Ahead ofThe Fantastic Four: First Steps' release, there were some notable complaints about the film and what it looked set to be online, but the movie seems to have handled most of these concerns. TheMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)has finally introduced Marvel’s First Family in live-action, and the results were spectacular.
But, in the run-up to its release, how the film would fare critically seemed far less certain. As a release that could make or break the future of the franchise after a series of less-than-stellar releases in the Multiverse Saga, tensions were naturally high about how good or bad the movie might end up being.
With this in mind, the film was put under extreme pressure, with every trailer and story detail that was released being thoroughly picked apart, andcritics sharing thoughts on where the movie would fall down. However, after its theatrical release, it appears that many of these issues have been resolved.
7Galactus Shifts In Size Depending On His Needs
One of the biggest issues that spread online was the depiction of Galactus. While the MCU’s version of the Devourer of Worlds was praised for his comic book accurate look, which improved upon the 2007Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’sgiant cloud,people took issue with his size.
Having seen Celestials appear in earlier MCU films, likeEternalsandCaptain America: Brave New World, the bar was set high for monolithic monsters in the MCU. But Galactus being the size of a skyscraper rather than a planet appeared to rub some people the wrong way, though Galactus altering his size is part of his power set.
As of the film’s release, Galactus appearing on Earth at the size he does makes far more sense, since he appears like this inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps' endingin order to kidnap Franklin Richards. As such, this sequence feels far more fitting than if Galactus had appeared at that size to start actively trying to destroy the planet.
6The Silver Surfer CGI Was Polished For The Theatrical Release
Next up, the trailers revealed a first look atJulia Garner’s take on the Silver Surfer. While for many, this was exciting, there was a portion of the audience whocriticized the general design and CGIof the character.
However, as is often the case, Marvel Studios worked on the movie up to a point much closer to the release date, which meant the finished look took another step up in quality. With this improvement in the final chapter ahead of release,Silver Surfer stands out as one of the best partsofThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.
5The Thing Was Hesitant About Saying “Clobbering time” For Good Reason
The trailers for the film also teased Ben Grimm, issuing his famous catchphrase, “It’s Clobbering Time!” from the comics and cartoons. While this is clearly a reference that has close ties to the character, the MCU’sGrimm is reluctant to repeat it, which some cited as a weird story decision.
However, the film’s story justifies this call. With the Fantastic Four living as heroes on Earth-828 for the past four years, they have made a huge impact on the world’s population, and become celebrities through various means.
In addition to Reed’s technological contributions, Sue’s diplomatic ambassadorship, and the protection the team offers against external threats, they have alsobecome pop culture icons. This leads to the team having a cartoon made depicting their adventures.
However, the real Ben Grimm reveals that the catchphrase was just a TV thing, which is why he is hesitant to start repeating it. It doesn’t actually reflect his character, but heeventually embraces it as part of being The Thing.
4Mister Fantastic’s Stretching Powers Look Better Than Ever
In the MCU movie’s initial trailers, it was noticeable that all the team’s powers were on display, apart from Reed Richards'. Historically,getting Mister Fantastic’s stretching powers righthas been a huge hurdle. As such, the fact this ability wasn’t shown in early trailers made MCU fans nervous.
This purposeful exclusion could have meant thatReed’s powers still failed to translate to live-action, which would have been a disappointing loss for the MCU.
Fortunately, in later trailers, Mister Fantastic’s powers were teased, revealing a depiction of Reed’s stretching skills thatconsiderably improved on earlier versions. With the release of the film, the final result proved to be beyond anything that was possible even 10 years earlier.
Getting Reed’s powers right was an integral part of ensuring these characters have longevity in the MCU, and with the skilledCGI artists clearly nailing it for the first time, this was a huge win for Marvel Studios.
3The 1960s Retro Futuristic Aesthetics Adds Character To The Fantastic Four’s Story
In the past, the MCU has ventured into telling stories that take place in different eras.Captain America: The First Avengertakes place largely during World War II, andCaptain Marvelis set in 1995. In other films, there are scenes that cut to different times, butfew commit to fully setting the story in unfamiliar territory.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsthrew all caution to the wind in this regard andset the story in an alternate reality version of the 1960s. And to add to the potential confusion, it made this period piece into an ultra-futuristic utopia.
While this could have confused audiences, and made for a story that feels largely disjointed from the rest of the MCU, thesetting adds to the character of the movie, and helps to establish the incredible influence the Fantastic Four has around the globe.
2The Sub 2-Hour Runtime Makes The Fantastic Four: First Steps Tight & Punchy
For as long asthe MCU timelinehas been operating - since the first release in 2008, and through the nearly 40 films that have come out since then - the majority of the franchise’s movies have been at least two hours long. However,The Fantastic Four: First Stepsbroke the mold anddelivered a superhero movie under the two-hour mark.
Now, as much as traditional films tend to sit somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours, this is much less common in the expansive and fantastical world of superhero storytelling. As a result, it seemed as though this movie - which is arguably more ambitious in scope and scale - would be far too short.
However, despite cutting major actors, several nearly complete scenes, and more, the movie is actually incredibly effective in delivering its message. It is undoubtedly short, but it wasn’t missing anything, as much as people wanted to see more.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsproves that it’spossible to deliver a superhero story and leave the audience wanting more, rather than packing the story with an abundance of action, fantasy, and adventure that ultimately becomes too much.
1The Thing’s Beard Shows Off His Bond With Johnny
In previous iterations of the Fantastic Four, the family dynamic hasn’t always been as clearly laid out as it should be. Yes, these heroes are a team, but they are also extremely close, with adeep familial love for one another.
Despite this, 2005’sFantastic Fourpushed the rivalry between Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm, with Johnny incessantly making fun of Grimm’s new looks, and 2015’sFantastic Fourended just as the team met up as adults. ButThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsmoved in the opposite direction with an incrediblyunlikely detail proving Johnny and Ben’s connection.
Late trailers and teasers forFirst Stepsunveiled an unusualnew look for The Thing, with the character sporting a beard on his orange rock body. While this look has foundations in the comics, theinclusion in the movie seemed like an odd choicefor the hero’s debut outing.
However, in the movie, Johnny sees Ben with an unshaven face, and compliments the look. This moment perfectly illustrates the brotherly bond between Ben and Johnny, while also showing how much they respect and love each other. Ben then decides to grow his beard, leaning into Johnny’s suggestion, and adding a greater emotional depth toThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.
