The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has garnered significant praise from critics, who highlight its character development and strong performances.
Critics Celebrate ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’
The critics have spoken and agree that The Fantastic Four: First Steps lives up to the heroic team’s name, with initial reviews on Tuesday celebrating the film for its character-driven storytelling and strong performances.
Character Development Takes Center Stage
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praises Marvel for shifting its focus toward character development. “There’s a fresh willingness to prioritize character over the usual barrage of interchangeable CG action sequences that often overwhelm them, instead giving us relatable folks to invest in,” Rooney writes, highlighting the film’s commitment to emotional depth amid the spectacle.
Star-Studded Cast and Chemistry
Directed by Matt Shakman, the film is set in the early 1960s and stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Reed’s wife Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Sue’s brother Johnny, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. Julia Garner appears as the mysterious Silver Surfer. Rooney notes, “The actors are so terrific and their chemistry so palpable that the hangout scenes in their fabulous Baxter Building penthouse — with a domestic droid that’s like Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons meets Number 5 from John Badham’s Short Circuit — are some of the movie’s most appealing interludes.”
Moss-Bachrach’s Standout Performance
Rooney also highlights Moss-Bachrach’s performance, stating, “Stranding an actor as magnetic as Moss-Bachrach behind motion-capture technology that makes him look like the rock monster from Galaxy Quest might seem a limiting choice. But it’s remarkable how much warmth and sensitivity he injects into the character — also known as the Thing in the comics. Despite his stony features and musclebound body, he’s the most vulnerable of the group, his sad eyes seeming to convey his belief that he’s unlikely ever to experience love.”
A Fresh Start for the Franchise
First Steps represents the first time the classic characters have been adapted for Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, following two previous incarnations from 20th Century Fox: 2005’s Fantastic Four, directed by Tim Story, and Josh Trank‘s disastrous 2015 reboot.
Positive Reception from Critics
Variety’s Peter DeBruge praises the new film’s fresh approach: “Marvel’s back-to-the-drawing-board The Fantastic Four: First Steps succeeds where earlier attempts have faltered.” He adds, “True to its subtitle, the film feels like a fresh start.”
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Over at RogerEbert.com, Matt Zoller Seitz commends the cast’s performances, emphasizing the emotional core of the film: “There are a lot of tears in this film, and they’re all deserved. The world of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one that you can happily get lost in.”
Damon Wise of Deadline echoes this sentiment, calling the film “satisfying and stylish Marvel adventure” and pointing out the smart script and emotional weight.
Overall, the film has tallied an 89 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a generally favorable score of 65 on Metacritic.
Maureen Lee Lenker at Entertainment Weekly gives the film a B, noting that the screenplay occasionally feels uneven. Despite this, Lenker praises Pascal’s performance: “The Marvel Cinematic Universe has long excelled in its casting, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps is no exception.”
