Fantastic Four: First Steps – Full Spoiler Review & What It Means for the MCU

Jul 30

Greetings TimelyNerds!
Marvel’s First Family has finally arrived—and they brought diapers, teleportation towers, and a cosmic crisis with them. Fantastic Four: First Steps skips the slow burn and dives straight into space-time drama. Here’s our spoiler-filled breakdown of Marvel’s retro-futuristic reboot.

🎬 Plot in a Nutshell

No lab accidents, no slow build. This film opens on Earth-828, where the Fantastic Four are already a team—and Reed and Sue are prepping for parenthood. Their peaceful existence gets cosmic real fast when Silver Surfer arrives to deliver a chilling prophecy: Galactus is coming, and he wants the unborn Franklin Richards.

Instead of giving in, the team fights back—traveling through wormholes, evading neutron stars, and yes, delivering a baby in the middle of it all. Franklin is born mid-chaos, and Galactus still tries to eat Earth. Reed builds massive teleportation towers to save the planet, but only one remains intact—in New York.

What follows is a desperate gambit: lure Galactus into the last portal while evacuating the city and using baby Franklin as bait. It almost costs them everything—Sue dies shielding the portal—but Franklin’s mysterious Power Cosmic revives her. Talk about a miracle child.

And in a sneaky mid-credits scene, toddler Franklin meets a mysterious cloaked figure. Doctor Doom enters the chat.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Family Drama Meets Cosmic Soap Opera

What makes this film shine isn’t just the slick visuals—it’s the emotional core.

Reed struggles with being a father and protector of Earth.
Sue balances superhero strength with maternal sacrifice.
Johnny actually grows up (a bit).
Ben remains a rock—emotionally and literally.

The theme? Family first, everything else second. It’s what the Fantastic Four have always been about, and First Steps nails that vibe.

🎨 Visual Vibes & Retro Feels

Set in a ‘60s-style alt-universe, the film is dripping with retro-futurism: floating cars, reel-to-reel computers, and mid-century modern HQs.
Galactus is less cartoon villain and more cosmic horror.
Silver Surfer? Smooth, sleek, and surprisingly emotional.
Think Jetsons meets Interstellar, with comic book panels come to life.

🤯 Favorite WTF Moments

Sue’s space birth is easily one of the MCU’s most unique scenes ever.
Johnny’s emotional turn using distress signals to sway Silver Surfer.
Silver Surfer’s final sacrifice hits hard. She might be the film’s MVP.
Franklin’s resurrection moment opens up huge cosmic implications.

🤓 Comic Book Connections & Deep Cuts

The teleportation towers are a nod to Jack Kirby’s “Kirby Krackle” visuals.
Mole Man has a cameo and helps the team—yes, that Mole Man.
Opening cartoon is a direct homage to the 1967 Fantastic Four animated show.
Franklin Richards is canonically one of the most powerful mutants in Marvel Comics. This setup teases a LOT.

🎭 The Cast That Delivered

Pedro Pascal brings dad energy and quiet power as Reed.
Vanessa Kirby as Sue: commanding and compassionate.
Joseph Quinn: brings depth to Johnny without losing the flame.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben: not a ton of screen time, but all heart.
Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer: show-stealer. Period.

🧪 Final Verdict: 8.5/10

First Steps might be Marvel’s boldest Phase 6 entry yet. It doesn’t just reboot the team—it elevates them. There are a few pacing stumbles and character arcs that deserved more screen time (Ben, we see you), but this is the FF movie we’ve been waiting for.

Expect to see Franklin Richards again. And when Doom fully arrives… the MCU may never be the same.

👇 Your Turn, Nerds!

Have you seen Fantastic Four: First Steps yet? What was your favorite moment?
Do you think Franklin’s powers will shape Secret Wars? Let’s talk theories, easter eggs, and Doom hype in the comments below!