It is probably not an exaggeration to say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would not exist without the Fantastic Four in its current form: When Jack Kirby and Stan Lee Marvel's first family invented, Atlas Comics, which was still hot, was about to end. The two comic artists were under great pressure and therefore went to risk-with stories about amazing human superhero, with all their mistakes and problems. The creative venture paid off: “Fantastic Four #1” in 1961 turned the sheet for the battered company. It was the cornerstone for a golden age in which further hit figures such as Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and the X-Men were invented in a short sequence. The Marvel universe was born.
In the cinemas, the Fantastic Four now have a non -identical but comparable role: the huge MCU has stuck. Even “Thunderbolts*” has been smeared at the box office despite strong reviews. In the universe, which is bloated with too many Disney+series, always stays up to date, even Marvel-Boss Kevin Feige stood up for it. And that's exactly there “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Now the perfect counterpoint! The fully available action adventure inspires with a colorful visual implementation as well as figures that impressively believe in the best in humanity. This is how Matt Shakman (“Wandavision”) succeeds in an MCU blockbuster who breathes the spirit of the original comics of Kirby, Lee and Co.
Marvel's first family finally also in the MCU: The Fantastic Four!
So far, we have known the Earth-616 in the Marvel multiverse. “First Steps”, on the other hand, plays on Earth-828, in a New York, whose look is reminiscent of the 1960s at first glance, but is also pimped with all kinds of ingenious gadgets and futuristic buildings. Four special people live here who have written history: four years ago, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as astronauts into space-and returned to earth with superpowers. Since then, they have not only knocked on monsters, but also ensured world peace – no wonder that they are now the largest superstars in the planet.
Now there is a new chapter. And not only because Sue (can make itself invisible) and Reed (can stretch his limbs almost as far as you like) await your first child. At the same time, an alien, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), which is gliding through all, appears, and humanity reveals that her master is Galactus (Ralph Ineson) on the way to Earth and that it will completely devour in a few months. The Fantastic Four naturally want to stop him. But at the first confrontation with the huge planetary eater, you quickly realize that you cannot solve this problem with the tried and tested means (that is, the fire of the “human torch” Johnny or the fist by Ben alias the thing). Nevertheless, Galactus offers the quartet a way out. In exchange for Sues unborn son, he is ready to spare the earth …
Retro charm meets comic aesthetics
Like James Gunn's “Superman” recently, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” throws us into a world in which the existence of monsters and people with supernatural powers is accepted as a matter of course. A brief introduction in the context of a TV contribution with retro images in 4: 3 format is enough to illustrate the original history of the quartet. Very quickly you are in the middle of the new adventure. The dynamics within the team are illustrated, the pregnancy is introduced – and the Silver Surfer is already entering the stage. This is how effective telling goes without the (unnecessary) ballast of an X-Tten, always the same origin story anyway.
It is so rapid from the start that you can hardly get intoxication on this fascinating world and to admire all the details of the first -class sets. Comic fans will still be happy that iconic places such as the Baxter Building and the Yancy Street have been caught so outstandingly. In any case, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” visually convinces. The superpowers of the four main characters are implemented strongly, the Silver Surfer fits excellently – and we don't want to lose too many words about the first appearance of Galactus so that we do not show anything of the literally visible effect.
Not only the representation of the superpowers is convincing.
What makes “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” more than a purely visual spectacle are his great title figures. All four are first class and the skirmishes between Johnny and Ben are great fun. This intimate connection is also between Reed and Sue, which often only requires fewer words, which is also noticeable – which is also a merit of strong chemistry between Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) and Vanessa Kirby (“Mission: Impossible 7 – Dead Reckoning”). “Stranger Things” star Joseph Quinn, meanwhile, stands out as a hot pond that wants to prove that he also has ideas and clever thoughts, even the strongest-which is primarily due to the fact that his figure is most varied in the story.
In the interaction with the supporting characters, however, you can tell why so many names are listed in the script sections in the credits and that the film was repeatedly cut up until shortly before the theatrical release. Sometimes there are traces of other storylines-such as a loose romance between Ben and a teacher (“Poker Face” star Natasha Lyonne). The few moments, such as a short encounter in a synagogue, actually make you want to learn more about this relationship, her complications and bens constant struggle with the acceptance of his appearance. This feeling that there was even more potential is repeatedly appeared (after all, even an acting titanium like John Malkovich was completely cut out). But the rapid pace of the film can fade quickly, even if a joke doesn't ignite or a side strand remains half -ended.
Back to the heart of the comics
Kevin Feige described the earth, which has not yet been known to us and not a bit connected to the remaining MCU, explicitly as a “no-homework film” (“no home tasks film”). Fortunately, director Matt Shakman does not stop this from referring to the comics in the opening minutes and even quoting them directly. But he does it in such a way that nobody has to feel excluded. Comic fans will have fun when you discover allusions that the rest of the audience will have enough to discover in the short skirmishes with all kinds of classic bad guys.
It also succeeds how “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” refers to the different looks that are available to this family, which, despite their strength, wants to remain human. At the beginning she celebrates (almost) the entire earth, the mood turns when it becomes known that the Fantastic Four could save the entire planet from destruction with the victim of a single life. Here the film could suddenly have a very different and much more serious direction. But that just wouldn't have fit this comfortable comic film.
It always goes back to the emotional core.
So there is a (further) exciting conflict simply if the story about global protests and angry mobs is quickly filled with it. But this simplification is exactly the right decision. As James Gunn's “Superman” – to which a number of parallels can be drawn anyway – “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” celebrates the unshakable belief of his main characters: there must always be a way to save everyone – and they simply refuse to accept something else.
It is a return to an original idea of this in the best sense, also naive superhero comics, which has long been ignored in the traces of Christopher Nolans “The Dark Knight” trilogy in the times of darker, grounded films. An emotional speech by Sue Storm then sums up the basic optimistic statement of the film perfectly. The concentrated effect of their words may dismiss cynic as unrealistic or blue -eyed. But that's exactly why comics have always been good as an escape from a more complex reality. And it is nice that there are now films that hug this side of the templates with a lot of heart and humor.
Conclusion: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is a fresh cell cure for the battered MCU and at the same time a return to the origins of the superhero comics. Matt Shakman succeeds with his “no-HomeWork film” a coherent combination of spectacular show values and an emotional core. The result is full of heart's heat and characterized by unshakable optimism that is so much fun that it is not difficult to override many opportunities or dramaturgical bump that indicate a moving production history.