Look, I’ll admit — I’ve rewatched too many episodes of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us to resist seeing Pedro Pascal as a bona fide MCU star. And with Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, he finally gets his leading role. But what really blew me away? A film that doesn’t wade in origin-story déjà vu, it plunges you into the action, into the family, and leaves you buzzing.
The MCU has never felt like this before. The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t just reboot a franchise — it reimagines it with retro-futuristic flair, emotional depth, and a big, cosmic heart. Director Matt Shakman finally gives Marvel’s first family the cinematic treatment they deserve: weird, wondrous, and deeply human.
Set in an alternate 1960s that pays homage to Kirby’s imagination and mid-century modern utopias, the film wastes no time on origin stories. These aren’t rookies figuring it out, this Fantastic Four has been around. Celebrated. Iconic. They’re celebrities, scientists, and symbols of a better future… until a threat from the stars throws everything into question.
What follows is an emotional, world-spanning race against time. But instead of just throwing fists, the film delves into philosophical questions, emotional bonds, and the complex responsibility that comes with wielding cosmic power. The plot blends family dynamics, political tension, and science fiction in a way that feels more.
What sets Fantastic Four: First Steps apart from the latest MCU offerings is the heart the film gives to its characters. Like Superman, Shakman embraces the comic book roots and the humanity of each character.
The Bear’s Ebon Moss‑Bachrach brings unexpected emotional weight to Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing. Beneath the mountain of orange CGI rock is a profoundly human performance, thanks to Moss‑Bachrach’s subtle mastery of motion capture. Every flicker of his digitally-enhanced face reflects the soul of a man trapped inside a body built for battle. He adds layers of warmth and vulnerability to one of Marvel’s gruffest characters, proving that Ben Grimm doesn’t just smash, he feels.
Vanessa Kirby is a revelation as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. She commands the screen with poise, power, and a flicker of heartache that makes her more than just a superhero — like so many mothers in real life, Sue is the glue holding the Fantastic Four together.
Whether negotiating peace as a cosmic diplomat or going into labor aboard a spaceship (yes, it’s as wild as it sounds), Kirby never lets the absurdity overwhelm the emotional clarity. She grounds the film with a performance that’s fierce, tender, and quietly devastating. If you didn’t develop a full-blown crush, check your pulse.
Pedro Pascal anchors the film as Reed Richards, Mister Fantastic, with a performance that’s equal parts cerebral and compassionate. He’s the team’s brain, sure, but also its heart — a stretchy-limbed synthesis of scientific brilliance and understated leadership.
Imagine a version of John F. Kennedy who can calculate wormholes mid-contraction while reassuring his wife in labor. That’s Pascal’s Reed: dignified, tormented, endlessly searching, yet always tethered to his family.
Joseph Quinn reinvents Johnny Storm with a blend of charisma and controlled chaos. Gone is the bro-y bravado; this Human Torch burns with mid-century swagger and emotional bite. He’s impulsive but loyal, cocky yet deeply invested in the family’s survival.
His crackling dynamic with Moss‑Bachrach’s Thing creates one of the film’s richest relationships: a fire-and-stone bromance that never feels forced, only earned.
Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus anchor the cosmic stakes. Garner’s Surfer evolves from icy herald to conflicted being — her emotional arc doesn’t steal the spotlight, it becomes it. Ineson’s towering Galactus is riveting, with its physical presence, motion capture armor, and a presence that feels existential rather than cartoonish.
Production Value & Design That Packs a Punch
Shakman and the production team worked hard to channel Jack Kirby’s legacy: Earth-828 nods to Kirby’s birthday (Aug 28), costumes match early comic palettes, and background props (drafting tables, early villains, crowd design) echo Fantastic Four #1 layouts. There’s even a tribute cameo via a laboring figure at a drafting board representing both Kirby and Stan Lee.
Production Designer Kasra Farahani (fresh from Loki) teamed with costume designer Alexandra Byrne to wholly lean into a “When Kirby meets Kubrick” aesthetic — house-bright colors, sleek retro-futuristic lines, and set pieces ripped from the panels of The Fantastic Four comics.
The Baxter Building’s two‑story mid‑century penthouse feels nostalgic yet optimistic. The Fantasticar design draws from 1960s concept cars — think turbine intakes and bubbling interiors: vintage vision meets comic-book dream. The spaceship sets, black-hole visuals, and Times Square destruction all pop with eye-catching cinematic flair — not cheap, flashy CGI, but real design.
What a relief — no rebooted crash‑landing, no lab accident origin scene. The Fantastic Four is already established and beloved. We’re in Earth‑828 in 1964, a world where the Four are world-saving celebrities, expecting a child, and perfectly mid‑stream in their cosmic journey. The film breathes easier and feels more confident.
And Michael Giacchino’s score? It’s a blend of twinkling retro charm and sweeping orchestral depth — think The Incredibles, but on a grander scale. The theme strikes just the right balance between “comic joy” and cinematic magic.
If you’ve ever treasured that original 1960s animation or comic panels, this is Marvel’s loving regard manifest on screen. And the real power? It’s the Four as family, defying oblivion together.
Bottom Line: The Fantastic Four: First Steps dazzles not through reinvention, but through elevating its core identity: family, futuristic fantasy, comic loyalty, and an emotional stake that feels earned. Production design, score, and strong ensemble acting come together to deliver what Marvel fans—myself included—have been waiting decades for. It’s a REEL SEE. In Imax!
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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