their fellow man.

In a genre suffused with grim realism, this is the breath of fresh air we need, and a reminder that even though the world is in the shits right now, if we just cared for one another, we could make it better. Highly recommended!