Fantastic Four First Steps is a visually striking and thematically ambitious take on Marvel’s “First Family.” Having read the early comics, I appreciated how the film evokes the optimistic worldview of a time when humankind stood on the brink of space exploration. Yet while it aims to capture that spirit, it also sanitises the era it tries to portray.
The 1960s weren’t all sleek rockets and moon landings. Assassination, war, and civil unrest—JFK, Vietnam, and the violent targeting of civil rights leaders—shaped the decade. The film glosses over these realities. And while its alternate-universe setting may justify the omissions, the lack of historical weight ultimately weakens the choice to set the story in this time period at all. That’s because the narrative Stan Lee originally crafted contained all those themes, and it’s beautifully explored in the essay “How Did the Original ‘Fantastic Four’ Change Comics?” published on History.com.
Despite a committee-written script and Matt Shakman’s steady direction, the film’s strengths lie more in its aesthetic than its narrative. It’s full of promise—but frequently stumbles.
Spoiler Alert
When the original 60s animated Spider-Man series does not age well, that’s because the presentation is vastly outdated when compared to newer material. Interestingly, the latest take, Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, takes the best little bits from that series and mixes it up! I like the new score. Adding a touch of artistic nostalgia from the early comic books creates a winning formula and is part of this list.
As part of a united, animated universe, this series had its charm by offering animated takes of story arcs published in this century than prior. It makes for a good way to get “caught up” in more recent lore without having to read the original takes. The highlight is the Goblin War story-arc; what makes this series good is that it looks at trying to balance the life of Peter Parker, scientific genius, rather than just a hero.
Honestly, the live-action