The dust has yet to settle on Marvel’s latest MCU entry, but Fantastic Four: First Steps is off to a strong start this weekend. In terms of critical reception, it’s doing about the same as James Gunn’s Superman, at least as far as Rotten Tomatoes is concerned.

Ralph Ineson, whose gigantic stature and booming voice can be found in Fantastic Four this week, co-starred alongside Nicholas Hoult, aka Superman's Lex Luther, in last year's Robert Eggers-directed Nosferatu remake. And now, the pair have bonded further, as each currently serve as the main antagonist in this year's comic book movie tentpoles.

That might sound like no big deal, but after 2023’s “The Marvels,” this spring’s fourth “Captain America” movie and “Thunderbolts*” all underperformed by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) standards, the new “Fantastic Four” may offer broader audience appeal by not pulling from other franchises.

The best thing about First Steps is the aesthetic. It’s far and away my favorite part of this film, and that’s a problem because as much as I do enjoy a solid retrofuturistic aesthetic, it’s not enough to make a mediocre movie worth watching. This is all style over substance.

You don't have to do any homework before seeing The Fantastic Four: First Steps, according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. The bad: It's the last Marvel flick we're getting until 2026. More good: It has a super Rotten Tomatoes score.

After years of anticipation, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is finally here. With a stellar cast, a new setting, and the long-awaited debut of Marvel’s First Family under the MCU banner, this film was always going to be different.

Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. After a decade, Marvel has brought the Fantastic Four back to cinemas,