The Fantastic Four: First Steps Has Screened, And ‘Fantastic' Is Just One Of The Words Being Used To Describe The MCU Movie
Considerable buzz has swirled around The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the latest entry on the schedule of upcoming Marvel movies. The Matt Shakman-directed superhero flick is not only another installment in the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it also marks the franchise's first solo film starring the beloved quartet of heroes. Given that, there's been a lot of speculation regarding whether the film will live up to expectations. Well, the movie has now screened, and those who've seen it are using positive superlatives to describe it.
Marvel Studios' highly anticipated 2025 movie release screened at the end of the week, and members of the press and more took to X to share their thoughts. It was probably a given that those who'd enjoy the film would describe it as 'fantastic.' However, @filmsbyJuan's post gives the impression that that shouldn't be the only term used to sum up the movie:
[Fantastic Four] isn't just fantastic: it's a triumph. Shakman's all-time direction & masterful score create a genre-defining retro-futuristic film, leading to a better, brighter & optimistic MCU. The 4 leads are everything we needed. Joseph Quinn's casting is generational.
That's some serious praise, and it could provide some optimism for those who've been somewhat on the fence about this latest reboot of the FF. What particularly stands out to me, as a fan, are the comments about the cast being top-notch. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach play the eponymous superhero team. While Quinn is singled out in the reaction above, Screen Rant's Ash Crossan spotlights another one of the core characters in her own reaction:
[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.
The praise for the characters is seemingly a testament to the ambitions of not only Matt Shakeman but also producer Kevin Feige, who's also the president of Marvel Studios. Feige spoke with CinemaBlend in 2024, and he explained to us that his main 'focus' for the film was nailing down the dynamics between the main heroes, who are a family in addition to a team. Andrew J. Salazar of DiscussingFilm also has kind words to share about the interpersonal dynamics amongst the team:
[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.
As alluded to in these early reactions, what makes The Fantastic Four: First Steps unique amongst other films in the MCU (which are streamable with a Disney+ subscription) is that it's set in an alternate universe. That world sports a retro-futuristic style that's reminiscent of the '60s, which is actually when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby co-created the team. Phase Hero's Brandon Davis mostly enjoyed the film, visuals and all, though he admits that narrative didn't 'hook' him as he would've liked:
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!
When it comes to the narrative, First Steps picks up with Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm a few years after they gained superpowers and became a team. The group must step up as their world faces the threat of the planet-eating entity Galactus, who wants something very personal from both Reed and Sue. It seems Matt Shakman was able to craft a compelling narrative here, and pundit George McKay has a massive compliment:
[Fantastic Four] Quite possibly the best Marvel Studios film ever released. Absolutely loaded with talent and standout performances from Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn. If you thought the MCU died with Endgame, think again. Thoughtfully crafted and easily a genre-defining classic.
Whew, that's quite a declaration! Marvel has indeed released some excellent films over the years, so there is a serious bar that needs to be cleared. Nevertheless, these reactions are enough to get me hyped for the First Steps and make me confident that Matt Shakman – who also directed episodes of WandaVision – and co. did their due diligence.
Disney+: from $9.99 a month w/ ad-supported planMarvel Cinematic Universe movies and TV shows are streaming on Disney+. The streamer's ad-supported plan starts from $9.99 a month. Customers can also go ad-free by paying $15.99 a month, or save 16% by pre-paying $159.99 for a year.View Deal
What ultimately matters, of course, is what you think of the film when you see it. On that note, be aware that The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally hits theaters on July 25.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gizmodo
9 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Paul Giamatti Is Playing an Alien Bad Guy In ‘Starfleet Academy'
Ahead of Star Trek's usual blockbuster panel inside Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Entertainment Weekly has lifted the lid on the next new Trek show, Starfleet Academy—and with it, our first look at Paul Giamatti's mysterious villain. In an extensive preview, Entertainment Weekly revealed a few more intriguing details about the show, which has largely remained hidden ahead of this weekend's blowout appearance at Comic-Con. Set in the 32nd century after the events of Star Trek: Discovery—and at a time when the Federation and Starfleet are still in a period of recovery after fracturing into an extended period of isolation in the wake of a cataclysmic event called 'The Burn'—Starfleet Academy will revolve around the first new class of cadets to enlist at the titular school in 120 years. While details are still pretty slight, we do get to see that there'll be a whole bunch of Star Trek species among the new class and familiar faces from across the franchise, from Discovery's Tig Notaro and Oded Fehr as Jett Reno and Admiral Vance, respectively (they'll also be joined by Discovery alum Mary Wiseman as Tilly), and Voyager's Robert Picardo as the Emergency Medical Hologram (the same one, it seems, as co-showrunner Noga Landau teases that Starfleet Academy will 'continue his story forward in a way that fans of Voyager are going to find really satisfying'). There's also series lead Holly Hunter, who is playing a Starfleet captain acting as the academy's chancellor, with a special connection to one of the new cadets in Sandro Rosta's character. But just because Starfleet Academy is set at a school and not on a Federation starship doesn't mean it doesn't have any conflict. And while we've known for a while that Giamatti would star in the series as a villain, we now have our first look at him… and some very interesting hints as to both who his character is and what his motivations are. Giamatti was cast in the series after Landau and co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman reached out to his agent in the wake of Giamatti repeatedly expressing his love of Star Trek, and his desire to play a Klingon, during the press tour for The Holdovers. Turns out, he might be getting his wish, in a way. According to EW's report, a major alien presence in Starfleet Academy is a race of 'Klingon hybrid species,' and Giamatti's character is heavily hinted to be, if not explicitly confirmed, potentially one of those hybrids. Another image shows Karim Diane's character, another young cadet at the academy, looking much more like we'd expect a Klingon to look compared to Giamatti's villain, but there are certainly Klingon-esque elements that blend Discovery's original (and controversial) spin on the Klingons with more traditional Trek elements. Whoever or whatever Giamatti's baddy might be, though, according to Kurtzman, his aims reflect an uneasy attempt by the Federation to reintegrate and reconnect in the wake of the Burn, and Giamatti's character 'represents a tide that has swept across the [real] world in a very profound and upsetting way.' 'I say this without taking a political stance. That is part of what it means to invite everybody into the tent,' Kurtzman added. 'One of my favorite things about Star Trek is that it reaches across the aisle. People on all sides of the political spectrum love it for different reasons. That is something that we really wanted to hold true to here.' 'One of the things that we see all across the world now is how much hate is relied on to sow division between things that connect us as human beings and how hate is used as a bludgeon to destroy empathy, which I think is ultimately what Star Trek is about,' Kurtzman concluded. 'At its core, it's about: We may not look the same, but we are the same. Finding that common ground and figuring out a way to understand our differences is at the heart of what [Star Trek creator Gene] Roddenberry was talking about.' Head on over to Entertainment Weekly to see plenty more pictures from Starfleet Academy—and of course, stay tuned to io9 for our coverage of all of the Star Trek news out of Hall H at SDCC this weekend! Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.


Geek Tyrant
9 minutes ago
- Geek Tyrant
THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Introduces One of Marvel's Most Powerful Characters and Kevin Feige Teases His MCU Future — GeekTyrant
Marvel Studios is taking taking the MCU in a wild direction with The Fantastic Four: First Steps , and the biggest reveal yet is the introduction of Franklin Richards, one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics history. Fans have been talking about Franklin's role for months, and now Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is teasing just how important he will be to the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward. For those unfamiliar, Franklin Richards is the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, and in the comics, he's an Omega-level mutant with reality-warping abilities that rival cosmic gods. His presence alone signals that Marvel isn't playing it safe with the First Family's MCU debut. Feige explained the decision to include Franklin during a recent press roundtable: 'Well, I think, as always, look at the comics. Look at the comics. There is great potential with Franklin. There's great potential in the other child. And, I mean, really, the reason to do it first is that it had never been done before. 'There have been four movies, as you're well aware. And Franklin had never been a part of that. So, as we were looking for ways to set it apart, to do a definitive version of Fantastic Four, we thought the notion of that child and his importance to come would be a good place to start and embrace. And that's certainly what Matt embraced.' This is huge because Franklin's comic history is tied to some of Marvel's most iconic storylines, including his encounters with Galactus. He's so powerful that he's resurrected the world-devourer and even served as his herald. Feige's mention of 'the other child' also points to Valeria Richards, Reed and Sue's second child, whose genius-level intellect has deep ties to none other than Doctor Doom. With Doom confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday , Marvel is clearly laying the groundwork for a storyline that will be heavily inspired by the comics. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a foundational piece of the Multiverse Saga. Set entirely on Earth-828 in a retro-futuristic 1960s, the movie takes some really cool creative swings by leaning into Jack Kirby-inspired aesthetics. This fresh timeline also allows Marvel to introduce the badass villain Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson, and a Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer, portrayed by Julia Garner. With his Franklin Richards' universe-shaping powers, he could be the MCU's ultimate trump card in the looming multiversal war against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, and it's clear this movie is shaping the future of the MCU in a massive way.

Business Insider
10 minutes ago
- Business Insider
'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' ending gives a tantalizing hint about 'Avengers: Doomsday'
" The Fantastic Four: First Steps" follows superheroes Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and their friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they take on their biggest adversary yet, Galactus (voiced by Ralph Ineson). With several versions of "The Fantastic Four" told over the decades, director Matt Shakman skips the origins of how the foursome gained their superpowers and dives right into the action, which is heightened by the fact that Sue Storm is also pregnant. That news complicates things by the middle of the movie, when The Fantastic Four learn that Galactus wants to destroy Earth after a visit from his herald the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). The heroes travel lightyears to bargain with Galactus, but the villainous devourer of worlds learns of the child and its powers, which are still unknown to Sue and Reed. Galactus tells The Fantastic Four that if they give him the child, he will spare Earth. They refuse, escape Galactus and Silver Surfer to return to Earth (the baby Franklin is born during all the madness), and race against the clock to figure out a way to save Earth before Galactus travels there. Sue Storm risks it all to save her child After Richards' plan to teleport the entire planet somewhere else in space fails, the movie ends with The Fantastic Four using Franklin as bait in Times Square. All Galactus has to do is get near a portal Richards has created, and he will be sucked to another part of the universe. Everything goes according to plan until right when Galactus gets near the portal and figures out The Fantastic Four moved Franklin. After the heroes battle Galactus but aren't able to stop him, he looks to have finally won, as he has the baby. But Sue Storm uses all of her powers to force Galactus into the portal, with a final push from The Silver Surfer, who turns out to only be working with Galactus so she could spare her own planet from being destroyed by him. Earth is saved, but Sue looks to be dead. Richards tries to revive her but is unsuccessful. Franklin is crying and is reaching out to his mother. Richards lays Franklin on her chest. Suddenly, Franklin revives Sue by putting his hands on her. Sue's eyes glow, and then she begins to breathe. She later tells Richards that their child is much more powerful than they are. The movie's mid-credits scene reveals how The Fantastic Four could be involved in 'Avengers: Doomsday' It's clear that Franklin will be a major focus in future "Fantastic Four" movies and the MCU as a whole. The movie's mid-credits scene jumps to four years later, when Franklin is now a toddler and Sue is reading him a book. She walks away from him to get another book to read, and when she returns, she sees a person in a green cloak holding a mask while leaning over Franklin. The boy is touching his face, which is blocked by the hood he has on. It's clear that this is Doctor Doom. The screen then cuts to black, and text appears that says, "'The Fantastic Four' will return in ' Avengers: Doomsday, '" which hits theaters in December 2026. The biggest jump Marvel Studios will have to make is getting The Fantastic Four, who are living in 1960s Earth-828, to where all the "Avengers" action takes place, which is Earth-616. This tease may be a clue as to how that's done. It seems, just like Galactus, Doctor Doom (who will be played by Robert Downey Jr. in "Doomsday"), can sense Franklin's powers. It's possible he may trick The Fantastic Four into building something that will transport him to Earth-616. We'll have to wait until "Avengers: Doomsday" to find out for sure.