What Fantastic Four: First Steps Teaches Us About Being a Family
Marvel’s First Family is back on the screen, and more than superheroes, they are a family through and through
Fantastic Four: First Steps is finally showing Philippine cinemas, making it the third movie from Marvel and Disney this year. Since it was announced in 2024 that there would be a reboot, many questions have been raised about how this version will differ from the first two groups that took on the roles of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm.
This film, however, did something right, unlike its predecessors. It focused on family and a galactic being as the core of the story.
*Warning spoilers ahead*
Back to its roots
Set in an era inspired by the 1960s, we see the four members Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) – in the present. We discover that they already have their powers after their time in space.
Reed and Sue were in the bathroom when Sue discovered that she was pregnant. Surprised and taken aback by the news, Reed eventually rejoices that he’s going to be a father.
Flashbacks were shown since they returned from space. Reed teaches kids, and in between, he would be busy in his lab. Sue, on the other hand, regularly speaks at the United Nations, while Johnny and Ben, known as the Thing, would rescue people from harm.
Ben and Johnny asked why Reed and Sue were late, since they were never late during dinner. The couple looked at each other, unsure how to tell the pregnancy until Ben told Sue, “Are you pregnant?” with Sue nodding.
Screenshot from Marvel
Ben and Johnny expressed their excitement over the news, saying they can’t wait to be uncles. When news reaches the public, they ask if the baby will be born with superpowers.
Reed, despite his nervousness as a first-time dad, wasted no time in prepping their headquarters and home, instructing their robot Herbie to babyproof the areas.
During a moment, Reed and Ben talk about the changes that are happening after their time in space and Sue’s pregnancy. When Reed tries to bring up what happened in space that caused Ben’s transformation, he stops his best friend, telling him not to beat himself up.
Photo from Marvel/Disney
The unexpected guest arrives
The four were discussing life and the anticipation of the baby after watching the sky from the balcony, when they saw a red explosion in the sky. They immediately went to investigate, with Reed telling Johnny to check it out as the other board, the Fantastic car.
Johnny does a close-up and sees a woman in silver on a surfboard. He joins the other members on the ground of Times Square.
The woman asks them: “Are you the protectors of the Earth?” Sue answers yes.
Photo from Marvel/Disney
The alien woman, later revealed as the Silver Surfer, replied that Earth has been marked for death and that it will be destroyed by a cosmic being known as Galactus in a short time. As she flew away, Johnny tried to catch up to her, only to fail.
Bothered by the news, the Fantastic Four began to plan ways to stop the invasion, deciding to return to space. When they reached Galactus, they were met by the Silver Surfer, who brought them to him. Johnny later asks the Silver Surfer about the message she left, and she explains it to him.
The four finally meet Galactus, and they try to negotiate. He then tells the four that, in exchange for not harming Earth, they must surrender Reed and Sue’s unborn child to the shock of the four. Reed pleads, saying he’s normal, but Galactus tells them that their child has powers like his and that he was hiding it from them. The team refused, and they ran away as the Silver Surfer chased them.
Photo from Marvel/Disney
Amid the chase, Sue starts having contractions with Ben and Johnny piloting the Excelsior as Reed helps Sue give birth. After shaking away the Silver Surfer, Sue gives birth to her and Reed’s son Franklin.
Family first
Upon their return from space, they were bombarded with questions asking how they were able to defeat Galactus. Reed admitted they weren’t able to beat him, saying that the price of giving their son to him was too much to bear.
The decision was met with dismay from the public, questioning the Fantastic Four and their existence. After an argument with Reed, Sue comes out of their headquarters holding Franklin and introduces him to the public. She began by telling them about her and Johnny’s story and how their father’s death changed everything.
Photo from Marvel/Disney
She knew everyone was afraid of what was to come, most especially with Galactus approaching Earth. But she tells them: “Family is about connecting to something bigger than yourself. We’ll face it together as a family.”
Saving the Earth and Realizations
Reed then comes up with a plan by teleporting Earth away from Galactus. Dozens of gates have been installed, and as the team prepares the teleportation, each gate was slowly destroyed by the Silver Surfer. Johnny confronts her, revealing that she was Shaila-Bal, another person from a different planet, who offered herself to help Galactus in exchange for sparing her home.
Johnny then makes her listen to the crying voices of different aliens whose homes were destroyed by Galactus. He then tells her it’s not too late to help them, but she tells him otherwise.
The team then uses Franklin as bait to get Galactus to Earth to trap him in a black hole. They lure him to the portal, and Galactus senses Franklin. He is then distracted by the members as they put a decoy and get Franklin away from harm. But Galactus senses his location at their building and goes after Franklin. The team tries to distract him once more, but they are outnumbered.
Photo from Marvel/Disney
Galactus finally gets Franklin in his hand and is about to control him when Sue blasts her invisible powers, telling him, “Let go of my son!”
Reed rushes to get Franklin, while Ben charges to help Sue, and Johnny prepares the portal. Sue was finally able to lure him to the portal, but fainted from exhaustion. Galactus tries to get out of the portal, and Johnny is about to sacrifice himself until the Silver Surfer bumps him off, sucked into the black hole with Galactus.
Meanwhile, Reed goes to Sue and tries to wake her up. Overcome with grief, he cries and puts Franklin in the arms of his mother, who presses his hands on her and wakes her up. Reed and Sue later realize that his powers have awakened.
Photo from Marvel/Disney
The movie ends with the team now with Franklin in tow and about to appear on a TV show, but they rush off to save the world, with some baby gear adjustments along the way.
Why First Steps is Worth Watching
Although met with some skepticism, Fantastic Four: First Steps is worth watching because it focuses on the core of who the team is about – family. They may be superheroes, but they are also human, who are afraid, worried, and fear for the people they love.
Vanessa Kirby, who played Sue Storm, not only portrayed a mom; she showed that as a mother, she’ll do anything for the sake of her son, sacrificing herself for him. Sue is the heart and soul of the team, like she has been depicted in the past shows and comic books.
Photo from Marvel/Disney
Coincidentally, Vanessa is pregnant in real life and is now expecting her first child.
Joseph Quinn, playing Johnny Storm, was depicted as a heartthrob, but we saw how Johnny is smart, analyzing the Silver Surfer’s message and background. It was a side of the character that had not been tackled much in the past movies.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing depicted his softness and strong heart despite the physical transformation. He was also Reed’s counterpart, reminding him that there’s life more than being busy in the lab.
Last is Reed Richards, played by Pedro Pascal. Pedro is perhaps one of the most popular actors today, and as Mr. Fantastic, his portrayal was one of the best. He was a man of Science, always looking for answers to problems, but later realized that sometimes asking family and common sense are answers to problems.
Overall, Fantastic Four: First Steps is a movie worth watching, not just because of its message, but also because it teaches kids what Science can and cannot answer at times.
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