Episode 581: The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Just a few weeks after their incredible disappointment with James Gunn’s Superman (which they briefly revisit), Erik Childress and comic book expert Erik Laws dive back into comic book cinema with Marvel’s latest attempt to do justice to the Fantastic Four. After two films by Tim Story and the infamous disasters of 2015 and the shelved Roger Corman version of the ‘90s, the foursome has never endeared itself to Childress but the results may surprise you. They delve into the creation and treatment of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, how the new cast adheres to the intentions of the comic book family and why that is important to its ultimate success. The film is not without its flaws but does manage to further highlight some of the flaws they found in Superman. Could Marvel be inching their way back to creative consistency? The title may just have a dual meaning in that manner.

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