It seems that The Fantastic Four have been difficult to adapt to a movie. Personally, I didn’t think the early 2000s Fantastic Four films were that bad. They were cheesy, sure, but I think there were far worse superhero movies than them. There was that one reboot, which I’m not even going to bother looking up. Now, Marvel has finally decided to take on the Fantastic Four, so they can be incorporated into their cinematic universe. It makes sense; the Fantastic Four are a huge part of the comics and the Avengers’ storylines in particular. The Fantastic Four: First Steps was excellent and has a unique approach to the superhero franchise.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps follows the Fantastic Four, comprising Sue Storm (played by Vanessa Kirby), Reed Richards (played by Pedro Pascal), The Thing (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Johnny Storm (played by Joseph Quinn). They have been established superheroes for a few years, and the world has grown to love them. During the evening, Earth is visited by the Silver Surfer (played by Julia Garner), and she warns Earth that Galactus is coming for them. The world looks to the Fantastic Four, who fly off into space looking for Galactus and hoping to stop them. When Galactus asks for something that the Fantastic Four can’t give, they rush back to Earth and try to figure out how they will protect the planet.

If you’re going into The Fantastic Four: First Steps hoping for some action-packed fight scenes, you might be disappointed. At the center of this film is science, and using science to solve a problem. I think it’s endearing that the Fantastic Four genuinely do not know what they are going to do. The world looks to them to fight everything, but it also makes this movie more real that the heroes don’t know what to do. After watching Superman recently, I feel The Fantastic Four: First Steps offers a different approach to superhero films.

One thing that I feel this movie captures that previous Fantastic Four films did not was the importance of family. Sue realizes that Galactus wants her child and refuses to give him up. She speaks to Earth in an eloquent speech that she will protect her son, but she will also protect them. The last half of the movie, when Sue is fighting Galactus, and it’s clear that she is motivated to protect her son, I was getting emotional. To be fair, I cry at most movies, but I think it speaks to a mother’s love for her child.

I’m glad that this movie wasn’t terrible. Similar to Superman and how James Gunn had a lot riding on this, I’d say there was a lot on Marvel for making this movie good. Fantastic Four has been all over the place, so I’m glad to see that it is possible to make a great adaptation for the Fantastic Four. This movie also sets up Avengers: Doomsday, and I’m excited to see the Fantastic Four appear with the other heroes.