Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps has hit theaters and like Thunderbolts* it’s a sign that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still capable of delivering strong films. Well directed by Shakman, bolstered by wonderful production design, and perfectly cast, it’s a great start for Phase 6. Speaking of the “perfectly cast” aspect, the film brings some heavy hitters into the MCU, but some are better than others. What follows is a ranking of the characters based on likability and how much they contribute to the narrative’s heft and momentum, from the core four, their robo-pal H.E.R.B.I.E. to the pair of villains.
But these are just the main characters, so no Lynne Nichols, CEO of the Future Foundation, Ted Gilbert, talk show host, Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser), or Natasha Lyonne’s Rachel Rozman. That said, Lyonne is a national treasure, so here’s hoping a future MCU project does more with her character than First Steps does.
7) H.E.R.B.I.E.
H.E.R.B.I.E. (or Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics) was a part of The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ marketing from the early days. And, as one might expect, he’s the source of some of the film’s best comedic beats. For instance, when he’s babyproofing the Baxter Building and Thing trips over a newly installed gate at the top of the staircase.
H.E.R.B.I.E. has a ton of personality for a character that never utters a word. It’s a helpful little guy who ably assists Reed Richards and, really, the remainder of the group with whatever they might need. It even helps Thing when he’s cooking dinner for the family. H.E.R.B.I.E. also actively looks out for the members of the group, even putting itself in front of little Franklin Richards when Galactus approaches the Baxter Building. Even still, H.E.R.B.I.E. doesn’t really contribute to the momentum of the narrative, so it (or, really, he) comes in last.
6) Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer
Julia Garner is one of the most talented performers of her generation (she even almost made Wolf Man work), but the silver-coasted Shalla-Bal is not really the type of role that allows her to strut her thespian stuff. However, she does a lot with the role even still. Shalla-Bal AKA the Silver Surfer is an alien from Zenn-La, a planet once visited by Galactus (it’s the one time we see her sans the silver). To protect her family and the planet’s other residents, she strikes a deal with Galactus to serve as his herald.
That part of the character is not different from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer‘s Norrin Radd. In fact, there isn’t much at all that’s different between the two takes on the character. This version of Silver Surfer has the same character arc as that version and both renditions of the character were brought to life via impressive visual effects and massively talented actors (the combination of Laurence Fishburne and Doug Jones in the 2007 film). The only real difference is that Silver Surfer was the absolute best part of Rise of the Silver Surfer whereas Silver Surfer is just a part of First Steps. That’s not a slight against the writing for the character nor is it a slight against Garner as much as it’s a statement that First Steps is overall an infinitely better film than Rise of the Silver Surfer.
5) Galactus
It actually makes some sense why Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer made Galactus a big lame cloud. For one, the special effects weren’t sophisticated enough in 2007 to make him remotely convincing. And two, the character’s design is a little silly, to the point it counteracts his tendency to devour entire planets.
First Steps makes the Kaiju-sized dude in a helmet and suit work via three tactics. One is that the movie’s tone is fairly conducive to this kind of literally larger-than-life type of villain. We’re on an alternate Earth that’s stuck in the ’60s, after all. Two, they hired an actor with great gravitas: Ralph Ineson. And three, they have Galactus not only as a being that wants to destroy his next planet and consume its resources, but also as a being that is specifically targeting an infant so he can get rid of his own hunger and make this infant live a life full of a comparable level of pain and discomfort. It’s likely Galactus is a one-off villain but given how he’s a top-tier adversary in Marvel Comics, never say never to a return.
4) Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic
While Pedro Pascal is one of the more lovable actors on the planet, his Reed Richards is the least lovable of the core four. However, that’s more due to the others being extremely lovable, as opposed to any fault regarding the writing behind the character or Pascal’s performance.
Pascal’s take on Mister Fantastic is easily the best to date, with Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller’s versions paling in comparison. The actor nails the character’s tendency to beat himself up when he can’t solve a problem, even when it’s a problem that no one on his planet has ever tried to tackle before. Reed is supposedly an integral part of the MCU going forward, perhaps even leading the Avengers, and given what we already know about him via this movie he seems a good choice. But there’s one member of the quartet who would be even better.
3) Johnny Storm / Human Torch
The Johnny Storm AKA Human Torch of Tim Story’s two movies was a playboy, which was a character trait wisely dropped from this new incarnation. Joseph Quinn’s version still has charm, but what he is first and foremost is an ambitious member of the team. That in and of itself is another departure from Chris Evans’ version (which was, admittedly, one of the stronger aspects of Story’s two movies). Evans’ take was more focused on playing jokes and having fun. This version wants to contribute, be it designing new suits (okay, that part is pretty in line with Evans’ version) or translating the language used by Shalla-Bal.
Quinn is an actor with a great amount of likability, and he imbues the character with every ounce of it. The movie doesn’t always seem quite sure what to do with Johnny Storm, but by film’s end we come to realize he’s the biggest hero of the four. After all, he is fully willing to sacrifice himself to keep Galactus away from his nephew. This Johnny Storm has a great heart and it’s exciting to see how integral he will be to the narrative of Avengers: Doomsday.
2) Ben Grimm / The Thing
Like how Batman’s parents being murdered and Peter Parker’s spider bite have been overdone, so too has the Thing’s anger about being turned into a rock monster. First Steps wisely sidesteps this perfectly understandable aspect of the character. In fact, First Steps largely skips past the whole origin of these characters save for a montage with narration by the aforementioned Ted Gilbert.
Here, he’s just the sweet-natured and loyal friend to Reed Richards, there’s no anger or resentment. He’s also a fine chef, likes to entertain neighborhood kids with his strengths, protective of his three family members just as he’s protective of the community, and later in the film rocks a rock beard. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is phenomenal in the role, like Michael Chiklis before him. This is also the most convincing the character has ever looked. Brought to life via a combination of motion capture, CGI, and a prosthetic suit, Thing looks excellent. Some of the CGI can be spotty, but nowhere near to the extent of the past few MCU movies e.g. Captain America: Brave New World and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
1) Sue Storm / Invisible Woman
The most layered character of the film’s core four is brought to life by the film’s most layered performance. Vanessa Kirby commands the screen as Sue Storm AKA Invisible Woman, bringing the character’s altruism and supportive nature to the forefront. She also nails the protective mother aspect and even manages to make an intergalactic birthing scene far less silly than it could have played onscreen.
Sue is the member of the team who can squash any squabbling between the group (not that there’s much of that). She can even convince every nation in the world to unite for a single cause, both in terms of her leadership of the Future Foundation and when it comes time to try to teleport the Earth to evade Galactus’ gurgling tummy. While Reed Richards is speculated to be the leader of the Avengers in the future, the job could also without a doubt go to Sue.
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