A test screening for The Fantastic Four: First Steps took place earlier this week, and reactions soon found their way online. Those were shared by Jeff Sneider, Daniel Richtman, and @MyTimeToShineH, with the recurring theme being that the movie is "meh."
Now, the person who provided at least one of the trio with this information (their scoops parroted each other, meaning they either share a source or distributed the information between themselves) has come forward to set the record straight.
"I've been seeing a lot of reporting on anecdotes and facts that I recognized as my own," the test screening attendee wrote. "I wanted to debunk some misinterpretations I've heard. [No] one screamed 'mid' in the audience. There was a guy next to me sighing and flapping his hands around. When the movie was over I asked him his opinion, and he said 'it was mid.'
"I told this story on [Discord] right after I left. Certain insiders have blown this story out of proportion, [saying] that some lunatic [screamed] 'mid' in the theater. This is 100% untrue...there was an employee asking around random people for their reactions. I heard a lot of 'Excellents' the highest rating on the survey."
They added that the film is fast-paced, "but not a mess" and said their issues with the movie were things like Reed Richards not turning "into any crazy shapes" and The Thing not having a Brooklyn accent. However, they acknowledged that they're a big comic book fan and said such nitpicks are unlikely to bother regular moviegoers (a lack of character development may, however, be problematic).
As we write this, Richtman has apologised, @MyTimeToShine has removed their X post, and Sneider has said nothing. It seems the telephone game got way out of control, with facts misinterpreted or spun to sound more negative.
While we're not suggesting anyone has deliberately miscontrued the reaction to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, negativity does typically fuel social interactions and subscriptions more than good news. And, as we've repeatedly pointed out, this was ultimately just one opinion from the many people in attendance at the screening.
Oh, and those claims that Marvel Studios has only publicly screened its bad movies? We've done some digging, and Deadpool & Wolverine also had a public test screening; reviews for that were positive, and it was a huge box office hit last summer.
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.
Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have been cast in mystery roles. Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom is rumoured to appear, though that's surely a given with Avengers: Doomsday on the way.
Director Matt Shakman worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on The Fantastic Four: First Steps' screenplay, with Eric Pearson (Black Widow) later coming on board for a final polish.
The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.