Marvel Studios’ "Fantastic Four: First Steps" marks the fourth cinematic attempt to bring the legendary team to life — and finally hits it out of the park.

Set four years after their cosmic transformation, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and siblings Susan and Johnny Storm face their greatest threat yet: the impending arrival of Galactus, heralded by the enigmatic Silver Surfer. Faced with impossible odds (with Reed’s calculations offering little hope), the team must unite as never before to save Earth.

After years of disappointing adaptations, I’d tempered my expectations for this reboot. Now under the Marvel Studios banner, however, the care, detail, and reverence for the source material shine from every frame. First Steps feels like the product of creators who not only understand these characters, but genuinely love them.

Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian”) delivers an unforgettable Reed Richards. His portrayal captures the character’s cerebral anxiety and fast-talking intellect beautifully. Pascal’s ability to convey Reed’s emotional burden—even while his body’s stretching and contorting with stunning CGI—is masterful. Any trace of “Pedro Pascal fatigue” vanishes as you watch him fully inhabit Marvel’s premier scientist.

Vanessa Kirby (“Mission Impossible”) as Susan Storm is the movie’s beating heart. She blends strength and vulnerability, anchoring several key emotional arcs. Her Invisible Woman is confident, clever, and essential to the plot, making her one of the MCU’s most compelling leads to date.

Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”) takes Johnny Storm beyond the wisecracking hothead. He’s still fun-loving, but there’s an undercurrent of scientific prowess and sincerity that keeps his humor from feeling one-note. The story gives him important agency, and Quinn absolutely runs with it.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing) doesn’t get as much screen time as I’d hoped, likely due to the expensive CGI required for his rocky exterior. Whenever he’s on screen, though, he’s a scene-stealer — gruff, lovable, and deeply human. I just wish we’d gotten more.

Mathew Wood’s H.E.R.B.I.E. is destined to become the next BB-8, with enough personality and charm to inspire a wave of merch (I’m already eyeing that popcorn bucket!).

Julia Garner brings intensity and tragedy to Silver Surfer, while Ralph Ineson’s Galactus is positively apocalyptic. Every appearance shakes the theater — literally and figuratively. The Silver Surfer’s sequences, especially the ring-surfing moment, are pure comic book spectacle.

The film’s cosmic sequences—reminiscent of Interstellar and Event Horizon—pair beautifully with Michael Giacchino’s heroic and haunting score. Visually, the movie pays loving homage to Jack Kirby’s kaleidoscopic art, and its New York mixes futuristic flair with retro-1960s charm, making for a vibrant, lived-in world.

Some CGI shots don’t quite stick the landing, and the film presumes a bit of comic book familiarity from the audience. Fortunately, sharp exposition mostly keeps things clear. If anything, the film’s greatest weakness is that it isn’t longer — Marvel trimmed 30 minutes for runtime, resulting in a few rushed beats. Here’s hoping for a director’s cut down the line.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is a triumphant return for Marvel’s first family, blending mind-bending cosmic adventure, grounded humanity, and jaw-dropping visuals into one of the MCU’s most satisfying experiences. Longtime fans will be delighted; casual viewers will be swept up in the spectacle.
Marvel finally gives the Fantastic Four the movie they deserve. I'd give the movie a 9.5/10.