Title: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Genre: Action/Sci-fi
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Platform: Theaters
Rating: 4/5
By Karl Simpson Jr.
“They don’t just feel like coworkers. They feel like family.”
There’s a lot The Fantastic Four: First Steps gets right, and for the first time in a long time, this team finally feels like more than just a collection of powers. It’s the most emotionally grounded take we’ve seen on the Fantastic Four, and that shift makes a big difference. You actually care about these people. Their choices, their relationships, the weight of what they’re facing; it all lands. That’s not to say the film is perfect. Some characters could’ve used more attention, and a few dynamics felt like they stopped short of real depth. But overall? I walked away feeling something. Not overwhelmed, but genuinely moved.
Visually and emotionally, this is the most confident version of the Fantastic Four we’ve seen on screen. The powers look great. They’re clean, creative, and never too much, but the chemistry between the team makes it work. They don’t just feel like coworkers. They feel like family. Not in a forced way, but in a way that’s lived-in. You feel the history, the love, the tension. It adds real texture to everything happening around them.
Ben takes a quieter role here, which worked better than I expected. He’s usually the emotional anchor, but pulling him back gave space for other relationships to shine. He still matters. He still leaves an impression. But he doesn’t have to be front and center to do that.
The biggest surprise? Johnny. He’s more than just the hotheaded comic relief this time. There’s thoughtfulness behind his actions, and maybe even a little sadness beneath the jokes. It’s subtle, never spelled out, but you definitely feel it. Whether it was baked into the script or something Joseph Quinn brought on his own, there’s this weight to how Johnny moves through the story. A kind of quiet distance that makes him one of the most interesting characters in the film. Easily his best on-screen version to date.
Performance-wise, Vanessa Kirby is the anchor. She plays Sue with this calm intensity that grounds the film. You feel every decision pressing down on her. Every glance carries weight. There’s strength and fragility wrapped up in the same moment, and she nails it. Whether she’s navigating moral dilemmas or holding her family together, Kirby brings a depth that elevates every scene she’s in.
This is a slow burn. The film spends more time setting the stage than delivering wall-to-wall action, and honestly, I appreciated that. It gave the story room to breathe. You get to sit with the characters, watch their relationships evolve, and feel the emotional stakes deepen, especially when it comes to Reed and Sue and their child. Their arc is what gives the story its heart. It’s not about big fights—it’s about impossible choices. But not everything lands. Paul Walter Hauser, for instance, is given almost nothing to do. He’s clearly capable of adding charm and complexity to a role, but here, he just feels like a plot device—present but undercooked. It’s one of the rare spots where the film stumbles.
What the film does best is take something as massive as Galactus and make it feel personal. He’s not overused or overly explained, but his presence is heavy. He looms. And when the moment finally comes, it matters. But the real scene-stealer? Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer. She doesn’t get a ton of time, but every time she’s on screen, she commands it. There’s something poetic in how she carries the character. Graceful, but burdened. I left wanting more of her. A lot more.
Overall, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a thoughtful, emotionally charged take on characters who’ve long deserved better. It may not hit every note perfectly, but it finally gives this team the humanity and heart they’ve been missing. It’s not just about powers or spectacle, but rather love, fear, responsibility, and what we’re willing to risk when everything’s on the line. For me, that made all the difference. I liked this film and, more importantly, believed in these characters.
