The first reactions to Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie are in, and it seems like there are a few surprises.
It’s been over six years since The Walt Disney Company first acquired the rights to create a Fantastic Four film, and yet we’re still waiting for the Mouse’s take on Marvel’s first family to hit theaters.
Fortunately, that day is right around the corner, with The Fantastic Four: The First Steps (2025) hitting the big screen next week. This sees Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn unite as the family in question as the Fantastic Four seek to protect their 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world from Galactus.
Considering its unique aesthetic, there has been a lot of hype around the film’s premise. It not only looks but feels markedly different from anything the studio has put out before – and considering its rollercoaster at the box office in recent years (Thunderbolts*, you deserved better), change can only be a good thing.
Early Reviews Heap Praise Upon Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm
If early reactions are anything to go by, we’re in for one of the best entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in years.
Entertainment journalist Brandon Davis claimed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the film – which some have nonsensically labelled a “woke” Marvel entry – is one of the “best things Marvel has ever done” and compared it to the likes of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (visually, at least).
Meanwhile, Next Best Picture editor-in-chief Matt Neglia took to the platform to claim that it certainly is “fantastic” with an “excellent” lead cast.
Specifically, Vanessa Kirby – who plays Sue Storm – has racked up extensive praise.
Reviews are claiming that she’s the film’s standout performer, with critics comparing her specifically to Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlett Witch.
Vannessa Kirby as Sue Storm is being compared to the likes of Yelena Belova and Wanda Maximoff.Early reactions are praising her stand-out performance as one of Marvel’s most iconic and formidable female heroes.
Vannessa Kirby as Sue Storm is being compared to the likes of Yelena Belova and Wanda Maximoff.
Early reactions are praising her stand-out performance as one of Marvel’s most iconic and formidable female heroes. pic.twitter.com/1DpHU03rCm
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 19, 2025
Olsen has long been recognized as one of the MCU’s most stellar performers, so a comparison of this caliber is no small feat.
As fans know from the trailer, Kirby’s Sue Storm follows a very different path from the average MCU superhero in Fantastic Four. Sue – AKA the Invisible Woman – is pregnant in the film, with Galactus requesting their child as the price to save the planet from destruction.
While it’s not totally clear how her story will play out on the big screen, equating her to the Scarlet Witch herself suggests that this can only be an emotional tale.
Are you excited for The Fantastic Four: The First Steps?
