The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) – JiCanWin.com Review
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Director: Matt Shakman
Writers: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Ralph Ineson
Opening Statement
Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps has all the right ingredients on paper — a retro-futuristic 1960s setting, cosmic stakes with Galactus, and a stacked cast. I loved the world-building and the clear attempt to lay the foundation for where Marvel wants the narrative to go. But when it comes to character execution, the film doesn’t hit the way it should.
Plot Snapshot
Set in an alternate 1960s brimming with futuristic flair, Marvel’s First Family emerges to defend Earth against the cosmic threat of Galactus. Along the way, they wrestle with the dynamics of being a team, a family, and pioneers of this corner of the MCU.
Performance Highlights
- Pedro Pascal – A big name attached to Reed Richards, but his version never quite clicked for me.
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach – As The Thing, he’s the standout. The design is fantastic and his grounded presence works, even when the material gives him little.
- Joseph Quinn & Vanessa Kirby – As Johnny and Sue Storm, they feel flat, whether by performance or by design. The sibling chemistry never fully sparks.
- Silver Surfer – Unfortunately underutilized, which felt like a wasted opportunity.
- Ralph Ineson – Brings a solid, menacing energy to Galactus, but the execution reminded me that The Incredibles managed a similar world-ending villain dynamic with more impact.
Craft & Storytelling
Visually, the retro-futuristic aesthetic is strong, and I respect Marvel leaning into a different era instead of defaulting to modern MCU settings. The problem is that the style often outshines the substance. The narrative builds the right stage but struggles to make the characters pop within it.
Thematic Impact
The Fantastic Four are supposed to be Marvel’s First Family — a story about unity, intelligence, and adventure. Here, the “family” dynamic feels uneven, and the cosmic elements lack the emotional punch that should set them apart from other superhero teams.
Final Thoughts
The Fantastic Four: First Steps works as a world-building exercise and adds an interesting flavor to the MCU, but the characters don’t land. The Thing stands tall, Galactus is serviceable, but the rest of the team feels wasted potential. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t come close to the excitement Marvel needed for this reboot.
JiCanWin.com Score: ★★★☆☆
Verdict: Solid world-building and design, but the First Family doesn’t deliver the spark that makes them special.
