The Marvel Cinematic Universe delivers one of its best movies in years, according to the first reviews of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The superhero spectacular, which opens this weekend, is completely separate from the rest of the MCU’s 36 films and 28 TV shows, and that’s a big plus for a lot of viewers. The reviews highlight the distinct retro-futuristic aesthetic and family-focused themes of The Fantastic Four. However, there are plenty of complaints about the script and with the ways it handles its villains.
Here’s what critics are saying about The Fantastic Four: First Steps:
After years of false starts and forgettable reboots, Marvel has finally delivered a Fantastic Four that lives up to its name.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gives them the movie they deserve.
Marvel’s back-to-the-drawing-board The Fantastic Four: First Steps succeeds where earlier attempts have faltered.
Calling First Steps the best Fantastic Four movie yet is accurate and also easy.
It’s not saying much, but this is by far the best-directed Fantastic Four film to date.
Some would argue, myself included, that The Incredibles remains the best Fantastic Four movie we’ve ever gotten, and that doesn’t change with the release of Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
First Steps [is] one of the more technically polished MCU entries in recent years.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps feels polished in a way that not all MCU projects have… [It] feels like it comes from a Marvel Studios firing on all cylinders.
Matt Shakman has done something Marvel Studios doesn’t do very well anymore. He’s made a superhero movie that embraces the “super” part. And the “hero” part. And the “movie” part.
It’s the best Marvel movie in years, at least since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3… [This] mostly shows how low the bar has been set.
On the whole, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the best Marvel movie of the year… but considering what preceded it, that’s damning with faint praise.
It’s another cog in the Marvel machine, albeit a handsome one, running on nostalgia fumes and the hope that “better than Fan4stic” is still enough.
True to its subtitle, the film feels like a fresh start… that could be just what it takes to win back audiences suffering from superhero exhaustion.
Their universe… sparks a renewed interest in Marvel again.
[It’s] one of the world’s greatest comic book movies… Superman soared earlier this summer, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the superhero event of the summer.
(Photo by Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios)
What truly sets this film apart is its emotional core… Director Matt Shakman, bringing his WandaVision sensibilities and his background in emotional ensemble drama, was the perfect choice for this material.
There’s a fresh willingness to prioritize character over the usual barrage of interchangeable CG action sequences that often overwhelm them, instead giving us relatable folks to invest in.
Just on its own merits, it’s a solid comic book adventure that’s not embarrassed by being a comic book adventure — in fact, it finds real power in its love for its roots.
As it takes place in an alternate universe, it’s refreshing to have a film stand on its own and not require dozens of hours of past films and series to understand what’s happening.
There’s relief to be had from a Marvel movie in which you needn’t have carefully studied multiple other movies to make sense of what’s happening.
Important is the decision to make this a legitimate standalone requiring no homework.
This film is self-contained enough that any audience member, familiar or not with this team’s history, could enjoy it and be perfectly satisfied with it as a self-contained, standalone film.
Yet once again, Marvel fumbles the delivery in their haste to get ready for the other Next Big Thing… because of it, this film never gets to be its own thing, and if it were cut down to a 30-minute opening act of Doomsday, I doubt anyone would notice a thing.
Truth be told, First Steps can feel like a live-action The Jetsons at times.
The period vibe here more directly recalls X-Men: First Class.
There’s a very Incredibles vibe to everything, from Kasra Farahani’s gorgeous production design to Incredibles composer Michael Giacchino’s equally earworm-y score.
The actors are so terrific and their chemistry so palpable that the hangout scenes in their fabulous Baxter Building penthouse are some of the movie’s most appealing interludes.
The core Fantastic Four are amazing and deserve multiple movies together.
All around, casting is solid.
It’s a cast stretched beyond its material.
Each cast member shines, but Vanessa Kirby is the standout. She commands every scene with intelligence, warmth, and power.
Academy Award-nominee Vanessa Kirby gives the strongest performance among the leads, anchoring Sue’s emotional journey through motherhood with conviction.
This movie belongs to Vanessa Kirby… establishing Sue not only as perhaps the MCU’s best female hero, but one of its most compelling heroes, period.
It’s Vanessa Kirby who elevates everyone. Kirby brings a similar vibe as Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff in that she’s extremely intelligent, empathetic, and extremely powerful.
Joseph Quinn steals the movie with a performance that’s all combustible charm and chaotic heart.
If we’re talking non-human cast, though, then the adorable HERBIE is the real stand-out.
(Photo by Marvel Studios)
The villains in the film are fleshed out just enough… Their characterization, particularly their innate and allied determination and drive, is a nice touch as opposed to the cliche doppelgänger threat comic adaptations usually rely on.
Galactus is visually stunning and utterly terrifying… Ralph Ineson’s voice performance as Galactus is otherworldly—deep, booming, and drenched in menace. You feel every word shake the cosmos.
Ralph Ineson joins the long line of MCU villains whose memorable voice cannot compensate for a generic, underwhelming threat that we’ve seen countless times before.
The film loses a bit of steam in its third act as Galactus finally reaches Earth… He isn’t as big as I would have liked him to be.
And Julia Garner is relegated to the “hurt people hurt people” narrative we’ve seen Marvel churn out countless times. She’s very reminiscent of Zawe Ashton’s bland villain in The Marvels or Emma Corrin’s character in Deadpool & Wolverine.
The main villains, Silver Surfer and Galactus, feel like monsters of the week, who only serve as fodder for the next big adventure.
The CG work is slick as expected but it’s the seamless integration of digital elements with practical set builds that makes First Steps seem so fully inhabited.
A combination of practical sets and beautiful visual effects combine to create a rich, vibrant world in Earth-828.
The commitment to practical effects throughout the film helps here.
As visual effects go, it’s hard to top Pascal, who gives the elastic Mr. Fantastic a gravitas missing in previous ensembles.
If it wasn’t for the sometimes-unconvincing CG on The Thing, whose face lacks definition and often does a disservice to Moss-Bachrach’s cuddly performance, it’d be a top-to-bottom visual spectacle.
There’s some CGI on screen that feels a bit undercooked.
Visually, Fantastic Four: First Steps is a retro-futuristic feast, dripping with 1960s-inspired style — think Mad Men meets Tomorrowland with a Marvel twist… Every frame feels like a stylish panel from a Silver Age comic.
Midcentury modern enthusiasts will go nuts for the stunning design elements.
Remember those old school infomercials that showcased the home of the future that looked like something out of The Jetsons? First Steps is that reality, and it looks absolutely gorgeous.
Cinematographer Jess Hall’s work varies in quality, sometimes brilliantly supporting the retro world-building, yet at other moments assembling shots that feel jarringly disconnected from the aesthetic the film wants to emulate.
Rather than allowing the action to define the story… the clashes are fueled by the deep love of the four principal characters for each other and their corresponding urge to keep the people of their world safe.
Don’t worry, there are some great action scenes too.
There’s a VFX-heavy final battle, but it’s also packed with heart and emotion, and it turns out that makes all the difference.
We’ve never seen the Fantastic Four fight like this on-screen before. Each battle is choreographed to show off not just abilities, but how they complement each other.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t quite action-packed.
(Photo by Marvel Studios)
Michael Giacchino, no stranger to this world, delivers an enthralling score that’s as catchy and exciting as any anthem from this franchise.
Michael Giacchino’s epic score (with that choral sting of “Fantastic Fourrrrrr!”) is perhaps some of the composer’s greatest work to date.
This might just be his finest work yet… every bit as rousing as the Avengers theme and likely destined to be forever associated with this team.
Michael Giacchino’s score hits like a meteor in the best way possible. It’s epic, emotional, and elevated—reminding you instantly that this isn’t just another superhero flick.
It’s a theme that feels instantly iconic and perfectly suited for Marvel’s First Family.
The sweeping orchestral score by Michael Giacchino… strains to convince us something profound is happening on the actual screen.
While Matt Shakman’s direction is solid, the screenplay morphs his creative vision into another typical Marvel project that feels rushed and underdeveloped in a multitude of ways.
Most of the issues with the film stem from a chaotic and unfocused script that feels like four movies hastily patched together.
We don’t actually get treated to that much of the Fantastic Four in action… In attempting a leaner story, it leaves the movie with not much story at all.
The character interactions end up feeling like a checklist, making sure there’s a scene where the individual pairs of the group get the chance to interact.
Ultimately, the real issues come down to a lackluster script that comes off like a soulless math equation done by studio note. “Fantastic Four Brand” + “60s vibe” + “Reddit fan-cast” = money.
A tag reveals: “The Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday.” But here’s hoping this disarming family unit will get to run their own show again.
I want to see more of these characters and their story.
That they’ll be back for more is merely a wonderful bonus.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25, 2025.
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