My Initial Thoughts? It’s Fantastic! (The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

February 5, 2025

The Fantastic Four: First Steps promotional image of the four members: (from left to right) The Thing, Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, and Human Torch. — *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* promotional image of the team

Well folks! Yesterday was an exciting day. The general public finally got to see the first trailer for the highly anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While there have been teases here or there and short pieces of footage shown as major Disney events, this marked the full push of Marvel’s advertising for their First Family.

Every few years, there’s a movie where the hype gets the best of me. The last movie I can think of that had this effect on me was Evil Dead Rise in 2023. But this the buildup to this trailer and its release… they’ve really gotten to me.

A Fantastic Trailer

There’s an art to a good trailer. Sometimes, great trailer editors can even make a bad movie look like art (I’m specifically thinking of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” trailer for Suicide Squad). I think this trailer checked all the boxes for me. The trailer opens on a mid-century modern apartment where Reed Richards and Sue Storm (played by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby respectively) show a well-dressed man around while talking about dinner. After we see the awesome retro version of the Marvel Studios logo, we see the Thing (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) talk to Herbie the robot.

Now, I know I already said that the hype had gotten to me, so take this with a grain of salt, but… the trailer could’ve ended here for me. The mid-century modern/retro-futuristic aesthetic, blend of practical effects and CGI, and great portrayls of the characters all swept me off my feet. I especially have to give props to the Thing’s look; seeing him in both his Fantastic Four suit and coat and fedora disguise was incredible, and they both look awesome.

The Thing tries a sauce in the Fantastic Four trailer. — Whether he’s trying sauces or wearing a hat, I think the Thing looks, well… you know what I’m gonna say.

And this kinda goes for all of the characters. In someways, this trailer feels more like a teaser, but we do get to see each of the characters shine for just a moment.

My Non-Galactus Sized Reservations

While not huge, I do have a few initial reservations. While generally the effects, shots, and lighting look super unique for a Marvel blockbuster, there were a few moments where backgrounds looked a bit flat or the effects weren’t quite there for me. One shot comes to mind is when we see a closeup of Sue using her powers. It didn’t look bad persay, but with how great and different the rest of the movie looks, it would just be a shame if some portions ended up looking a little flat. And especially for this shot, it could just be that the effects they use for her powers kinda warp the screen a little bit. So ultimately, I’m not too concerned, but Marvel has been letting me down recently with some flat backgrounds and spotty CGI.

I wasn’t in love with the dialogue in the trailer, too. I’m sure it’s integrated into the movie better, but Reed’s conversation with Sue didn’t hit quite how I wish it did. Once again, this could ultimately be totally fine in the final movie, but I just wanted to point out that there are a few concerns I have.

Final Thoughts

The Fantastic Four members in their space suits

I am so excited for this movie. While I’m looking forward to James Gunn’s Superman, I must say, I think The Fantastic Four: First Steps may win out for me in terms of hype. In general, though, it feels great to look forward to new, fresh comic book movies again. 2024 was a pretty big bummer in terms of comic book and superhero content, so it’s exciting to have some new stories that look really exciting. And I’m very excited for this iteration of the Fantastic Four to take their first steps on the big screen.