Bringing a superhero story to life can be very challenging due to fans’ expectations, the intense competition, and the growing phenomenon of superhero fatigue. However, with impeccable talent, bold visuals, and an undeniable passion, even the harshest critics can be convinced that the world needs one more superhero movie. That’s precisely what Matt Shakman achieves with his The Fantastic Four: First Steps. With Kevin Feige as his behind-the-scenes support and Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn as Marvel’s first family, his take on the well-loved comics feels like a breath of fresh air.
Shakman is undoubtedly no stranger to Marvel fans, as he also helmed and produced WandaVision. That flair and vision (no pun intended) for everything retro is tangible throughout the entire movie. During the global press conference held at the Four Seasons Los Angeles, he mentioned that “this incredibly authentic 1960s retro-future world was a combination of Jack Kirby and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001”. That combo becomes crystal clear when looking at the mix of on-point costumes, the bright colours (especially blue and red), and the retro furniture. Shakman also added that, “as a huge Fantastic Four fan it was also an honour to bring the story to life.”
And according to Feige, it seems that Shakman has grabbed that lifelong honour and opportunity with both hands, as he mentioned that the director “has been working very, very hard for years to bring Marvel’s first family to life in a way that would fit within the world that we’ve created” and that he “has created this standalone beautiful world for people to visit and be introduced to these characters is super-exciting.” What’s super-exciting for the characters themselves is that, besides having to face the darkest villain in this feature, they’ll also appear in Avengers: Doomsday. In what way, shape or form is still to be seen, but according to Feige, “the cast has already shot half of their next appearance as their Fantastic Four characters” for that film.
Therefore, it seems that Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach and Quinn will be taking the big screen by storm again in 2026 with their second MCU appearance. Talking about her first Marvel film, Kirby mentioned that it was ”a great honour to play Sue Storm/Invisible Woman”. Not only because, according to her, “it always seems revolutionary to have a mother at the centre of the family and the team”, but also because “Matt and Kevin were such huge champions of having her be as complex and as fierce and as loving and warm and all the things she really is.”
Being by her side, both during the press conference and on-screen is Pascal, whose “favorite thing about the character was actually that this person [Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic] who is so brilliant and so comfortable with figuring out the most complex science equations to create solutions for absolutely everything without really knowing how to understand the much more complex equation of relationships.” However, even ‘the smartest man alive’ has to deal with overwhelming emotions that come with the accident and becoming a first-time father. To ensure that the emotional arc was truly upheld during the feature, according to Pascal, Shakman “guided him through the emotional storylines and the details of the arc because he knows what it’s like to be a father.”
Supporting the new parents, both when setting up cribs and saving the world, are Moss-Bachrach and Quinn, respectively, as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Johnny Storm/Human Torch. Johnny, who, in the words of the interviewer, is a “very funny and charismatic character”, becomes much more dimensional and full-rounded as Quinn mentioned, “that the character had a lot. There was just a lot going on there.” And that it was “a delight to kind of, like, dive in there, and just have a laugh, really. “
Moss-Bachrach is no stranger to being part of many amazing ensemble cast as his The Bear and The Punisher will prove, and according to the actor himself, the cast “just really hit it off from the very beginning, making a movie of this scale” and that “spending however many months, five, six months making this movie is also like a really good, not a trauma bonder, but it’s hard.” He also added that he feels “very grateful and lucky to still be hanging out with this family. “
He might feel equally lucky and grateful to be part of this film, but his character wants to do everything but hang out with the Fantastic Four family, as Ralph Ineson takes on the role of Galactus. After recently getting a first glimpse of this doomy and gloomy character, it seems that a lot more practical effects were used than expected. Talking about this approach, Ineson stated that his costume is “an incredible piece of art and engineering. It’s an incredible thing. Of like 350 pounds in weight. It’s a huge and muscular thing, but it’s wearable”. This “thing of wonder happened over a period of a few months, and it certainly adds even more danger to this impressive villain.
Equally impressive is Julia Garner, who, in her own words, was terrified during her first day on set as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer. However, when looking at the “I Herald Galactus” scene on Times Square, it seems that she’s completely at ease on the surfing board. Knowing that that moment was the first scene she shot makes it even more daunting. To Garner herself, “it was probably the craziest first day she ever had on a job”. But despite hanging from a construction crane 30 feet in the air, “it was wild and so much fun!”
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is out in cinemas tomorrow. Read our review here.
Subtitle translator by day. Film journalist by night.
