After DC’s Superman, Marvel’s new movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps brings back one of its oldest superhero teams in an exciting way. The movie has connections to the upcoming Avengers films and takes place in a fun, retro-future world with flying cars, colourful 1960s-style buildings and even a friendly robot helper.

If you’ve heard stories about the Fantastic Four from your parents, now you can see them for yourself. The team is made up of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who can stretch his body into almost any shape; Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who can turn invisible and make powerful force fields; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who can burst into flames and fly like a rocket; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who is super strong with rock-like skin. They didn’t always have powers. Once, they were normal people who went on a space mission. Out in space, strange cosmic rays hit them, giving each one their special abilities.

The movie is directed by Matt Shakman, who also made WandaVision. It starts in a world where the Fantastic Four are already famous heroes. Right away, we learn Reed and Sue are going to have a baby. But their happy news doesn’t last long — Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives from space with a warning: Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a giant, super-powerful villain, is coming to destroy Earth.

The team travels to meet Galactus, but he gives them a scary choice —he will spare Earth only if they give him the baby. This puts the heroes in a challenging situation. Some people on Earth even get mad at them for thinking about the offer. The story is about making hard choices, protecting the people you love and proving you can be trusted.

Sue Storm gets the most significant moments in the film. While Reed only stretches for a short time and Ben and Johnny don’t have as many big scenes, Sue shines as both a brave hero and a caring mother. In the end, she faces Galactus with courage, promising to fight until her last breath.

With exciting action, emotional moments, and an unforgettable villain, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a superhero adventure kids and families will enjoy — and it shows what it means to be a hero, someone who has tough choices, protecting others even when it’s hard and standing by your values no matter what.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 16th, 2025