“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” makes all the right moves in ensuring that the bigger the screen you choose, the bigger the pay‑off.
The trailers reveal the big baddie—quite literally—in the form of Marvel Comics’ Galactus, aka the Devourer of Worlds. In IMAX, Galactus dominates. Even in digital IMAX formats, his presence swells across the expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio, filling the screen with the slow, monolithic grace of a god.
This sheer scale showcases the antagonist as a cosmic force beyond comprehension. Much like Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which used full-frame IMAX cameras to immerse audiences in visual intensity, “First Steps” uses the expanded screen real estate to its advantage. Director Matt Shakman ensures the villain carries his celestial weight on screen.
Of course, the villain is just one piece of the spectacle. The Fantastic Four are placed in a 1960s‑inspired retro‑futuristic world, where pocket watches coexist with sleek robots and retro uniforms—beautiful in isolation, intriguing within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While independent enough to stand on its own, there are still plenty of questions left unanswered for future ensemble stories.
The familiar quartet is cast foot-perfectly: Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss‑Bachrach). This version of the team feels more deeply connected—more family than colleagues. Johnny and Ben bring levity and chaos; Reed and Sue carry the emotional core, balancing love and leadership in equal measure.
Julia Garner as Shalla‑Bal (the Silver Surfer) also stood out. While presented as a metallic being, she is still able to express both command and sincerity even as she heralds Galactus’ arrival.
The score by Michael Giacchino reinforces tone and tension seamlessly, giving gravity to emotional beats and cosmic stakes alike. Dialogue occasionally struggles under the hybrid 1960s/2020s world-building, and at just under two hours (excluding post‑credit scenes), the pace wavers—sometimes dragging, then suddenly accelerating.
Although the MCU launched back in 2008 with “Iron Man,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” feels like a pivotal debut—an essential phase‑opening piece in the upcoming Disney‑Marvel saga, especially with mutants and new heroes expected to follow.