Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (July 28, 2026)
After years under the control of Fox, Disney’s merger with that studio allowed the Fantastic Four to come under the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) banner. For their initial appearance in that franchise, we go to 2025’s Fantastic Four: First Steps.
In 1964, the residents of New York celebrate the superhero quartet the Fantastic Four: brilliant and stretchy Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Richards (Pedro Pascal), translucent at will Sue “Invisible Woman” Storm (Vanessa Kirby), misshapen and strong Ben “The Thing” Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and fire-encompassed Johnny “Human Torch” Storm (Joseph Quinn). They’ve warded off super-villains for four years.
A new challenge arises when the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives on Earth to proclaim that the literal world-devouring cosmic being Galactus (Ralph Ineson) will soon arrive and bring the end of the Earth. The FF do what they can to stop this catastrophe.
First Steps represents the fourth cinematic incarnation of the FF over the last three decades or so. The first shot in 1992-93 and may or may not have been created solely for rights issues without any desire by producers to ever screen it. All these years later, it remains officially unreleased.
2005’s Fantastic Four enjoyed wide distribution and became a moderate hit, with a worldwide gross of $333 million. That did enough to spawn 2007’s sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Although Rise made nearly as much money as its predecessor, the studio didn’t pursue a third flick, so the characters sat dormant until 2015’s Fantastic Four. That one flopped at the box office and alienated fans, so that sent the FF into cinematic limbo for the next decade.
Expectations that Steps would finally make audiences actively embrace the FF proved incorrect. While its $522 million worldwide made it the highest grossing effort in the franchise, its $225 million cost meant it probably didn’t turn a profit.
And it certainly didn’t live up to expectations that the union of the FF and the MCU would bring the series the muscle it needed. Granted, the MCU has largely struggled to find its pre-COVID footing, but the lackluster viewer reception to Steps still made it a disappointment.
As a longtime fan, I’ve hoped for a good FF movie since… well, forever. Actually, I really liked the 2015 version, but I exist in a severe minority there, as most folks hated it.
I found the 2005 Four to offer a snoozer. Rise fared better but it didn’t improve on its predecessor by enough to make me sad the studio failed to pursue a third flick in that series.
In any case, I hoped that the fact the FF finally found themselves nestled within the MCU would make it a winner on all fronts. As it stands, Steps becomes an enjoyable superhero flick but not a great one.
Given that it takes place more than 60 years in the past, fans might’ve found Steps to seem out of step – ha! – with the overall MCU arc. Of course, other MCU efforts departed from “present day”, but this still seemed like a leap viewers might not’ve wanted to make.
As I write in July 2026, it remains to be seen how the MCU will connect the FF to the overall mythology. Late 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday will involve the FF but I don’t know how it’ll mix eras.
I don’t really mind the manner in which Steps departs from the MCU’s “present day” continuity. Actually, I can’t say I mind anything about the film.
However, I also can’t find much here that inspires me. Everything about Steps seems competent and generally compelling but the movie simply lacks a real spark.
Honestly, I find it tough to pin down what I think makes Steps good but not memorable. I know many fans objected to the casting of Pascal as Reed, and not just due to his overexposure.
Pascal simply doesn’t look right for the part, at least somewhat due to his un-Reed moustache. Pascal simply looks like a better fit to play Gomez Addams than Reed Richards.
While not a great physical fit for Reed, Pascal does fine with the part otherwise. He makes Reed the brilliant scientist with dodgy social skills in a manner that seems positive, if not remarkable.
In a more perplexing choice, Steps gives Ben/Thing an oddly milquetoast feel. For decades, we’ve experienced Thing as gruff and rough around the edges, whereas this Ben comes with a milquetoast voice and a strangely genteel personality.
This doesn’t turn into a terrible flaw, but it does feel perplexing. Why make Ben/Thing seem so different than the standard character? I can’t figure out a compelling reason.
Sue and Johnny better fit our standard view of the roles, though the Steps Johnny also appears toned down. One of the better aspects of the 2005/2007 flicks came from Chris Evans’ take on the part, as he made Johnny cocky as he should be but also brought heart.
Quinn’s Johnny takes on a introverted vibe because… I don’t know. Perhaps this interpretation attempts to give Johnny a more 2020s feel that lacks his womanizing arrogance.
Given the movie takes place in 1964, though, it feels odd that it’d avoid the attitudes of its era. Steps could still make Johnny arrogant and impulsive but not a pig.
Elsewhere on this disc, we get an audio commentary that mostly looks at technical aspects of the film’s creation. After a screening of Steps, I can’t help but think director Matt Shakman concerned himself so much with the effects and sets that he didn’t invest much effort into story or characters.
Perhaps that turns into an unfair assessment, but Steps simply never really clicks in terms of a personal drama. Despite all the stakes involved, we don’t ever feel a major investment in what happens.
One could argue that becomes the case because we know how the story will end. Does it offer a spoiler to say the FF emerge victorious?
Of course not. We know that Galactus won’t eat Earth and the FF won’t die.
That doesn’t mean the movie still can’t generate plenty of drama and emotion. It just doesn’t.
This leaves Steps as a watchable superhero adventure but not one that excels in any particular way. While I liked the movie to a moderate degree, I thought it failed to live up to expectations.
Footnote: should you need me to tell you to stick around through the end credits for extra footage? No, so expect a significant added scene midway through the text and a goofy one at their finale.
