After years of missed opportunities and surface-level portrayals, ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ marks a significant leap forward for Marvel’s First Family and, most importantly, for Reed Richards. Past versions of the character emphasized Reed’s elastic powers and scientific genius.

First Steps is coming in lighter than projections in its first box office weekend with $117.6 million. Still records were broken.

That might sound like no big deal, but after 2023’s “The Marvels,” this spring’s fourth “Captain America” movie and “Thunderbolts*” all underperformed by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) standards, the new “Fantastic Four” may offer broader audience appeal by not pulling from other franchises.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has kicked off Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an impressive $118 million domestic box office haul from its opening weekend. That’s the fourth biggest domestic opening of 2025, behind A Minecraft Movie ($162 million), Lilo & Stitch ($146 million), and Superman ($125 million).

This iteration of the Fantastic Four has a standalone adventure without all the burden of the MCU's history and cast of characters.

That search now appears to be over with the phenomenal release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The film is being met with a wave of enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences alike, marking a significant and much-needed win for Marvel Studios.

First Steps wastes no time diving into the team’s beginnings, and it does so with an exciting nod to the comics. The movie opens with a montage of their origin story and their very first showdown with Mole Man.

"First Steps" promises to push the MCU out of its comfort zone, but the movie quickly retreats into a tired version of the same old story.

The best thing about First Steps is the aesthetic. It’s far and away my favorite part of this film, and that’s a problem because as much as I do enjoy a solid retrofuturistic aesthetic, it’s not enough to make a mediocre movie worth watching. This is all style over substance.

First Steps now playing in theaters, we've revised our ranking of the MCU's Multiverse Saga movies. Where does Marvel's First Family sit among this latest era of storytelling?

First Steps, now playing in theaters! The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest superhero installment to grace the silver screen, and its release is significant for Marvel Studios. After years of being unable to use the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to film rights,