Fantastic 4: It Doesn’t Suck
It finally happened: Marvel has released a movie in 2025 that doesn’t completely implode on impact. Yes, The Fantastic Four: First Steps might just be the best thing Marvel has put out in years. But before you raise your expectations too high, remember: that bar has been buried underground. With two cinematic flops already this year, and a Disney+ show so disastrous it’s almost impressive, Marvel hasn’t been desperate for a win like this since Phase One. In that context, Fantastic Four arrives not as a triumphant return to form but as a life raft. And hey, it floats.
So let’s echo what seems to be the new standard for superhero films: it doesn’t suck.
That statement is both a compliment and a criticism. Had Fantastic Four dropped during the Infinity Saga glory days, it probably would’ve been considered mid-tier, enjoyable but forgettable. But we live in a darker timeline now. Studios seem convinced that a handful of buzzwords and shallow virtue signaling can replace character arcs and coherent plots. So a film that simply tells a decent story, takes itself seriously, and lets emotional moments breathe feels like a minor miracle.
A Fantastic First Step
One of Fantastic Four’s biggest strengths is how detached it is from the bloated, continuity-heavy mess the MCU has become. There’s no homework to be done. You don’t need a flowchart or a PhD in Disney+ Lore Studies to understand what’s going on here. It’s a standalone story set in its own universe and timeline, which might sound like a recipe for confusion but instead feels like creative liberation. For once, the characters aren’t weighed down by 15 years of backstory and fan service, which already sets it apart from most of Marvel's recent output.
Even more shocking is that it actually takes itself seriously. Gone is the grating, try-hard “Marvel humor” that used to feel charming but has since become a meme. Instead, the film leans into earnestness. Serious moments are allowed to be serious, and emotional beats land without being undercut by snarky one-liners. The result is a movie that actually has heart, and that is something the MCU has been sorely lacking.
The marketing for this film also turned out to be very misleading. In the lead-up to release, many feared (with good reason) that Sue Storm would be elevated into yet another girlboss archetype, overshadowing the rest of the team. But that’s not the case here. Instead, the film does something even more radical. It tells the story of a team.
Sue Storm is smart, capable, and important without being a Mary Sue, while Mr. Fantastic is clearly the leader, as he should be. It’s the kind of character balance Marvel used to understand, and maybe, just maybe, they’re starting to remember how to tell stories that focus on people, not politics.
Vote For Pedro
Now, let’s address the elephant in the Baxter Building: Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, aka yet another role played by Pedro Pascal.
At this point, casting Pedro Pascal in anything feels less like a creative decision and more like a contractual obligation Hollywood made with a genie. You blink, and there he is, in your fantasy epic, in your post-apocalyptic road trip, in your Star War, in your animated spin-off, and now, in your Marvel reboot. It’s like Pedro Pascal is less of a man and more of a subscription plan. Sign up for Pedro+ and get him in five franchises, three accents, and at least one emotionally conflicted father figure per quarter.
To be clear, he’s good in this. He doesn’t ruin the film and brings the necessary gravitas, charm, and scientific mumbo-jumbo to sell the role of Reed Richards. But it’s hard not to feel a little fatigued. The man is talented, sure, but at this rate, he’s going to start playing himself in biopics about other actors.
His performance is solid. No complaints there. But in a movie that’s otherwise trying to feel fresh, bold, and disconnected from the usual Marvel baggage, casting the most omnipresent actor in modern media feels like a safe, predictable move.
So Back… Again
Fantastic Four is a step in the right direction. It’s not the massive win Marvel desperately needs, but it’s a sign that the studio hasn’t entirely forgotten how to make a good superhero movie. It's a faint pulse in a genre many feared was flatlining.
In a more hopeful time, this movie would’ve been a solid B. In 2025, it’s an A-minus, with a sigh of relief. Marvel isn’t back yet, but for the first time in a long time, they might be on their way.
