Rounding out the summer superhero series, Marvel debuts its First Family in a micro launch of the New Avengers movies. With a lineage of two different adaptations of The Fantastic Four, director Matt Shakman offers a refreshing attempt that stands out from some of the studio’s recent slop. Leading the charge, Vannessa Kirby as Sue Storm and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm offer strong, confident performances, with Pedro Pascal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach unfortunately falling into more supporting roles. The result is a rather average, enjoyable watch that ultimately serves as just another step in the never-ending MCU staircase.

In contrast to the origin story debuts in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four (2015), First Steps shows us an established found family and superhero task force. In a strong first act, the editing, color, and narration offer an engaging look at some of the origins of The Four and how they have developed since gaining their powers. The mid-century futuristic aesthetic establishes a comic book feel, reminding me of James Gunn’s Superman earlier this month. Now, the fantastic family is growing as Sue Storm and Reed Richards (Pascal) discover they are expecting their first child. After the mysterious Silver Surfer (Julie Garner) arrives to tell the world that they are marked for death by Galactus, The Fantastic Four must fight to save the world and protect their small, growing family. 

While an interesting premise that differs from other F4 adaptations, the introduction of Richards and Storm’s child, Franklin, falls flat in the second and third acts. The film falls into the usual Marvel trappings, where ideas, character development, and CGI villains fall short of anything great, just so the movie can cross the finish line in a post-credit scene. And while the writing ultimately flattens after the climactic space sequence, the performances, particularly from Quinn and Kirby, keep you in your seat. 

Like any film with a core cast of more than one protagonist, some rise above others. The Storm Siblings, also known as the Invisible Woman and Human Torch, really form into fully understood superheroes.

Kirby portrays a woman balancing it all: a political career, a superhero identity, a partner, a sister, and now a mother. The core premise of the film, whether to sacrifice her son for the world or not, falls on Kirby’s shoulders, and she expertly exudes anger, frustration, fear, love, and confidence, illustrating how each of these feelings lies in combat with each other. The writing of her character is a heartfelt attempt at approaching a female heroine with empathy and strength, boldly challenging previous iterations of women in the MCU. And while some of her monologues find their way into the corny or cliché territory, I was pleased with the strides the film attempts to take as it tackled a complicated, confident MCU heroine. 

In contrast to Kirby’s more mature Sue Storm, Quinn’s younger Johnny Storm is a comedic balance of hot-boy charisma, charm, and a boy trying to be a better man. Now the second youngest in the family, Johnny has moments of uncertainty and insecurity about how he can help with the situation. He has a fiery (literally) passion to learn and contribute to the team, resulting in some of the most pivotal moments in the film. And while I have a soft spot for Chris Evans’ fuck-boy iteration of Johnny Storm, Quinn brings another layer to this character. 

Naturally, the writers could only fully develop two out of the four characters in the family. Both Pascal and Moss-Bachrach bring heaps of talent and emotion to the roles of Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards and The Thing/Ben Grimm; however, both felt less thought-out and underutilized. Pascal, who has significantly more agency and screen time than Moss-Bachrach, somehow couldn’t connect to one of the smartest men in the MCU. With an interesting spin on his character, acting as more of a tortured genius, this Reed Richards somehow didn’t connect as intended. We needed more time with him.

Similarly, we needed way more time with Grimm. Moss-Bachrach already had to fight the uphill battle of playing the only CGI character in the family as The Thing. His rocky exterior made it harder (pun intended) to exude more emotions. Our moments alone with Ben are few and far between, and his ridiculously brief moments with Rachel Rozman (played by the horribly underutilized Natasha Lyonne) left us with very little to attach ourselves to. And while I applaud this film’s attempt to not simply retell the origin of the Fantastic Four for the third time, much of what we understood about Grimm came from his origin and reconciliation to his forever changed appearance. I can only hope that he and Richards will be used more in upcoming Avengers films so that Marvel can fully develop each complicated man. 

While there is so much to say about the core four, the supporting cast (which really only consists of Garner as The Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus) has so little to discuss outside of Garner’s absolutely killer ‘Herald’ mini-monologue. The antagonists and supporting characters of this film are forgettable. With a tight hour and fifty-four-minute runtime, First Steps falls into the trappings of not having enough time to spend with all the important individuals. Galactus’ motivations are weak, the Silver Surfer has an unearned final act, and the world that the Fantastic Four are protecting has no personality or stakes. And that lack of supporting roles and truly threatening antagonists leaves the actual threat of the film – Earth’s complete demise – rather dull. 

Marvel debuted its First Family for a third time in 20 years, and within the mess that the MCU has become, it isn’t the worst film to grace our screens. I enjoyed the brief moments of strength, comedy, and reunderstandings of the four familiar heroes. Yet ultimately, the film remains lukewarm, failing to capture any real excitement or stakes and acting as another piece in a very large, complicated puzzle that we have yet to finish. With some stand-out performances and a ton of talent to back the now Fantastic Five, I am a little intrigued to see where the adventures continue in the next few films. 

Review Courtesy of Sara Ciplickas

Feature Image Credit to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures via The Hollywood Reporter