434. Fantastic Four: First Steps REVIEW (SPOILERS)

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2025 Marvel Studios release “Fantastic Four: First Steps” or do not mind hearing key plot points.

Ironheart is the first Marvel installment in Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the 4th released attempt of a movie featuring the Fantastic Four. It is the first film about Marvel’s First Family to be released by Marvel Studios. It stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. It also stars Julia Garner, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson.

The film is set in 1960 on Earth-828 (the MCU is Earth-616). The Fantastic Four operate in a retro-futuristic world that draws heavily from the comic books on which they are based. They must face off against Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer. In this film, the Surfer is Shalla Bal (Garner) from Zenn-La, as opposed to Norrin Radd from comics, animation, and earlier FF films.

Stand-up comedian and podcaster Eddie Pence rejoins the show to review the film.

In this episode, they talk about the unique storytelling and how no prior knowledge of the MCU is necessary to enjoy this film. They also talk about the decision to put the FF in an alternate universe, and how that plays out in the grander MCU. They also discuss the casting and compare the film to the other summer 2025 blockbuster, Superman.