146 min | PG-13 | July 25, 2025 | Walt Disney Pictures
Matt Shakman sets the Fantastic Four in a retro-futuristic 1960s and remembers these are scientists first, superheroes second. Pedro Pascal leads an ensemble that actually feels like family.
The Fantastic Four have been adapted twice and failed twice. The characters work in comics but translate poorly to film. Previous attempts tried to make them edgy or modern. Shakman makes them classic. The film sets the origin story in an alternate 1960s where space exploration advanced faster and scientific discovery pushed boundaries. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm go on a space mission and return changed. The retro setting gives the film visual personality and separates it from every other Marvel origin story.
Pedro Pascal plays Reed Richards with warmth and intelligence. This is not the emotionally distant scientist from the comics. This is a man leading a team he loves. Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm with strength and compassion. Joseph Quinn brings genuine humor and recklessness to Johnny Storm. Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Ben Grimm before and after the transformation into The Thing with heartbreaking vulnerability. The four actors create a family dynamic that feels earned instead of forced.
Shakman directed WandaVision and understands how to blend genres and play with visual style. The 1960s production design is meticulous. The practical effects for The Thing are stunning. The film uses miniatures and practical sets wherever possible. The action sequences are staged clearly and build to a climax that delivers real stakes. The script by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer does smart work establishing character before spectacle.
This is Marvel trusting filmmakers to tell a story instead of building a universe. The film stands alone. The characters matter. The ending delivers emotional resolution and sets up future adventures without demanding you care about seventeen other films. This is what the Fantastic Four always should have been.