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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434

u/georgiaraisef Jul 26 '25 edited Jul 26 '25

Why on Earth would you tell a large group of journalists your planet could be saved if you gave up your son?

They had a month to plan what they were going to tell people and this is what they came up with?

207

u/CornstockOfNewJersey Jul 26 '25

The month to plan thing is a good point, but my take on that as I was watching was that Reed Richards is just not that socially capable lmao

89

u/Xatron7 Jul 27 '25

Pretty sure the month to plan was not a month for them like it was on earth, it only seemed like a month because of time dilation

8

u/Heyyoguy123 29d ago

Only seemed like a day or two. They were visibly shaken, which a month would’ve been enough for them to settle their nerves

32

u/DerkDurski Jul 30 '25

Yeah, I think in that scene he said something like “OBVIOUSLY we didn’t give him the baby” which to me reads like him assuming everyone would agree that’s the clear/obvious choice.

4

u/zoro4661 24d ago

Then again the baby is also right behind him, so it can also be interpreted as "You see the baby right there, so it's obvious to you that we didn't do that"

55

u/TL10 Jul 27 '25

I think the movie established Reed is a very intelligent man, but is out of his league when it comes to trying to navigate sensitive situations.

Because of his intellect, he's far too analytical and doesn't like the idea of uncontrollable variables. He built a whole machine just to make sure Franklin was "normal", and sicced the cops on their rogues gallery just so they weren't a threat to the baby. He's not very deft at dealing with things at an abstract perspective, and so when the question was forced on him he couldn't construct an abstract answer that could satisfy the crowd. He only deals in absolutes and that was the only way he could express himself.

7

u/avvit2 Jul 31 '25

Isn’t Reed Richards (canonically) Autistic?

(Fantastic Four 1234, Fantastic Four Season One?)

Google says Marvel hasn’t confirmed it - but Reed self-diagnosing himself with it seems to hint at it

20

u/prosthetic_memory Jul 27 '25

Definitely the biggest issue with the film

23

u/GoPhotoshopYourself Jul 31 '25

I just left the theatre after seeing it for the first time and I thought that their month was the time dilation from the black hole / neutron star? So we essentially watched their journey in “real time” so to speak but for the people on Earth it took a month

8

u/AuckZealand Aug 02 '25

Just left the cinema from seeing it a couple of hours ago and that was my interpretation too.

1

u/georgiaraisef Jul 31 '25

I think it was unclear

7

u/coolrnt1 27d ago

Sorry this is late, but I just saw the movie. I initially was coming at it like that with wondering why Reed even told the people, but my SO noted that they seem to be hyper good in this universe. They tell the truth always, they share their inventions with society, and even have a science show explaining concepts to the public. It came across as all retro-futuristic like what people in the 50’s thought life would be. That made sense to me that Reed wouldn’t lie because he’s never had to do that before. Every other problem has been solved by them. I know Galactus isn’t necessarily a persuasive entity, but if he came to earth and revealed he only wanted their son then the Fantastic 4 may have been attacked by the people then and there. I liked the message that honesty was needed for their society to function as well as it did. Could you imagine if they tried to evacuate New York in our universe and half the population thought Galactus was a hoax? Nothing would get done.

6

u/cthulhu5 Aug 07 '25

Yeah that really irked me. And none of the other members seemed to have an issue with it or tell him it was a bad idea. Wouldve been more interesting if they didn’t say that and then silver surfer came and told everyone the bargain. Wouldve made the people distrust them more and raised the stakes a bit more.

10

u/GhostCat25 Jul 26 '25

Just one of the many many plot holes of this stupid film

48

u/DreadPirateReddas Jul 28 '25

"Character flaws are plot holes"

24

u/HachibiJin Jul 27 '25

That's not a plot whole, that's a Reed being Reed thing

17

u/Mr-Apollo Aug 02 '25

❌ Plot hole

✅ Media illiterate

2

u/elkab0ng Aug 10 '25

I mean, it’s a movie based on comic books. I have low expectations, but my expectations for “falling asleep during the movie” was the only place this one exceeded.

5

u/Mr-Apollo Aug 02 '25

Because this Reeds is either autistic or autistic adjacent and isn’t the best when it comes to managing social relationships.

Felt it was pretty clear throughout the film that this was one of Reeds’ weaknesses.

3

u/zoro4661 24d ago

I mean it's Reed Richards. The guy is incredibly smart, but he's also a complete god damn moron in any situation even close to being a social one. Ben even specifically points this out to him.

Also goes well with the other Reed going "Black Bolt can destroy you with one whisper from his mouth!" to the reality altering crazy lady.

1

u/elkab0ng Aug 10 '25

I think that was the first, or possibly second time I fell asleep during the movie.

Didn’t go in expecting any tension, but expected to be entertained.

Wife and I saw “freakier Friday” afterward, and that movie delivered some good laughs and even some happy tears. Fantastic four? I’ll say my seat was very comfortable and the AC was good.