The Fantastic Four: First StepsA Superhero standout of 2025

The Fantastic Four finally enter the MCU. Reviews were mixed — critics praised Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards but found the film "mid" overall. Still, $505 million global against a $200 million+ budget was a modest win for a property that has been cursed on screen for two decades.

The retro-futurist 1960s production design is gorgeous. The cast is uniformly strong. The script is the weak link — neither bold enough to reinvent nor faithful enough to satisfy purists.

Verdict: Imperfect but long overdue. The cast is strong enough that the inevitable sequel will likely deliver the Fantastic Four film fans deserve.