Okay, deep breaths everyone. I am literally Shaking as I write this. We’ve waited years—through the false starts, the legal battles, the "will-they-won't-they," and those previous attempts we shall not speak of—but Fantastic Four: First Steps is finally here. And honestly? It didn't just meet my expectations; it kind of rewired my brain.
If you’re looking for a dry corporate report or a checklist of plot points, you’re in the wrong place. This is for the fans who stayed up until 3 AM reading Lee/Kirby omnibuses and arguing about the physics of the Negative Zone. Let's talk about why this movie feels like a warm hug from a Kirby drawing and why the MCU just got its soul back.
The Vibes: 10/10 Retro-Futurism
Right from the start, you know this is different. That new Marvel Studios title card? Gone are the flipping comic pages we’ve seen for a decade, replaced by this gorgeous, zigzagging 60s retro design. It sets the stage perfectly for Earth-828.
Seeing the Baxter Building in this alternate NYC was a religious experience for me. It’s not our world—it’s a world where Reed Richards’ genius actually fixed things. No Cold War, no space race, just "Ever Upward" (shoutout to the Excelsior ship name—I see you, Stan!). The city looks like a Tomorrowland dream, filled with hover-grills and sleek, bubble-top automobiles. I loved the subtle detail that the above-ground trains were designed specifically to avoid disturbing the underground kingdom of Subterranea. It’s that kind of world-building—where the city’s architecture is a direct result of hero-villain history—that makes this universe feel lived-in and vibrant.
My Thoughts on the Family (The Casting is Magic)
The success of this movie lives and dies on the chemistry between the Four, and thank the Watcher, they nailed it.
Reed (Pedro Pascal): I’ll admit, I was nervous when he was cast. But Pedro is perfect. He captures that "too smart for his own good" energy—the kind of guy who forgets to eat because he’s calculating the curvature of space—but adds this mid-Atlantic 1960s charm. He’s a mix of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein, yet he feels like a real, flawed husband.
Sue (Vanessa Kirby): She is the absolute heart of this movie. In this world, she’s not just "the girl on the team"—she’s a global leader running the Future Foundation. Seeing her deal with a pregnancy test in the opening scene gave the movie so much immediate emotional weight. Her powers actually look like refracted light, creating these beautiful rainbow effects whenever she blocks an explosion. She’s powerful, maternal, and undeniably the smartest person in the room.
Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach): My lovable, blue-eyed idol! They used a practical suit for on-set reference, and you can feel it in every frame. When he moves, he clacks. He sounds heavy, like shifting tectonic plates. But it’s the eyes—those Alex Ross-inspired blue eyes—that broke my heart. Ebon brings so much pathos to Ben’s "curse," making you feel the weight of every rocky step he takes.
Johnny (Joseph Quinn): He’s the spark plug. Quinn plays Johnny with this infectious, cocky joy that masks a deep loyalty to his sister. When he pulled that classic move of absorbing a power plant fire and forming a giant "4" in the sky, I may or may not have cheered out loud in the theater. His banter with Ben is top-tier; they feel like brothers who have been annoying each other for decades.
The "Origin" That Wasn't
I am so incredibly glad they didn't waste two hours on the cosmic ray accident. We’ve seen it; we get it. Doing the backstory through The Ted Gilbert Show—a grainy, 16mm documentary-style recap—was a stroke of genius by Director Matt Shakman. It felt like watching a piece of lost history from a world that actually loves its heroes.
Seeing Reed’s deep-seated guilt over the "anomalies" (especially Ben’s transformation) really grounded the sci-fi in human tragedy. And the Easter eggs in that montage? Finding out they’ve already fought the Red Ghost and a giant Giganto (ripped straight from the cover of FF #1) made the universe feel so much bigger. I’m still thinking about that blink-and-you-miss-it shot of Reed fighting Piotr the Orangutan.
The Heavy Hitter: Galactus & The Surfer
When Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal (Silver Surfer) showed up on Halloween night, the theater went silent. Her design is haunting—silver, reflective, and cold, yet her eyes are deeply human. Her speech was chilling: "Hold your loved ones close and speak the words you've been afraid to speak." You can tell she hates her job, which somehow makes the threat of Galactus feel even more inevitable.
And Galactus himself. Ralph Ineson’s voice... it vibrates in your bones. He’s not a cloud, and he’s not just a big guy in a suit; he’s a literal cosmic deity. The way they used forced perspective to make him look miles high was terrifying. The proposal he makes—offering to spare Earth in exchange for Sue’s unborn baby—is the darkest, most high-stakes "trolley problem" the MCU has ever tackled. It turned a superhero movie into a parent’s worst nightmare.
The Climax (Bring Tissues)
The birth of Franklin Richards happening while they’re slingshotting around a black hole to escape Galactus? That sequence is a masterpiece of technical filmmaking and raw emotion. The way the ship’s engines firing matched the rhythm of Sue’s labor was some of the most intense editing I've seen in years. It felt like the entire universe was conspiring to stop this child from being born.
And then the "Clobberin' Time" moment. It wasn't just a catchphrase thrown in for a trailer; it felt earned. It felt like Ben finally letting out four years of frustration, fear, and love in one massive, rocky punch. I also loved how they incorporated Mole Man (played by a perfectly cast Paul Walter Hauser) to help with the evacuation—it was a great way to bring the whole "alternate NYC" full circle.
A New Beginning
The ending, where baby Franklin revives Sue with that faint lavender glow, sent chills down my spine. It confirms what Galactus feared: this kid is a reality-warper. He’s not just a baby; he’s the key to the multiverse. This isn't just a one-off adventure; it's the foundation for everything coming in the next decade of the MCU.
They aren't just celebrities; they're a family who chose each other over fame. They chose their son over the world’s approval. And seeing them zip away in the Fantasti-Car at the end felt like the ultimate tribute to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Their creations have finally, and perfectly, come home.
Personal Rating: 8.7/10 (The only reason it’s not a 10 is because I’m greedy and I wanted even more of those retro 60s commercials!)
This movie felt like it was made by people who actually love these characters. Marvel is back, guys. The First Family is here to stay.
What did you guys think? Did the Galactus scale blow your mind as much as mine? And who else cried when Ben looked at his hands at the end? Let’s talk about it!
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