The Fantastic Four: First Steps–A Marvel Movie with a Pro-Life Pulse

The Fantastic Four: First Steps–A Marvel Movie with a Pro-Life Pulse

by Marge Hynes, Writer

Another blockbuster weekend, another mad dash for seats! By the time we locked down tickets, Safety Harbor was the last theater within 20 miles with open spots for the matinee showing on July 26th. This time, I was joined by my brother–a walking Marvel encyclopedia–my sister-in-law, and a handful of friends.

Thunderbolts* had left a strong impression on fans. I hadn’t seen it yet, and my expectations for The Fantastic Four: First Steps were riding high. As someone who’s guaranteed to get emotional during any movie, I wasn’t shocked to feel something watching this one. But, I was surprised–not by its brisk pace or bright visuals, but by its heart. In a genre saturated with secularism, this film explores the beauty, fragility, and sacredness of being.

Spoiler Warning!

A Quick Look

• IMDb: 7.4/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
• Metacritic: 64/100
• Rating: PG-13
• Release Date: July 25, 2025
• Director: Matt Shakman
• Setting: Retro-futuristic 1960s alternative universe (Earth-828)
• Lead Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an ensemble-driven story that throws the viewer into the heart of the Fantastic Four’s journey, right after they gain superhuman powers after a freak space accident. If you like sleek sci-fi, complex characters, or moral dilemmas in the heat of battle, there’s plenty here to enjoy. But if you also believe in the intrinsic worth of every human life–especially at its most vulnerable–you’ll find even more to appreciate.

A New Direction for Marvel?

Marvel’s post-Avengers: Endgame offerings have often felt aimless. Eternals, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania each promised something “big,” but failed to deliver stories with any real je ne sais quoi. For fans who’ve been around since Iron Man, it’s been disappointing to watch a once deeply personal franchise flatten into formula. But 2025 may just mark a genuine course correction.

Thunderbolts* gave us fractured characters searching for belonging and love. Now, The Fantastic Four: First Steps leans into a foundational truth: life is sacred.

I’ve been a Marvel fan since Captain America: The First Avenger, unaware I was signing up for years of midnight premieres, spoiler bans, and heated debates. Endgame was the emotional peak (I sobbed . . . heavily). After that, the lights–both literally and figuratively–dimmed on my era of Marvel fanfare. Marvel seemed to forget what made its early phases work: real stakes, earned emotion, and wrestling with identity, purpose, and sacrifice–the reality of being human. But The Fantastic Four: First Steps dares to be tender. 

Whether it’s Sue Storm shielding her son Franklin or Reed Richards choosing his son’s future over a thousand calculated outcomes, the film returns, again and again, to the conviction that life is worth protecting. Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm is the maternal heart of the team. When the world, driven by fear, asks the team to sacrifice one life to save many, Sue refuses. In a powerful speech to an angry crowd, she reminds everyone about family and love, introducing them to her son. Sue then risks and ultimately sacrifices her own life to protect Franklin. With the entire team, she fights to guard life with everything she has. In one scene, Sue uses her powers to reveal the child in her womb, moving and alive, to her husband. Her motherhood is front and center in this story, and it is unequivocally refreshing to see.

And when Galactus demands the newborn in exchange for Earth’s survival, the answer from the Fantastic Four team is immediate: No life is expendable.

Is this a real shift in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Only time will tell as more movies and shows roll out.

So, Should YOU Watch It?

Sure, there are space-time distortions, black holes, a Silver Surfer, a cosmic behemoth so enormous he can swallow entire planets whole, and superheroic punch-outs. But more importantly, there’s a vital affirmation:

Choose life.

If you’ve felt let down by Marvel’s recent slate, I say give this one a shot. It’s not flawless, but it’s sincere. ★★★★☆ (4/5)

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With over eight years of experience and a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing, Marge Hynes is a dynamic writer whose portfolio spans SEO-driven copywriting, journalism, and marketing—a versatile skill set that allows her to craft compelling content for Paloma & Fig’s projects.

Marge’s Catholic faith serves as the cornerstone of her work. She approaches storytelling with thoughtfulness and a deep appreciation for the Lord’s own creative power. Her love of the written word shines through in every project, helping clients articulate their message with clarity, heart, and purpose.

When she’s not writing, Marge can be found leading praise and worship, diving into theological books, or exploring the great outdoors with her loyal dog, Augustine (Auggie for short).