MARVEL Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps is exactly what the MCU needed: a retro-futuristic breath of fresh air served with vintage aesthetics, cosmic threats and a family dynamic that finally feels… real. Directed by Matt Shakman, this PG-13 spectacle revives Marvel’s First Family with enough charm to win over diehard fans and enough self-awareness to keep casual viewers engaged, even if the occasional visual hiccup reminds everyone that perfection is a moving target.
Set in a 1960s-inspired alternate Earth, First Steps wisely skips the tired origin route and drops audiences straight into a world where Reed (Pedro Pascal), Sue (Vanessa Kirby), Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny (Joseph Quinn) are already established, bickering and saving lives together. There is no lab accident, no slow build-up, just four very different people doing their best to be heroes, family and functioning adults (in that order, usually).
