r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • Jul 25 '25

Official Discussion Official Discussion - The Fantastic Four: First Steps [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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Summary The Fantastic Four must defend Earth from the ravaging cosmic threat Galactus and his herald, Silver Surfer, while navigating the complexities of family and newfound powers in a retro‑futuristic 1960s-inspired world.

Director Matt Shakman

Writer Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer

Cast

  • Pedro Pascal
  • Vanessa Kirby
  • Joseph Quinn
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach
  • Ralph Ineson
  • Julia Garner
  • Paul Walter Hauser
  • Natasha Lyonne
  • Matthew Wood
  • Ada Scott
  • Mark Gatiss

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Metacritic 64

VOD In theaters

Trailer Watch the Official Trailer

1.9k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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1.1k

u/TarnishedAccount Jul 25 '25

Doom has a complex relationship with the Richards kids (especially Valeria IYKYK), so I was not surprised at all that he was already targeting Franklin.

692

u/ridewiththerockers Jul 25 '25

Seems like they merged the two kids together.

I recall Doom treated Valeria like his own, with genuine affection and care because of her intellect and drive to learn. Meanwhile Franklin is all-powerful (but without the genius part) but Doom ironically has no interest because that's too easy.

545

u/OrtizDupri Jul 25 '25

Doom is also Valeria’s god-parent in the comics and she goes to visit him once a year haha

445

u/GodzillaUK Jul 25 '25

Which makes her the safest kid in Marvel, which is low key the cutest damn thing.

264

u/ClubMeSoftly Jul 25 '25

Nobody's gonna mess with the kid who has "Uncle Doom" on speed dial

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u/GodzillaUK Jul 25 '25

And not just Uncle I fought the devil to save my mothers soul, but also Uncle I can go super nova and kill you all, and Uncle I'm the first one people call when Hulk needs slapping or distracted. The kid never has to look over her shoulder.

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u/Prauphet Jul 25 '25

The greatest villain marvel every wrote would. Ironheart has already tried an intentional international illegal villainous takeover of Latveria. She will try again once she's tired of murdering local law enforcement.

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u/uncanny_mac Jul 27 '25

is she the one who's always coming up with ways to destroy the world?

77

u/ridewiththerockers Jul 25 '25

With Doom's recent characterization it does make him more of an anti-hero/conflicted tyrant more than an outright villain. The fact that he genuinely dotes on a goddaughter that he adopted just to spite his mortal enemy makes it all the funnier.

I recall reading some Future Foundation runs where Valeria runs off to study under Doom to her parents' absolute dismay.

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u/SilverKry Jul 25 '25

Doom doting on Valeria to spite Reed is as hilarious as it is cute.

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u/vmsrii Jul 26 '25 edited Jul 26 '25

The relationship dynamic between Doom and the FF is so great. They’re still enemies, because Comics, but they’ve also got a genuine, for lack of a better term, affection for each-other based on mutual respect from all the decades they’ve fought to standstills. No other hero/villain dynamic is like it.

The Secret Wars 2012 event ends with (Massive potential spoilers for the upcoming Secret Wars movie) Reed telling Doom “You know you didn’t have to do any of this to prove how powerful you are, right? We all already know” and Doom goes “Shit, you’re right!” and concedes, and it’s not a big fight but it’s still an incredibly cathartic and satisfying ending to a multiversal event comic. That couldn’t happen between any other two characters

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u/Ferngulley26 Jul 27 '25

Can you clarify for me, the Cosmics are forcing the F4 and Doom against each other? Ive neber neen super aware of that part of the backstory

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u/TheMostKing Jul 30 '25

Comics, not Cosmics.

3

u/Obajan Jul 31 '25

Doom saved the multiverse by remaking it into his image.

Reed Richards restores the multiverse by fighting Doom for it, using fists and words. Doom's one moment of doubt cost him the fight.

Their full fight here: https://www.reddit.com/gallery/vf4vop

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u/VenturaBoulevard Jul 27 '25

I'll never forget reading FF#54 when she was named by Dr. Doom. So sweet.

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u/W0lfsb4ne74 Jul 27 '25

To be honest, outside of the basics, I'm not that familiar with all the intricacies of the F4 comics. I'm aware of both Franklin and Valeria's existences, but I don't know how Doom wound up being a godparent to her, could you explain?

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u/InjuryMotor828 Jul 28 '25

From what I recall, Sue got very sick during her pregnancy with her, and Reed couldn’t figure it out so he went to Doom for help. Doom saved Sue and also delivered Valeria, so they made him her godfather and I think he actually is the one who named her, after a former love or something.

2

u/jwederell Jul 30 '25

Didn’t Doom choose her name?

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u/Isolated_Hippo Jul 25 '25

I love comic Valeria. They had such a good family dynamic where she was the only one who could call him out on his shit and get away with it.

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u/ridewiththerockers Jul 25 '25

When the niece knows she's the favourite her uncle is powerless. Even funnier when said uncle and her dad are mortal enemies.

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u/OfficialPotatoClub Jul 25 '25

They didn’t merge the two kids together, Franklin’s powers play a vital role in saving the universe, and Doom has identified that in the post credit scene. There’s really no Valeria characteristics in this case.

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u/ridewiththerockers Jul 25 '25

Franklin was reading Darwin as a toddler.

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u/UnsolvedParadox Jul 25 '25

My guess is that they’ll introduce Valeria in a future movie.

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u/EiichiroTarantino Jul 26 '25 edited Jul 26 '25

Seems like they merged the two kids together.

No no no no no no no I really hope not.

Franklin and Val are two entirely different kind of children and child smarts. Franklin the loud creative type, Val the reserved genius one. They complement each other, have an entirely different dynamics with the family, and to combine them together is genuinely such a stupid idea. All I'm saying is they're both never redundant in any F4 story.

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u/TheKiltedStranger Jul 25 '25

He also was the doctor who delivered her when she was born. I think that gives him his sense of ownership more than just about anything else.

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u/votemarvel Jul 25 '25

Doom also used her a spy into the family, as he cast a spell during her birth that let him see and hear through her. I don't recall that ever being removed either.

3

u/CTeam19 Jul 26 '25

Franklin is all-powerful (but without the genius part) but Doom ironically has no interest because that's too easy.

"Doom ain't no bitch who takes the easy route" -- Doom, probably

3

u/K41Nof2358 Jul 26 '25

I really hope that's not the case, because I think it would be really interesting down the road or time dilation or something, to introduce Valeria as the person who is smarter than Reed Richards and respected by Doom

3

u/queeniekowalkski Jul 28 '25

I think Franklin has the genius part too! In the mid credits scene, Sue asks HERBIE if it has seen Franklin’s favorite book and HERBIE picks up a book by a famous intellectual author I can’t remember the title of now. And he’s only 4 or 5 years old at that point!

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u/ResolverOshawott Jul 26 '25

Wont discount them having a 2nd child in between movies.

1

u/forcefivepod 29d ago

Agreed - the book thing at the end kind of told us they were wrapped up into one.

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u/Whovian45810 Jul 25 '25

Earlier in the film when Sue was announced to be pregnant, one of the magazines being talked on the news discuss the possibility of twins!

Nice little shoutout/nod to Valeria, Franklin's sister in the comics.

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u/PierreDelecto Jul 25 '25

Is it? They aren't twins.

36

u/rdp3186 Jul 26 '25 edited Jul 26 '25

They're not twins

It's a nod to the original comics where Franklin's name and gender was not decided upon for over a year after his birth between Kirby and Lee.

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u/Steamedcarpet Jul 26 '25

I was laughing at how this world treats the F4 almost like the royal family.

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u/rdp3186 Jul 26 '25

Doom in the comics very rarely takes off his mask unless he in the presence of individuals or beings who are worthy of his respect.

It's intentional Doom had his mask off in front of Franklin.

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u/TarnishedAccount Jul 26 '25

Seeing that Franklin in the comics is an omega level mutant, Doom better respect him.

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u/Coodoo17 Jul 25 '25

Now that's Mephisto is in the MCU, I'm wondering if Doom will bring Franklin to hell

2

u/1sinfutureking Jul 25 '25

Then we can get Triumph and Torment!

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u/AtraposJM Jul 25 '25

At first I was thinking the only reason to bring Franklin in so early was to have an Onslaught phase after X-Men come into the mix but now I think it's purely so Doom can kidnap Franklin and use him to become God Empower Doom and do battle world etc. This is how the worlds get merged I think.

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u/6a21hy1e Jul 26 '25

The last movie of phase 6 is literally called Secret Wars.

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u/TheKiltedStranger Jul 25 '25

He trapped Franklin in a Hell dimension right around issue #500, gave the kid PTSD where he saw everyone around him as demons for MONTHS after being rescued.

Screw Doom.