Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps are below!
Summary
Recent criticisms surrounding the MCU have influenced change at Marvel, andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsshows how their strategy has pivoted. The most recent entry features Marvel’s First Family in its MCU debut, with reviews easily squashing the lackluster critical reception of pastFantastic Fourfilms. Fans and critics have applauded the cast, featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Galactus' comic book-accurate appearance.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis also bringing the MCU some significant numbers, both at the box office and with reviewers. Still, it is a different style of film than the MCU has offered in recent outings, which is indicative of what Marvel’s future strategy may look like. Following criticisms about the massive franchise losing fans,The Fantastic Four: First Stepslooks to be a direct response to what many called the MCU’s biggest problem.
The MCU Has Seen Diminishing Returns From Having Too Much Content For Casual Viewers
TheMCU earned its epic franchise statusover the years of methodical world-building and various releases, featuring an eclectic cast of Marvel heroes and villains. However, followingAvengers: Endgame, which brought a close to the long-running Infinity Saga, the MCU has had trouble finding its footing while over-saturating its own franchise with more content than casual viewers can handle.While hardcore Marvel Comics fans may still feel at home in the vast array of content that spans numerous characters and even a multiverse, the casual fans who would show up for the big theatrical releases have begun to diminish, as there is too much to follow.
When the MCU began rolling out Disney+ shows, fans were initially delighted withunique shows likeWandaVisionandLoki. However, things quickly became cluttered, as many characters began receiving shows, like Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ironheart, with varying degrees of success that began to taint the brand. For every entry that had fans excited, likeHawkeye, there were shows that had many wondering why they were greenlit, likeEcho. Some shows even featured an apparent lack of vision towards the franchise and squandered the source material, like the poorly receivedSecret Invasion.
While shows likeDaredevil: Born Againhave thrilled fans with a return to form in TV shows, 2025 also sawthe release ofIronheart, which was fine in most regards. However,Ironheartalso debuted a massive villain the MCU had teased for years, and it felt like too little, too late, with casual viewers unaware that it even happened. It feels like a clear impact due to the franchise’s criticism, which also extends to theatrical releases.
Thunderbolts* andCaptain America: Brave New WorldHave Proven The Negative Impact True
Captain America: Brave New Worldhad a troubled production, with various reshoots and new elements added. It also underutilized the MCU debut of Giancarlo Esposito, who could have been great, but was relegated to what felt like tacked-on scenes, and spoiled its finale in the marketing.Brave New Worldopened to middling reviews and underperformed at the box office, especially compared to pastCaptain Americafilms.It was meant to be a test of the MCU’s capabilities in rebranding a character, andCaptain America: Brave New Worldmissed the mark.
Thunderbolts* was actually met with a stellar critical and audience reception, boasting some of the MCU’s best reviews in recent memory. The movie took some of the MCU’s anti-hero characters and put them into a team-up film where they could turn their personal pain and flaws into the strengths that saved the day in an unconventional way. However, despite the movie’s exceptional reviews,Thunderbolts* didn’t pull in the box office numbersthat Marvel was hoping for.While critics would like to point to the team’s roster and the state of the MCU as contributing factors as to whyThunderbolts* was a misfire, it shows that Marvel still knows how to make an impactful and unique film this late in their run.
One of the most significantproblems behindCaptain America: Brave New WorldandThunderbolts* is their reliance on past events and MCU lore.TheThunderbolts* were assembled from several other projects throughout the MCU, and the trauma each was enduring came from those stories.Brave New Worldfollows the story of past films and TV shows, proving to be an assemblage that didn’t offer the appeal it should have. While the movies can work on their own, they are more satisfying experiences if the viewer has full context.
Fantastic Four: First StepsIs Making An Effort To Correct The MCU’s Barrier To Entry
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis the most recent entry in the MCU, and with over 30 films in the franchise, the follow-up toThunderbolts* would be expected to connect to the greater overall story. However, the newFantastic Fouris an actual standalone movie. It tells the story of an already-known Fantastic Four team on an alternate Earth from the current MCU. While it already feels like it may enter convoluted territory, it holds no bearing on the story, and the film requires no prior knowledge of other MCU installments or even the characters.What was once their most significant problem has been made obsolete inThe Fantastic Four, which eliminates the barrier to entry for casual audiences.
First Stepsstill features an end credit scenethat connects the movie to the greater MCU plans, but barely, and it technically doesn’t have to. The end credit scene could make contextual sense toThe Fantastic Four, even without the MCU’s plans forAvengers: Doomsdayin active production. Therefore,The Fantastic Four: First Stepslooks to be a response to past criticisms, as it requires zero homework on the part of the audience to enjoy it, yet it still offers the tease of more for comic fans who can’t wait to see the characters alongside the Avengers. While the characters' future is unknown following the MCU’s major event films,The Fantastic Four: First Stepscould outline the way forward for the upcoming Marvel superhero projects.
