Does “Fantastic Four:First Steps” Put the MCU Back on Track?

It’s no secret that the MCU has been struggling.  An overabundance of content has reduced the overall quality so even when something great does come along, like “The Thunderbolts,” audiences don’t turn out like they used to.  “First Steps” is the fifth attempt at a “Fantastic Four” movie.  (One of those five was never released.)  For a group of heroes that have been around for over 60 years, they’ve had surprisingly bad luck on the big screen.  Can this latest outing put the family, and MCU back on the right track?

With “Superman” releasing just two weeks prior to this, it’s easy to draw comparisons.  Both are the latest in a series of franchise “resets.”  Both take place in a familiar, yet alternate world to our own.  Both skip over the tired origin stories and jump 3-4 years ahead, where the heroes are known and loved.   Both are also surprisingly optimistic tales of humanity.

“First Steps” is directed by Matt Shakman, whose previous directing credits include all 9 episodes of “WandaVision” and 43 episodes of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”  It’s clear he has a knack for mixing stories of familial sweetness against a dark backdrop.  The story starts in a retro-futuristic version of the 60’s with The Four at the height of their popularity.  Shortly after Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) learn they are about to have their first child, a silver harbinger of doom (Julia Garner) appears and warns of  Galactus’s impending destruction of Earth.  The potential parents, joined by Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) manage to track down Galactus (Ralph Ineson) in an attempt to reason with him.  The price he asks to spare the Earth is too high, and the Four return with no viable plan on saving the planet.  As their supporters begin to turn on them, the family pulls together and rallies to find a solution.

The plot framework is deceptively simple, but this allows more time for character and world building.  The production design in this movie is so top-tier, that it’s a treat to take it all in even if nothing was happening.  Like “Superman,” this is another perfectly cast film.  The charisma between the four shines through the screen.  Their love for each other is palatable, which is essential to a story like this.  It’s easy to play Reed Richards, one of the smartest men in the world, as arrogant and aloof, but Pedro Pascal takes a different route on his portrayal.  This Mister Fantastic is haunted by his genius.  He’s smart enough to know that he isn’t perfect, and no matter what he successfully accomplishes, beats himself up over what he has missed, or could miss.  Vanessa Kirby‘s Sue Storm is genuinely supportive of him, but also knows when to remind him that “Him being himself is sometimes hurtful to her.”  The script has various small little gems like this littered throughout.

Occasionally, there are moments in the script that are a little wonky, or protected by plot armor, but the film builds up so much good will that these are easy to gloss over.  “First Steps” might not be as super as “Superman,”  but it’s certainly a fantastic flick that feels fresh and fun.