[
Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] w-[18px]>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]
<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Sarah</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/">https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=836632">https://reactormag.com/?p=836632</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal">
<div class="container container-desktop">
<div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container">
<div class="post-hero-content">
<div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase">
<span class="mr-3">
<i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i>
<a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/column/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Column 0">
Column
</a>
</span>
<span class="mr-3">
<i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i>
<a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/superhero-movie-rewatch/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Superhero Movie Rewatch 1">
Superhero Movie Rewatch
</a>
</span>
</div>
<h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Fourth Time’s the Charm? — <i>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</i></h2>
<div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">In which superheroes save the world, but can’t defeat terminal blandness…</div>
<div class="post-hero-wrapper">
<div class="post-hero-inner">
<p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/keith-decandido/" title="Posts by Keith R.A. DeCandido" class="author url fn" rel="author">Keith R.A. DeCandido</a></p>
<span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span>
<p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv">
Published on January 15, 2026
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-vertical [&_a]:link"><p>Credit: Marvel Studios</p>
</div>
<div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden">
<div class="flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6">
<a href="https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/#comments" class="flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]">
<svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 18 18" aria-label="comment" role="img" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="icon-comment-quick-access-">
<title id="icon-comment-quick-access-">Comment</title>
<g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
<path fill="#FFF" fill-rule="nonzero" d="M6.3 18a.9.9 0 0 1-.9-.9v-2.7H1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 0 12.6V1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 1.8 0h14.4A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 18 1.8v10.8a1.8 1.8 0 0 1-1.8 1.8h-5.49l-3.33 3.339a.917.917 0 0 1-.63.261H6.3Z" />
<path stroke="#000" d="M5.9 14.4v-.5H1.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 1-1.3-1.3V1.8A1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.8.5h14.4a1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.3 1.3v10.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 1-1.3 1.3h-5.698l-.146.147-3.324 3.333a.417.417 0 0 1-.282.12H6.3a.4.4 0 0 1-.4-.4v-2.7Z" />
</g>
</svg>
3
</a>
<details class="relative quick-access-details">
<summary class="quick-access-share flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase">
<svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-label="share" role="img" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="icon-share-new-quick-access-">
<title id="icon-share-new-quick-access-">Share New</title>
<g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
<circle cx="11" cy="11" r="11" fill="#FFF" fill-rule="nonzero" />
<circle cx="11" cy="11" r="10.5" stroke="#000" />
<path fill="#FFF" d="M5.993 13.464c.675 0 1.323-.266 1.806-.743l4.11 2.396a2.639 2.639 0 0 0 .368 2.451 2.583 2.583 0 0 0 2.227 1.043 2.59 2.59 0 0 0 2.09-1.3 2.64 2.64 0 0 0 .08-2.477 2.58 2.58 0 0 0-4.292-.54L8.344 11.94c.28-.616.31-1.319.086-1.958l3.952-2.303a2.564 2.564 0 0 0 4.263-.537 2.623 2.623 0 0 0-.078-2.46 2.573 2.573 0 0 0-2.075-1.293 2.566 2.566 0 0 0-2.213 1.033 2.622 2.622 0 0 0-.37 2.433L7.96 9.158a2.573 2.573 0 0 0-4.316.603 2.632 2.632 0 0 0 .172 2.501 2.58 2.58 0 0 0 2.178 1.202Z" />
<path fill="#000" d="M6.936 9.577c.322 0 .631.137.859.383.228.245.355.577.355.924 0 .347-.127.68-.355.925a1.172 1.172 0 0 1-.859.383c-.322 0-.63-.138-.858-.383a1.36 1.36 0 0 1-.356-.925c0-.347.129-.679.356-.924.228-.245.536-.383.858-.383Zm6.17-3.837c.323 0 .631.138.86.383.227.245.355.578.355.924 0 .347-.128.68-.356.925a1.172 1.172 0 0 1-.858.383c-.322 0-.631-.138-.859-.383a1.36 1.36 0 0 1-.355-.925c0-.346.128-.678.356-.924.227-.245.536-.383.858-.383Zm0 7.883c.323 0 .631.138.86.383.227.245.355.578.355.925 0 .346-.128.679-.356.924a1.171 1.171 0 0 1-.858.383c-.322 0-.631-.138-.859-.383a1.36 1.36 0 0 1-.355-.925c0-.346.128-.678.356-.923.227-.245.536-.383.858-.384Zm-6.17-.681c.499 0 .978-.21 1.334-.586l3.036 1.888a2.194 2.194 0 0 0 .272 1.93c.385.555 1.003.863 1.645.822.641-.04 1.221-.425 1.544-1.024a2.203 2.203 0 0 0 .059-1.952c-.286-.62-.841-1.044-1.48-1.13-.637-.085-1.272.18-1.69.705l-2.984-1.854c.207-.486.23-1.04.064-1.543l2.92-1.815c.415.522 1.046.784 1.68.7.633-.086 1.184-.507 1.468-1.123a2.188 2.188 0 0 0-.058-1.938c-.32-.595-.895-.977-1.532-1.018-.638-.041-1.251.264-1.635.813a2.179 2.179 0 0 0-.273 1.917L8.389 9.55c-.423-.534-1.07-.798-1.715-.702-.645.096-1.2.54-1.472 1.177a2.194 2.194 0 0 0 .126 1.97c.352.59.958.948 1.61.947Z" />
</g>
</svg>
Share
</summary>
<div class="quick-access-bubble">
<ul class="flex gap-6 text-black list-none">
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Fourth Timeâs the Charm? â <i>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</i>&url=https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/” target=”_blank” title=”Twitter”>
<svg class=" w-[18px]="w-[18px]" h-[15px]"="h-[15px]"" width="18" height="15" viewbox="0 0 18 15" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="twitter" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<path d="M17.7143 2.56767C17.2122 3.28347 16.6053 3.89336 15.8934 4.39734C15.9009 4.4996 15.9046 4.65298 15.9046 4.8575C15.9046 5.80703 15.7623 6.75472 15.4775 7.7006C15.1928 8.64649 14.76 9.55401 14.1793 10.4232C13.5986 11.2924 12.9073 12.0611 12.1055 12.7295C11.3037 13.3978 10.3371 13.931 9.20558 14.329C8.07408 14.7271 6.86392 14.9262 5.57505 14.9262C3.54435 14.9262 1.68601 14.3966 0 13.3375C0.262269 13.3667 0.554506 13.3813 0.876722 13.3813C2.56274 13.3813 4.06514 12.8774 5.38397 11.8694C4.59717 11.8548 3.8928 11.6192 3.27085 11.1627C2.6489 10.7062 2.22178 10.1237 1.98949 9.41523C2.23677 9.45175 2.46531 9.47001 2.67513 9.47001C2.99734 9.47001 3.31581 9.42984 3.63053 9.3495C2.79127 9.1815 2.09627 8.77431 1.5455 8.12789C0.99474 7.48148 0.719362 6.73099 0.719362 5.87641V5.83259C1.22891 6.11015 1.77592 6.25988 2.36041 6.28179C1.86584 5.96041 1.47245 5.54043 1.1802 5.02184C0.887961 4.50325 0.741842 3.94084 0.741842 3.3346C0.741842 2.69184 0.906694 2.09656 1.2364 1.54875C2.1431 2.63707 3.24649 3.50807 4.54659 4.16178C5.84669 4.8155 7.23857 5.17887 8.72226 5.25192C8.66232 4.97436 8.63234 4.70411 8.63234 4.44116C8.63234 3.46241 8.9864 2.62793 9.69452 1.9377C10.4027 1.24746 11.2588 0.902344 12.2629 0.902344C13.3119 0.902344 14.1962 1.27485 14.9155 2.01987C15.7323 1.86648 16.5004 1.58162 17.2197 1.16529C16.9425 2.00526 16.4104 2.65532 15.6236 3.11548C16.3205 3.04244 17.0174 2.85984 17.7143 2.56767Z" fill="currentColor" />
<path d="M17.7143 2.56767C17.2122 3.28347 16.6053 3.89336 15.8934 4.39734C15.9009 4.4996 15.9046 4.65298 15.9046 4.8575C15.9046 5.80703 15.7623 6.75472 15.4775 7.7006C15.1928 8.64649 14.76 9.55401 14.1793 10.4232C13.5986 11.2924 12.9073 12.0611 12.1055 12.7295C11.3037 13.3978 10.3371 13.931 9.20558 14.329C8.07408 14.7271 6.86392 14.9262 5.57505 14.9262C3.54435 14.9262 1.68601 14.3966 0 13.3375C0.262269 13.3667 0.554506 13.3813 0.876722 13.3813C2.56274 13.3813 4.06514 12.8774 5.38397 11.8694C4.59717 11.8548 3.8928 11.6192 3.27085 11.1627C2.6489 10.7062 2.22178 10.1237 1.98949 9.41523C2.23677 9.45175 2.46531 9.47001 2.67513 9.47001C2.99734 9.47001 3.31581 9.42984 3.63053 9.3495C2.79127 9.1815 2.09627 8.77431 1.5455 8.12789C0.99474 7.48148 0.719362 6.73099 0.719362 5.87641V5.83259C1.22891 6.11015 1.77592 6.25988 2.36041 6.28179C1.86584 5.96041 1.47245 5.54043 1.1802 5.02184C0.887961 4.50325 0.741842 3.94084 0.741842 3.3346C0.741842 2.69184 0.906694 2.09656 1.2364 1.54875C2.1431 2.63707 3.24649 3.50807 4.54659 4.16178C5.84669 4.8155 7.23857 5.17887 8.72226 5.25192C8.66232 4.97436 8.63234 4.70411 8.63234 4.44116C8.63234 3.46241 8.9864 2.62793 9.69452 1.9377C10.4027 1.24746 11.2588 0.902344 12.2629 0.902344C13.3119 0.902344 14.1962 1.27485 14.9155 2.01987C15.7323 1.86648 16.5004 1.58162 17.2197 1.16529C16.9425 2.00526 16.4104 2.65532 15.6236 3.11548C16.3205 3.04244 17.0174 2.85984 17.7143 2.56767Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" />
</svg>
</a>
</li>
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/" target="_blank" title="Facebook">
<svg class="w-[9px] h-[18px]" fill="currentColor" viewbox="0 0 12 22" width="100%" height="100%" display="block" transitionduration="normal" transitionproperty="none" transitiontimingfunction="ease-out" class="w-[9px] h-[18px]" aria-label="facebook" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<path d="M11.558.004L8.677 0C5.44 0 3.349 2.125 3.349 5.416v2.496H.452A.45.45 0 000 8.36v3.618a.45.45 0 00.452.447h2.897v9.127A.45.45 0 003.8 22h3.778c.25 0 .451-.2.451-.448v-9.127h3.387c.25 0 .451-.2.451-.447l.003-3.618a.452.452 0 00-.456-.448h-3.39V5.795c0-1.017.245-1.534 1.582-1.534h1.941c.25 0 .452-.2.452-.447V.457a.45.45 0 00-.452-.448l.01-.005z" fill-rule="nonzero">
</path>
</svg>
</a>
</li>
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/&media=&description=Fourth Timeâs the Charm? â <i>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</i>” target=”_blank” title=”Pinterest”>
<svg class=" w-[18px]="w-[18px]" h-[18px]"="h-[18px]"" width="18" height="18" viewbox="0 0 18 18" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="pinterest" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<path d="M16.4962 4.49458C17.2844 5.84153 17.6786 7.31473 17.6786 8.91423C17.6786 10.5137 17.2844 11.9888 16.4962 13.3396C15.7079 14.6904 14.6384 15.7599 13.2876 16.5482C11.9368 17.3364 10.4617 17.7306 8.86223 17.7306C8.01273 17.7306 7.17856 17.6081 6.35967 17.3632C6.81121 16.6515 7.10967 16.0239 7.25508 15.4806C7.32396 15.2203 7.53059 14.413 7.87498 13.0584C8.02804 13.3568 8.30738 13.6151 8.71299 13.8332C9.1186 14.0513 9.55483 14.1604 10.0217 14.1604C10.9477 14.1604 11.7742 13.8983 12.5013 13.374C13.2283 12.8498 13.7908 12.1285 14.1888 11.2101C14.5867 10.2918 14.7857 9.25862 14.7857 8.11066C14.7857 7.2382 14.558 6.41933 14.1027 5.65402C13.6473 4.88871 12.9872 4.26499 12.1224 3.78285C11.2576 3.3007 10.2819 3.05964 9.19513 3.05964C8.39156 3.05964 7.64157 3.1706 6.94513 3.39254C6.2487 3.61448 5.65751 3.90912 5.17154 4.27647C4.68556 4.64382 4.26848 5.06665 3.92026 5.54497C3.57205 6.02329 3.31567 6.51882 3.15113 7.03157C2.98659 7.54433 2.90432 8.05708 2.90432 8.56984C2.90432 9.36576 3.05738 10.066 3.3635 10.6706C3.66962 11.2752 4.11732 11.6999 4.70661 11.9448C4.93621 12.0367 5.08161 11.9601 5.14284 11.7152C5.15814 11.6617 5.18876 11.5431 5.23467 11.3594C5.28059 11.1757 5.3112 11.0609 5.32651 11.015C5.37243 10.839 5.33034 10.6744 5.20024 10.5214C4.80993 10.0545 4.61478 9.47673 4.61478 8.78795C4.61478 7.63233 5.01464 6.63936 5.81439 5.809C6.61414 4.97864 7.66069 4.56346 8.95406 4.56346C10.1097 4.56346 11.0108 4.87723 11.6575 5.50479C12.3042 6.13234 12.6275 6.94739 12.6275 7.94994C12.6275 9.25097 12.3654 10.3568 11.8412 11.2675C11.3169 12.1783 10.6454 12.6336 9.82651 12.6336C9.35967 12.6336 8.98468 12.4672 8.70151 12.1343C8.41835 11.8013 8.33034 11.4015 8.43748 10.9346C8.49871 10.6668 8.60011 10.309 8.74169 9.86129C8.88327 9.41359 8.99807 9.01946 9.08608 8.67889C9.17409 8.33833 9.21809 8.04943 9.21809 7.81219C9.21809 7.42953 9.11478 7.11193 8.90814 6.85938C8.70151 6.60683 8.40687 6.48055 8.02422 6.48055C7.54972 6.48055 7.14794 6.69866 6.81886 7.13489C6.48977 7.57112 6.32524 8.11448 6.32524 8.76499C6.32524 9.32367 6.4209 9.7905 6.61223 10.1655L5.47575 14.964C5.34564 15.4997 5.2959 16.177 5.32651 16.9959C3.74997 16.2994 2.47575 15.2242 1.50381 13.7701C0.531863 12.316 0.0458984 10.6974 0.0458984 8.91423C0.0458984 7.31473 0.440027 5.83962 1.2283 4.48884C2.01657 3.13807 3.08607 2.06857 4.43684 1.2803C5.78761 0.492029 7.26273 0.0979004 8.86223 0.0979004C10.4617 0.0979004 11.9368 0.492029 13.2876 1.2803C14.6384 2.06857 15.7079 3.13999 16.4962 4.49458Z" fill="currentColor" />
<path d="M16.4962 4.49458C17.2844 5.84153 17.6786 7.31473 17.6786 8.91423C17.6786 10.5137 17.2844 11.9888 16.4962 13.3396C15.7079 14.6904 14.6384 15.7599 13.2876 16.5482C11.9368 17.3364 10.4617 17.7306 8.86223 17.7306C8.01273 17.7306 7.17856 17.6081 6.35967 17.3632C6.81121 16.6515 7.10967 16.0239 7.25508 15.4806C7.32396 15.2203 7.53059 14.413 7.87498 13.0584C8.02804 13.3568 8.30738 13.6151 8.71299 13.8332C9.1186 14.0513 9.55483 14.1604 10.0217 14.1604C10.9477 14.1604 11.7742 13.8983 12.5013 13.374C13.2283 12.8498 13.7908 12.1285 14.1888 11.2101C14.5867 10.2918 14.7857 9.25862 14.7857 8.11066C14.7857 7.2382 14.558 6.41933 14.1027 5.65402C13.6473 4.88871 12.9872 4.26499 12.1224 3.78285C11.2576 3.3007 10.2819 3.05964 9.19513 3.05964C8.39156 3.05964 7.64157 3.1706 6.94513 3.39254C6.2487 3.61448 5.65751 3.90912 5.17154 4.27647C4.68556 4.64382 4.26848 5.06665 3.92026 5.54497C3.57205 6.02329 3.31567 6.51882 3.15113 7.03157C2.98659 7.54433 2.90432 8.05708 2.90432 8.56984C2.90432 9.36576 3.05738 10.066 3.3635 10.6706C3.66962 11.2752 4.11732 11.6999 4.70661 11.9448C4.93621 12.0367 5.08161 11.9601 5.14284 11.7152C5.15814 11.6617 5.18876 11.5431 5.23467 11.3594C5.28059 11.1757 5.3112 11.0609 5.32651 11.015C5.37243 10.839 5.33034 10.6744 5.20024 10.5214C4.80993 10.0545 4.61478 9.47673 4.61478 8.78795C4.61478 7.63233 5.01464 6.63936 5.81439 5.809C6.61414 4.97864 7.66069 4.56346 8.95406 4.56346C10.1097 4.56346 11.0108 4.87723 11.6575 5.50479C12.3042 6.13234 12.6275 6.94739 12.6275 7.94994C12.6275 9.25097 12.3654 10.3568 11.8412 11.2675C11.3169 12.1783 10.6454 12.6336 9.82651 12.6336C9.35967 12.6336 8.98468 12.4672 8.70151 12.1343C8.41835 11.8013 8.33034 11.4015 8.43748 10.9346C8.49871 10.6668 8.60011 10.309 8.74169 9.86129C8.88327 9.41359 8.99807 9.01946 9.08608 8.67889C9.17409 8.33833 9.21809 8.04943 9.21809 7.81219C9.21809 7.42953 9.11478 7.11193 8.90814 6.85938C8.70151 6.60683 8.40687 6.48055 8.02422 6.48055C7.54972 6.48055 7.14794 6.69866 6.81886 7.13489C6.48977 7.57112 6.32524 8.11448 6.32524 8.76499C6.32524 9.32367 6.4209 9.7905 6.61223 10.1655L5.47575 14.964C5.34564 15.4997 5.2959 16.177 5.32651 16.9959C3.74997 16.2994 2.47575 15.2242 1.50381 13.7701C0.531863 12.316 0.0458984 10.6974 0.0458984 8.91423C0.0458984 7.31473 0.440027 5.83962 1.2283 4.48884C2.01657 3.13807 3.08607 2.06857 4.43684 1.2803C5.78761 0.492029 7.26273 0.0979004 8.86223 0.0979004C10.4617 0.0979004 11.9368 0.492029 13.2876 1.2803C14.6384 2.06857 15.7079 3.13999 16.4962 4.49458Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" />
</svg>
</a>
</li>
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://reactormag.com/feed/" target="_blank" title="RSS Feed">
<svg class="w-[17px] h-[17px]" width="18" height="18" viewbox="0 0 18 18" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="rss feed" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<g clip-path="url(#clip0_1051_121783)">
<path d="M2.67871 17.4143C2.12871 17.4143 1.65771 17.2183 1.26571 16.8263C0.873713 16.4343 0.678046 15.9636 0.678713 15.4143C0.678713 14.8643 0.874713 14.3933 1.26671 14.0013C1.65871 13.6093 2.12938 13.4136 2.67871 13.4143C3.22871 13.4143 3.69971 13.6103 4.09171 14.0023C4.48371 14.3943 4.67938 14.865 4.67871 15.4143C4.67871 15.9643 4.48271 16.4353 4.09071 16.8273C3.69871 17.2193 3.22805 17.415 2.67871 17.4143ZM14.6787 17.4143C14.6787 15.481 14.312 13.6683 13.5787 11.9763C12.8454 10.2843 11.841 8.80097 10.5657 7.52631C9.29171 6.25164 7.80871 5.24764 6.11671 4.51431C4.42471 3.78097 2.61205 3.41431 0.678713 3.41431V0.414307C3.02871 0.414307 5.23705 0.860306 7.30371 1.75231C9.37038 2.64431 11.1704 3.85664 12.7037 5.38931C14.237 6.92264 15.4497 8.72264 16.3417 10.7893C17.2337 12.856 17.6794 15.0643 17.6787 17.4143H14.6787ZM8.67871 17.4143C8.67871 15.1976 7.89971 13.31 6.34171 11.7513C4.78371 10.1926 2.89605 9.41364 0.678713 9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" />
<path d="M2.67871 17.4143C2.12871 17.4143 1.65771 17.2183 1.26571 16.8263C0.873713 16.4343 0.678046 15.9636 0.678713 15.4143C0.678713 14.8643 0.874713 14.3933 1.26671 14.0013C1.65871 13.6093 2.12938 13.4136 2.67871 13.4143C3.22871 13.4143 3.69971 13.6103 4.09171 14.0023C4.48371 14.3943 4.67938 14.865 4.67871 15.4143C4.67871 15.9643 4.48271 16.4353 4.09071 16.8273C3.69871 17.2193 3.22805 17.415 2.67871 17.4143ZM14.6787 17.4143C14.6787 15.481 14.312 13.6683 13.5787 11.9763C12.8454 10.2843 11.841 8.80097 10.5657 7.52631C9.29171 6.25164 7.80871 5.24764 6.11671 4.51431C4.42471 3.78097 2.61205 3.41431 0.678713 3.41431V0.414307C3.02871 0.414307 5.23705 0.860306 7.30371 1.75231C9.37038 2.64431 11.1704 3.85664 12.7037 5.38931C14.237 6.92264 15.4497 8.72264 16.3417 10.7893C17.2337 12.856 17.6794 15.0643 17.6787 17.4143H14.6787ZM8.67871 17.4143C8.67871 15.1976 7.89971 13.31 6.34171 11.7513C4.78371 10.1926 2.89605 9.41364 0.678713 9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" />
</g>
<defs>
<clippath id="clip0_1051_121783">
<rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" />
</clippath>
</defs>
</svg>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</details>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-hero-media ">
<figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="423" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-galactus-740x423.jpg" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Galactus looms over the Statue of Liberty in The Fantastic Four: First Steps" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-galactus-740x423.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-galactus-1100x629.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-galactus-768x439.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-galactus.jpg 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure>
<div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-horizontal [&_a]:link"><p>Credit: Marvel Studios</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</post-hero>
<div class="wp-block-more-from-category">
<div>
</div>
</div>
<p>From August 2017 – January 2020, Keith R.A. DeCandido took a weekly look at every live-action movie based on a superhero comic that had been made to date in the <a href="https://reactormag.com/columns/the-great-superhero-movie-rewatch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Superhero Movie Rewatch</a>. He’s periodically revisited the feature to look back at new releases, as well as a few he missed the first time through.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<p>The absorption of 20th Century Fox into the Disney Collective in 2019 meant that it was inevitable that both the X-Men and Fantastic Four—whose film rights were with Fox—would become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That process started in <a href="https://reactormag.com/the-pursuit-of-happiness-doctor-strange-in-the-multiverse-of-madness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</em></a> by giving us an alternate Earth with Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier and John Krasnicki as Reed Richards, then continued with the appearance of Kelsey Grammer as the Beast in an alternate dimension that Monica Rambeau travelled to at the end of <a href="https://reactormag.com/the-superhero-rewatch-the-marvels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>The Marvels</em></a> and in the multiversal wackiness in <a href="https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-deadpool-and-wolverine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Deadpool & Wolverine</em></a>.</p>
<p>However, the X-Men films were much better received than the FF films. While those three movies used established Fox actors Stewart, Grammer, and Hugh Jackman—and the teases for <em>Avengers: Doomsday</em> indicate that Stewart, Ian McKellen, and James Marsden, at the very least, will be reprising their X-roles in that film—the FF was always going to be restarted from scratch.</p>
<p>Jon Watts, who directed the <a href="https://reactormag.com/whatevers-going-on-with-you-i-hope-you-figure-it-out-spider-man-homecoming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first three</a> <a href="https://reactormag.com/the-calm-after-the-storm-spider-man-far-from-home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tom Holland</a> <a href="https://reactormag.com/back-into-the-spider-verse-spider-man-no-way-home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spider-Man</a> films, was originally attached to direct, but he cited burnout following the exhausting COVID-19 protocols that had to be followed for the filming of <em>No Way Home</em>, and bowed out. He was replaced by Matt Shakman, who directed every episode of <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/wandavision/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>WandaVision</em></a>, and who has generally carved out an impressive career as a television director (including, notably, episodes of superhero series <em>Heroes Reborn </em>and <em>The Boys</em>). The original script was by Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer, partly off a story by Kat Wood, with first Josh Friedman and then Eric Pearson (who also worked on several of Marvel Studios’ early short films, as well as <a href="https://reactormag.com/ragnarok-and-ruin-thor-ragnarok/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Thor: Ragnarok</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-black-widow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Black Widow</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://reactormag.com/superhero-rewatch-thunderbolts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Thunderbolts*</em></a>, and the TV series <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/agent-carter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Agent Carter</em></a>, along with uncredited rewrites on other MCU films) brought in to do rewrites. The film adapted the same comics story that was the basis of 2007’s <a href="https://reactormag.com/all-that-you-know-is-at-an-end-fantastic-four-rise-of-the-silver-surfer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Rise of the Silver Surfer</em></a>, to wit, the first Galactus story in <em>Fantastic Four</em> #48-50 (1966) by the FF’s creators Stan Lee & Jack Kirby.</p>
<p>The cast includes Pedro Pascal (last seen in this rewatch in <a href="https://reactormag.com/is-it-a-trash-can-or-is-it-art-wonder-woman-1984/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Wonder Woman 1984</em></a>) as Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Eben Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer (taking a cue from the alternate timeline of the <em>Earth X</em> series by Jim Krueger, Alex Ross, & John Paul Leon, and having Shalla-Bal be the Zenn-Lavian who makes the sacrifice of becoming Galactus’ herald, rather than Norrin Radd), Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Paul Walter Hauser as the Mole Man, Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols, who runs the FF’s Future Foundation, Mark Gatiss as the Ed Sullivan-esque TV host Ted Gilbert, Natasha Lyonne as a grammar-school teacher who serves as Grimm’s sorta-kinda-maybe love interest, and Matthew Wood as the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot. Also, the four stars of the never-officially-released <a href="https://reactormag.com/better-off-unreleased-captain-america-1990-and-fantastic-four-1994/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1994 <em>FF</em> film</a>—Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, and Michael Bailey Smith—all make cameos, which is just sweet, and Robert Downey Jr. makes a brief appearance (with his face hidden) in a mid-credits scene as Victor von Doom. John Malkovich was cast as the Red Ghost, but his role wound up being rewritten and then cut from the film (though we do see brief footage of the FF fighting his Super Apes).</p>
<p>Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach, Quinn, and Downey are all set to return in <em>Doomsday</em>.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots" />
<p><strong><em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</em></strong><br>Written by Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer and Kat Wood and Josh Friedman<br>Produced by Kevin Feige<br>Directed by Matt Shakman<br>Original release date: July 25, 2025</p>
<p><strong>“The unknown will become known, and we will protect you”</strong></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="629" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-space-suits-1100x629.png" alt="Ben Grimm, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, and Johnny Storm wearing space suits in The Fantastic Four: First Steps" class="wp-image-836665" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-space-suits-1100x629.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-space-suits-740x423.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-space-suits-768x439.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-space-suits.png 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Marvel Studios</figcaption></figure>
<p>It’s the 1960s on Earth-828, and <em>The Ted Gilbert Show </em>is doing a fourth-anniversary celebration of the fateful spaceflight taken by Dr. Reed Richards, his wife Sue Storm (who kept her maiden name, which would’ve been very provocative in our Earth’s 1960s…), her brother Johnny Storm, and their good friend Ben Grimm, which resulted in their DNA being altered by cosmic rays, turning them into the Fantastic Four. We see footage of them fighting various foes, including the Mole Man (as well as a monster that looks <em>just like</em> the one on the cover of <em>Fantastic Four </em>#1) and Red Ghost’s Super Apes, along with clips from the animated <em>Fantastic Four</em> TV series (with the animated version of Grimm uttering the catch phrase “It’s clobberin’ time!”) and from Richards’ educational program <em>Fantastic Science with Mister Fantastic</em>. We also learn of the Future Foundation, run by Sue, which has worked with the UN to apparently bring about world peace, er, somehow.</p>
<p>After recording the episode, the foursome return home to the Baxter Building. H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot prepares Sunday dinner, with Grimm kibbitzing (and adding garlic). Richards and Sue are late for dinner, as the latter took a pregnancy test and it came up positive. They had been hoping for a baby for years, and indeed had given up actively trying, and now she’s expecting. Grimm figures it out before they can actually reveal the big news, and everyone is thrilled, with Johnny declaring that Sue will make a great mother and that Richards will be totally out of his depth, but also that Grimm and he himself will make fabulous uncles.</p>
<p>There’s lots of speculation in the press about the upcoming baby, including whether or not it will have superpowers, though all of Richards’ scans indicate that the baby is normal. (Sue also turns her tummy invisible so they can see the gestating fetus at one point.) Richards tasks H.E.R.B.I.E. with aggressively baby-proofing the Baxter Building. He also works out the locations of several criminals at large, including the Wizard, the Puppet Master, and Diablo, enabling the police to capture them. Grimm jokes that he’s also baby-proofing the city.</p>
<p>At one point, Grimm is wandering the neighborhood where he grew up. A civilian wants him to say the catchphrase “It’s clobberin’ time!” but Grimm insists he never says that, that’s just from the cartoon. He lifts a car at the request of some schoolkids, then flirts with their teacher for a bit.</p>
<p>A woman covered in silver and riding what looks like a silver surfboard arrives from space, declaring herself the herald of Galactus, who is coming to devour the planet. She tells everyone to prepare for their destruction. She then flies off, with Johnny flying after her into the stratosphere, grabbing onto the surfboard just as his flame goes out from lack of oxygen. The Silver Surfer says something in her native language, and then flies off, leaving Johnny to fall into the atmosphere, reignite, and fly back.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="680" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Surfer-1100x680.jpg" alt="Shalla-bal (Julia Garner) in The Fantastic Four: First Steps" class="wp-image-836666" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Surfer-1100x680.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Surfer-740x457.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Surfer-768x475.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Surfer.jpg 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Marvel Studios</figcaption></figure>
<p>Richards is able to track the Surfer’s energy signature, and realizes that there are planets missing from where she’s been, lending credence to her warning. They decide that they have to confront her, so they prep their original rocket, the <em>Excelsior</em>, for spaceflight. All four of them (including the very pregnant Sue), as well as H.E.R.B.I.E., take off, with Richards assuring the public that they will do everything in their power to save the Earth.</p>
<p>Using the FTL drive in orbit, they track the Surfer’s energy to a world in another star system, arriving just in time to witness Galactus consuming it. Galactus then grants them an audience, though the Surfer tells them sadly that they shouldn’t have come. Johnny also asks her what it was she said to him, and she translates it: “Die with yours.” It’s a blessing, she says.</p>
<p>Galactus explains that his hunger is all-consuming and must be sated. However, he will spare Earth if they give him the child that Sue is carrying. The FF refuse, and manage to escape by the skin of their teeth, though the Surfer chases after them even when going faster than light. They lose her in a neutron star, with the Surfer caught in the time-dilation, and the FF only able to escape by sacrificing the FTL drive. Sue has gone into premature labor thanks to Galactus, and gives birth to the baby on the <em>Excelsior</em>. They finally get home months later, and the people of Earth are rather devastated to learn that they didn’t defeat Galactus, and that Earth would’ve been spared if they had given up their son (whom they’ve named Franklin).</p>
<p>Existential despair grips the world as people try to come to terms with what’s happening. Richards is beside himself because he can’t figure out how to save the Earth without sacrificing his child.</p>
<p>The Baxter Building computers have picked up other transmissions in the same language that the Surfer was speaking, and now that they know what one phrase means, Johnny is able to create a translation matrix to try to decipher the other signals they’ve been getting.</p>
<p>Sue decides to confront an angry crowd outside the Baxter Building, Franklin in her arms, to explain that she won’t sacrifice her child—but they will move heaven and Earth to save the planet any way they can. That not only mitigates some of the negative public opinion, but also gives Richards an idea. He’s been working on a teleporter, which thus far has succeeded in transporting an egg across a room, though it takes out New York’s power grid in the process. The FF uses the Future Foundation and the <em>Fantastic Science with Mister Fantastic</em> show to rally public support behind a worldwide effort to recreate the teleporter on a massive scale, so they can move the planet to another solar system. They also need to conserve power, implementing an energy curfew every night in order to hoard the power necessary to make this work.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="615" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Fantasticar-1100x615.jpg" alt="Johnny Storm, Sue Storm, Reed Richards, and Ben Grimm stand near the Fantasticar in The Fantastic Four: First Steps" class="wp-image-836652" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Fantasticar-1100x615.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Fantasticar-740x414.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Fantasticar-768x430.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Fantastic-Four-First-Steps-Fantasticar.jpg 1430w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Marvel Studios</figcaption></figure>
<p>They’re all set to teleport the planet as Galactus is approaching, but then the Surfer shows up and destroys all the teleportation bridges—except the one in Times Square, and she’s only stopped from destroying that one by Johnny playing the recordings of the transmissions they’ve received, which include her giving the “Die with yours” blessing to worlds Galactus has destroyed, and also the people of Zenn-La thanking Shalla-Bal for her sacrifice. The Surfer reveals that she is indeed Shalla-Bal, and she convinced Galactus to spare her home planet of Zenn-La in exchange for becoming his herald. The Surfer departs the planet in anguish, leaving the Times Square teleportation bridge intact.</p>
<p>Richards comes up with a new plan, and it’s one that everyone hates, but eventually agrees is necessary: use Franklin as bait to lure Galactus to the teleportation bridge in Times Square and send <em>him</em> to the far side of the galaxy. Grimm points out that Galactus is huge and will probably do a lot of damage to the city getting to Times Square, so they evacuate the residents of New York to the Mole Man’s subterranean city, which takes a certain amount of cajoling on Sue’s part.</p>
<p>Galactus lands in New York Harbor and stomps his way north to Times Square (inexplicably passing by Lincoln Center, which is actually north of Times Square, but whatever). However, the switcheroo the FF attempts, replacing Franklin with an empty crib in the teleporter, doesn’t work, as Galactus senses that Franklin is in the Baxter Building. Calling them clever insects, Galactus goes to the Baxter Building and grabs Franklin. Sue manages to use her force fields to push Galactus back to Times Square, aided by Grimm taking out the buildings that Galactus is attempting to use for support. Richards is able to grab Franklin from Galactus’ grasp while Johnny activates the teleportation bridge. However, Sue has pushed herself beyond her limits getting him there and collapses to the pavement, dead, and Galactus starts to climb his way out of the teleportation matrix. Johnny is about to sacrifice himself to force Galactus back in, but then the Surfer appears out of nowhere and knocks him aside, and <em>she</em> pushes Galactus into the matrix, sending them both across the galaxy.</p>
<p>The Earth is saved, as is Franklin, but Sue is not alive, despite Richards administering CPR and mouth-to-mouth. He sadly lays their infant son on her chest, and Franklin uses his nascent superpowers to revive her.</p>
<p>The people of New York come back above-ground, and the world is saved. We cut ahead to the fifth anniversary of the FF, where their appearance on <em>Ted Gilbert</em> is interrupted by an alert, though they struggle with the baby’s car seat in the Fantasticar on their way to their next mission.</p>
<p>Four years later, Sue is reading to Franklin. She finishes <em>The Very Hungry Caterpillar</em> and goes to get <em>A Fly Went By</em>—when she comes back, Victor von Doom is kneeling before Franklin…</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots" />
<p><strong>“I will not sacrifice my child for this world—but I will not sacrifice this world for my child”</strong></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="629" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-franklin-1100x629.jpg" alt="Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) lay in bed with baby Franklin in The Fantastic Four: First Steps" class="wp-image-836662" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-franklin-1100x629.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-franklin-740x423.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-franklin-768x439.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fantastic-four-first-steps-franklin.jpg 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Marvel Studios</figcaption></figure>
<p>For years, I’ve been saying that any new <em>Fantastic Four</em> film really needed to just blow past the origin and just show the FF as an established bunch of superheroes, and I’m very grateful that Kevin Feige, Matt Shakman, and the team of writers agree with me. The movie is <em>much</em> stronger for it. The FF’s origin is, in a word, awful, and one that’s (like many of early Marvel’s origin stories) aggressively tied to the early 1960s (in this case, trying to beat the Commies to space).</p>
<p>Having the movie take place in the 1960s makes that work a little bit better, but that’s only part of why the origin is dumb, and I’m just as happy to get it over with quickly and just have the FF be established from the start of the story.</p>
<p>Putting it on an alternate Earth—specifically the one numbered 828, in honor of Jack Kirby’s birthday of August 28th—solves the “where have they been?” problem that would arise from trying to retcon them into the mainline MCU.</p>
<p>The movie also has the <em>perfect</em> visual aesthetic. It’s right out of <em>The Venture Bros.</em>, and I mean that as a very high compliment. The retro-futuristic vibe of the set design is absolutely magnificent, plus they impressively nailed the fashions and hairstyles of the 1960s.</p>
<p>Would that the writers had been operating on the same level. There are a number of problems with the script, starting with a fundamental misunderstanding of what this country was like six decades ago. For starters, Sue Storm kept her maiden name when she married Richards, and that would have been <em>massively</em> controversial at the time. Indeed, it’d be controversial now to an extent.</p>
<p>But the biggie is this: the vast majority of mainstream America of the time would <em>never</em> have accepted the notion that parents should sacrifice their infant child for <em>any </em>reason. Sure, <em>some</em> people would call her selfish, and some people would respond with confusion as to why they wouldn’t consider the option. But the mainstream press that question them when they first return to Earth? They would’ve all nodded their heads and agreed with the FF’s refusal to give Franklin to the guy who eats planets.</p>
<p>The most glaring problem with this movie, though, is that the FF themselves are remarkably uninteresting. Their personalities are muted and toned down to the point of spectacular blandness.</p>
<p>Richards is a super-genius whose ruthless intellectualism is leavened by his love for his family, which is the only thing that keeps him from being a complete asshole. But we don’t get any of the negative aspects of Richards’ personality, except in tiny blink-and-you-miss-it doses. Mostly he’s just an eccentric goof. Pedro Pascal’s performance is aggressively toned down from what we know he’s capable of.</p>
<p>The hotheaded Johnny Storm is a bit snarky, but Joseph Quinn doesn’t have any of the verve or charm of his comics counterpart, or of the last two guys to play the role (<a href="https://reactormag.com/were-all-in-this-together-fantastic-four-2005/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chris</a> <a href="https://reactormag.com/all-that-you-know-is-at-an-end-fantastic-four-rise-of-the-silver-surfer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evans</a> and <a href="https://reactormag.com/please-dont-blow-up-fantastic-four-2015/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael B. Jordan</a>, who were both brilliant despite being in movies that were mediocre-to-terrible). His womanizing is toned down, though there’s enough of it there to have him sorta-kinda flirt with the Shalla-Bal iteration of the Silver Surfer, but not enough of it to actually make him interesting. Also Johnny is apparently an accomplished linguist now, because the plot won’t work otherwise, and they needed to give him something to do, I guess?</p>
<p>Vanessa Kirby is the only one who works here, as her Sue is allowed to be both complex and powerful. She comes across as very much the heart and soul of the team, though the manufactured conflicts between her and Richards over using Franklin as bait feel <em>very</em> manufactured. But Kirby does right by the role.</p>
<p>So does Eben Moss-Bachrach, but alas here is where the script <em>really</em> fails. Benjamin J. Grimm is one of the greatest characters in the Marvel pantheon, a tragic figure who still maintains his compassion and friendliness. He’s the best friend of everyone in the Marvel Universe, but constantly struggles with the fact that he’s an ambulatory collection of rocks. But Moss-Bachrach has precisely <em>none</em> of the character’s tragedy or angst, which is a big part of what makes him so compelling. Instead, he’s just a nice guy who likes to cook and show off for kids. Not only that, but after going to the trouble of actually casting a Jewish actor as the Jewish Grimm, they don’t do a single thing with it. He does walk into a synagogue at one point, but it’s expressly <em>not</em> for any spiritual reason, but simply to boringly flirt with Natasha Lyonne’s spectacularly uninteresting teacher. Indeed, there’s nothing in this movie to support the notion that Grimm <em>is</em> Jewish, and at least one line of dialogue supporting the fact that he isn’t. (He uses “Jesus” as an epithet at one point.)</p>
<p>Oh, and the <em>Galaxy Quest</em>-esque running gag with him refusing to say “It’s clobberin’ time” fails utterly<em>. </em>The attempts to get him to say it and him refusing are cute, but the payoff at the film’s climax does not land at all. It worked with Alan Rickman’s refusal to say “By Grabthar’s hammer” in <em>GQ</em> because of the character’s anger at being typecast and forced to keep flogging a role he’d rather he never played, and his journey to finally embracing the part at the film’s climax. By contrast, the moment when Grimm says “It’s clobberin’ time” here is completely unearned, unnecessary, and uninteresting.</p>
<p>The blandification extends to the entirety of Earth-828, as the citizens of this Earth are an unconvincingly monolithic bunch of people who seem to just do whatever the FF tells them to do (except for the brief period where they’re just as unconvincingly mad at them for not committing infanticide).</p>
<p>The movie is well paced, looks <em>amazing</em>, and I’m <em>so incredibly grateful</em> that they didn’t do what the <em>Ultimate Fantastic Four</em> comic and <em>Rise of the Silver Surfer</em> did and make Galactus into a force-of-nature series of planet-consuming drones, but instead embraced the fact that he’s a fifty-foot-tall white guy with a big purple W on his head. Points to Ralph Ineson for giving the character appropriate gravitas and menace.</p>
<p>It is, still, the best Fantastic Four movie ever made, but given the competition, that’s hardly an accomplishment.</p>
<p>This ends the current iteration of the Superhero Movie Rewatch. The original intent was to cover two more 2025 releases, but your humble rewatcher had an unnecessarily eventful holiday season, including a foot injury, the unexpected demise of a beloved Toyota Corolla, and two killer deadlines. With all that, and the upcoming release of the first season of <em>Star Trek: Starfleet Academy</em> this week, we’re going to punt <em>The Old Guard 2</em> and <em>Red Sonja</em> to later in the year, along with some of the 2026 releases.[end-mark]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/">Fourth Time’s the Charm? — <i>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</i></a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/">https://reactormag.com/superhero-movie-rewatch-the-fantastic-four-first-steps/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=836632">https://reactormag.com/?p=836632</a></p>
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
