Critics had their say on The Fantastic Four: First Steps earlier this week, and following an early international release and Thursday previews, fans and moviegoers are finally weighing in on the Marvel Studios reboot.
With over 2500 verified ratings on Rotten Tomatoes' Popcornmeter, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has an excellent 93% score. That's higher than Superman (92%), the same as Thunderbolts* (93%), and quite a bit above Captain America: Brave New World (76%).
The movie's Tomatometer score currently sits at 88% based on 235 reviews. While Thunderbolts* received a similar level of acclaim, it also failed to crack $400 million at the worldwide box office.
Fortunately, there appears to be far more interest in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Marvel Studios has successfully marketed it as an event movie, and as a largely standalone tale set on a separate Earth, it's likely to be a far more welcoming prospect than a feature led by streaming characters (Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has said he didn't want this reboot to feel like it required "homework").
Marvel's First Family starred in four movies—one of which wasn't ever released—before this effort, but it's filmmaker Matt Shakman who has finally done right by the beloved superhero team for their long-awaited MCU debut.
In our review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we concluded, "The Fantastic Four is an exceptional introduction to the MCU’s First Family, and thanks to a Jack Kirby-infused feel that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, it proves to be a quintessential superhero movie with Marvel Studios at its brilliant best.
Have you seen The Fantastic Four: First Steps yet? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
Also appearing are Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman, Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder/Mole Man, Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols, and Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert. John Malkovich was set to play Red Ghost, but was cut due to time constraints.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay by Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer.
The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.