‘Fantastic Four' First Reactions Say Film Is One of the ‘Best Things Marvel Has Ever Made' With ‘Stunning Visuals' and ‘Excellent' Performances From Leading Cast
Next Best Picture editor-in-chief Matt Neglia wrote on X that the Marvel tentpole lives up to its namesake of 'fantastic,' hailing the film's 'excellent' leading quartet and 'delightful' retro-futuristic aesthetic.
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He wrote, '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 & steer it closer to 'Doomsday.''
Entertainment journalist Brandon Davis also took to X to share his thoughts. He wrote that 'Fantastic Four' was one of the 'best things Marvel has ever done' and compared the visuals to those of Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar.'
'Galactus is awesome. Silver Surfer looks really, really good. VFX were often immaculate,' Davis wrote. 'Cosmically and on Earth, Matt Shakman dropped a visual feast.'
People staffer Sharareh Drury echoed the praise, writing on X that 'Fantastic Four' was 'breathtaking.' She gave particular kudos to Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, who play MCU power couple Reed Richards and Susan Storm, respectively.
'Stunning visuals, a moving story, witty banter and epic action. Marvel's First Family delivers one awesome ride,' she wrote. 'Pedro Pascal nails it as Mr. Fantastic. Vanessa Kirby stands out as Sue Storm – she's a shooting star.'
Rounding out the leading four alongside Pascal and Kirby are Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing. 'First Steps' follows the titular super squad as they defend Earth from the gargantuan planet-eating space tyrant Galactus. Matt Shakman directs with a script by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan.
Other cast members include Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles and Paul Walter Hauser.
Variety exclusively reported that John Malkovich was originally set to appear in 'First Steps' as one of the Fantastic Four's earliest foes, Red Ghost, but was ultimately cut out of the film. Shakman said it was 'heartbreaking not to include him in the final version of the movie,' adding that he was 'honored' Malkovich had joined the project in the first place.
'There were a lot of things that ultimately ended up hitting the cutting room floor,' Shakman said. 'When we were building a '60s retro-future world, introducing all of these villains, introducing these four main characters as a group, as well as individually, introducing the idea of a child — there was a lot of stuff to balance in this movie and some things had to go ultimately in terms of shaping the film for its final version.'
'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' hits theaters July 24. Check out more first reactions below.
'#FantasticFour 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.' –
'#FantasticFour Is a masterpiece. the visual effects and the score are a HUGE stand out. Galactus Is huge In IMAX. It's emotional and gives you hope. It beats you off and doesn't stop. STAY Until the END CREDITS.' – Deo (@frickyuu)
'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.' – Chris Killian (@chriskillian)
'Nothing will prepare you for #TheFantasticFour First Steps. Pedro Pascal is the perfect Reed, but the entire cast shines and does right by these characters. It's funny, moving, gorgeous to look at, and non-stop FANTASTIC. This is @MarvelStudios at its brilliant best.' – Josh Wilding (@Josh_Wilding)
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‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' rockets to $118 million
Disney's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' stormed the domestic box office, topping superhero competitor 'Superman' to finish No. 1 with $118 million. The reboot was a major comeback for the series, falling within range of analysts' expectations but short of a hopeful $130 million. 'Fantastic Four' is also the best-performing weekend for a Marvel film this year, easily surpassing 'Captain America: Brave New World' in February ($88.5 million) and 'Thunderbolts' in May ($74.3 million). 'This new phase for Marvel is truly important for the brand,' said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore, adding that it 'doubles down on the 'Thunderbolts' success and is showing that audiences love going to superhero movies in the movie theater.' Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder and owner of Box Office Theory, called 'Fantastic Four' a 'zero-homework-required' release, because it stands separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's established storylines. 'That's exactly where their franchise needs to be right now, as they not only try to keep those die-hard fans but bring back some of the more casual watchers,' said Robbins. While some industry experts have said moviegoers may be experiencing 'superhero fatigue,' Daniel Loria, editorial director at BoxOffice Pro, said Marvel may be slowed by 'franchise fatigue.' Marvel Studios has released 37 movies since 'Iron Man' in 2008, with four 'Avengers' movies between 2012 and 2019 having combined to gross about $10 billion when adjusted for inflation. Perhaps adding to the Marvel fatigue was Disney releasing Marvel Cinematic Universe television series on its streaming service, which complicated the franchise, Dergarabedian said. It hasn't helped matters that since the pandemic, Marvel movies have failed to get off to a hot start, with 2024's 'Deadpool & Wolverine' ($211 million) and 2021's 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' ($260 million) being exceptions. 'So much of (the franchise) is readily available at home,' Loria said. 'I don't think 'Fantastic Four' plays into any of that. It's a fresh, new experience, and I think audiences are responding to that.' 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' should help lift the franchise after the box office disappointment of 20th Century Fox's 2015 'Fantastic Four,' which grossed just $76.3 million domestically during its entire run, adjusted for inflation. Finishing No. 2 at the domestic weekend box office was Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Superman,' which grossed nearly $25 million. 'Superman,' part of the revamped DC movie universe, has so far grossed $289.5 million since opening on July 11. Dergarabedian said that the success of this month's two superhero films shows that 'if that genre or category of film were to disappear, it'd be devastating for the industry.' Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN. Universal Pictures' 'Jurassic World Rebirth' came in third at the domestic box office, having grossed $13 million in its fourth week in theaters. It's grossed $301.51 million domestically so far. Robbins noted that there haven't been major examples of a DC and Marvel movie playing in theaters at the same time. He added that casual comic book fans who may normally pick one movie to see could make an exception to see both films in theaters. Loria cited a diverse slate of movies for continued moviegoing momentum. Aside from 'Superman' and 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' Paramount Pictures' comedy 'The Naked Gun,' which opens Friday, will open to offer 'a fresh, new genre.' This month's movie slate has lifted the box office 12.3% year-to-date compared to the same time last year, according to Comscore data. And the box office could still reach $4 billion this summer, Dergarabedian said, which would mark the second post-pandemic summer box office to reach that level. ''The Fantastic Four: First Steps' is going to fuel a very strong month of August. So what a great home stretch for the industry,' he said.
CNN
an hour ago
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NBC News
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