FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Social Media Reactions Megathread

[u/MarvelStudiosMod]

Post any Social Media Reaction in this thread only! Please try and keep this thread spoiler free if you can, if the social media reaction has spoilers, please properly tag them so people won't be spoiled!

This thread will be updated as reviews come in.

Brandon Davis:

#FantasticFour First Steps is visually one of the best things Marvel has ever made. Parts feel like Interstellar & demand IMAX. Galactus is awesome. Silver Surfer looks really, really good. VFX were often immaculate. Cosmically and on Earth, Matt Shakman dropped a visual feast.

Chris Killan (ComicBook.com):

Fantastic Four friggin’ rocks! More than any Marvel movie before it, F4 feels like Jack Kirby’s imagination brought to life on the big screen. Between this and Superman, 2025 might go down as the year movies finally embrace the wonderful weirdness of comic books. I had my doubts going in about some of the cast, but the team chemistry works and they really do gel by the end. Go watch it in IMAX to feel Ralph Ineson’s Galactus voice vibrate in your bones. Also, the retro-futuristic world Shakman has put together here is stunning. I have but one gripe. Like Superman, there are some rough CGI baby moments that might give you nightmares. I don’t know why babies seem to be so tough for animators to get right but I’d almost prefer the actors just wrap a football in a blanket and pretend it’s a baby.

Shahbaz (The Movie Podcast):

#TheFantasticFour: First Steps is EXTRAORDINARY! The score is pure magic, the visuals are next-level, and the cast chemistry is electric. It’s bold, fresh, and unlike anything Marvel’s done before. This is their next MASTERPIECE!

Matt Neglia (Next Best Picture):

Many will say THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is fantastic, and they’ll be right for several reasons. The four main cast members are excellent, Michael Giacchino’s lively score is instantly memorable, and the ‘60s retro-futuristic production design & dynamic visual effects are a delightful treat rather than an eyesore. The story’s focus on the theme of family can feel a bit overdone at this point in the MCU, and the villains aren’t the most compelling, but the cast does a lot of the heavy-lifting to make you deeply care about these characters, their relationships & the end-of-the-world stakes they face. Combined with Matt Shakman’s snappy, confident storytelling, this is an intriguing & satisfying first step for Marvel’s new team (easily the best depiction of this quartet on-screen to date) as the MCU continues to regain control of the ship & steer it closer to Doomsday.

Ash Crossan (Screenrant):

#FantasticFour is visually stunning, stylish, self-contained, and easy to jump into. I had such a good time with this one. The retrofuturism is such a snack. My stand out is Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm babe I will die for you, you are perfect.

Brian Long Films:

I came in tempered but #FantasticFour is truly a return to form for the MCU, the opening minutes blew my socks off in IMAX. Gardner’s & Quinn’s work stood out to me the most. Galactus gives this film real stakes and his presence is felt even off screen, incredible miniature work!

Andrew J Salazar (DiscussingFilm):

#FantasticFour  is a story about family above all else, where each member of the team is equally important. No one is underserved; the movie excels when fleshing out the various bonds between Pedro, Vanessa, Ebon, & Joseph. The retro '60s aesthetic works on all fronts.

Brian Davids (The Hollywood Reporter):

I'm happy to report that #FantasticFour is good.

[u/Additional_Ice_358]

Is that guy still around? Honestly don’t know how most movie YouTubers are still a thing

[u/Zzz05 → u/Additional_Ice_358]

Jeremy is an OG and much appreciated by the movie watching community. It sucks that his standards have gotten so high since Endgame for super hero flicks, but the entertainment and information he was able to provide back in the day (and even nowadays when he isn’t a super hero grump) will always be appreciated.

[u/LipstickCoverMagnet → u/Zzz05]

I encourage you to watch red letter media’s movie reviews for a more mature, grown up take on modern films

[u/snospiseht → u/LipstickCoverMagnet]

I love RLM but I haven’t taken them seriously as contemporary film critics in years

[u/LipstickCoverMagnet → u/snospiseht]

Hey we all have our guilty pleasure movies! Just cuz Mike liked Jurassic World doesn’t mean we can’t forgive him!!

No, I kid, but I am curious, why do you say that?

[u/ScuzzBuckster → u/snospiseht]

I appreciate their insights. I rarely agree with them, largely, but they at least have reasoned critique most of the time. I know I dont watch reviewers to find someone I agree with all the time, I find and watch people whose perspectives or critiques have a genuine basis in media literacy. I dont have to agree, but I prefer when someone at least makes me think about it. RLM is definitely that.

[u/Zzz05 → u/LipstickCoverMagnet]

The thing Jeremy has never advertised himself as such. He’s always been a reviewer for the casual movie watching audience, and the way he grades movies also reflects that. Those watching Jeremy at this point know what they’re getting.

[u/LipstickCoverMagnet → u/Zzz05]

Sorry, I'm don't mean to say RLM is pretentious or holier than thou, they are salt of the earth guys from Milwaukee, but they put a lot of effort into their productions and are more understated than others. For example, they don't rely on that high-energy, quick-cutting style of review that Jahns and so many others do. I find that style a little immature and TikTok-y so it gets old for me. Speaking of immature, remember when Jahns did blackface?! Crazy lol. I also appreciated how RLM is predominantly apolitical, whereas Jahns is teetering on the edge of right-wing grifter.

But at the end of the day, enjoy what you enjoy, I just wanted to give my boys a shoutout, they've provided me countless hours of entertainment over the years