NEW YORK, July 24, 2025 — The latest cinematic journey into the Marvel universe, “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” lands in Czech cinemas this Thursday, offering a surprisingly grounded take on superhero origins. While set on Earth-828, the film anchors its fantastical elements in relatable, everyday struggles, a move that’s proving to be one of Marvel’s most endearing recent achievements.
A Return to Comic Book Innocence
Director Matt Shakman, known for his retro-tinged work on “WandaVision,” revisits the charm of early comic books, echoing the earnestness of James Gunn’s “Superman.” The film immerses viewers in a New York City brimming with a joyful, pop-culture-inspired vision of the future, complete with retro designs and flying cars. This setting serves as the backdrop for the formation of the iconic “Fantastic Four” family, originally conceived by cartoonist Jack Kirby.
The narrative, despite its subtitle, begins mid-story, eschewing a detailed origin for the team. Instead, a brief TV retrospective covers their transformation in space. Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny Storm, the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm, or The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), are already celebrated figures, akin to rock stars.
Modern Anxieties in a Retro World
However, the film quickly injects modern anxieties into this idyllic setting. When Reed discovers his wife is pregnant after years of trying, his primary emotion is worry, not elation. Pascal’s portrayal of Reed Richards is notably more concerned about fatherhood than his own extraordinary abilities. This focus on domestic concerns permeates the first third of the film, allowing audiences to connect with the characters as a family navigating everyday life, making their extraordinary world feel surprisingly believable.
A Familiar Threat and a Difficult Choice
The plot escalates with the arrival of the Silver Surfer, a harbinger of doom, signaling the impending threat of Galactus, who intends to consume the planet. Faced with overwhelming odds, the Fantastic Four embark on a desperate space mission. Their efforts prove futile, leaving them with a devastating choice: sacrifice their unborn child for the fate of the planet.
This moral quandary adds a layer of tragedy and complexity, forcing Reed to confront emotional dilemmas that defy rational solutions. While the film champions family values and presents a conservative message, its initial naivety gradually gives way to a more conventional superhero narrative. Visually, it’s impressive, with inventive action sequences when they occur.
The film, much like “Thunderbolts” earlier this year, aims to invigorate the Marvel landscape and sets the stage for future Avengers installments, albeit with a distinctly different tone. “Thunderbolts” delved into a darker, more melancholic story of reluctant heroes. “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” however, explores the backlash heroes face when they fail to save the world and make difficult moral choices.
While the directors’ previous series like “Peacemaker” and “WandaVision” showed more daring formal experimentation, their feature films lean towards a more traditional approach. “WandaVision,” in particular, was noted for its willingness to take risks with television formats, even if it didn’t fully meet all expectations.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” centers on family melodrama. It bravely tackles ordinary problems within the context of a superhero film, though it occasionally gets tangled in its own narrative choices. The film boasts considerable creative energy, from its retro design and sensitive direction to Michael Giacchino’s score, which effectively captures both optimism and the more somber notes associated with the Silver Surfer. It’s evident the film was made by those who understand and appreciate the characters. This connection fosters a viewer desire for closeness with the heroes, a sentiment rare in recent Marvel outings. However, not all plot threads receive adequate development, and like many Marvel projects, the accumulation of good ideas doesn’t always coalesce into a perfectly satisfying whole, though the ideas themselves remain plentiful.
Film: Fantastic 4 – First Steps
Action, USA, 2025, 115 min
Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser.
