Fantastic Four

The Fantastic 4: First Steps is an action-packed story with the group that put Marvel on the map. Now, the heroes have their own movie bringing their stories to the screen.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has fans around the world running to theaters for the latest films, and The Fantastic 4: First Steps has engaged audiences with the story and the characters.

The story is about blending the family life with the heroes’ mission to save Earth from Galactus who wants to take over the planet.

The foursome consists of Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), Invisible Woman (Sue Storm), Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and The Thing (Ben Grimm).

Besides the story of these four – plus one – there are several bonus features for home viewing fans. The “plus one” is little Franklin (the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm), who was born in this story. This baby has tremendous power which made him the target of Galactus who wants the baby for his Power Cosmic.

With his life and his mother’s in jeopardy, she makes the ultimate sacrifice for her son. SPOILER ALERT: Franklin uses his power to save his mother and the Fantastic Four.

Bonus Features

There are three featurettes included with this release.

“Meet the First Family” looks at the creation of the Fantastic Four and how it saved the Marvel Comics. Introduced in 1961, these characters have sustained their fans through the years.

The featurette also looks at the casting of the film and how the filmmakers found the perfect family in the actors.

As they say, Marvel is the Fantastic Four and The Fantastic Four is Marvel.

“Fantastic Futurism” looks at how the film depicts the retro-futuristic atmosphere, blending the past with a sci-fi future. They took the mid-century look of Times Square and added all the elements to make it futuristic, but still maintained the feeling of the 1960s. How can they create a futuristic 1960s set combining mid-century buildings, furniture, items, and costumes while adding flying cars, robots, and more? These guys did a fantastic job (pun intended).

“From Beyond and Below” is the third featurette. It focuses on several characters, including Galactus. To make him larger-than-life, the costume was designed meticulously with every detail included in a small size so when the character was “blown up” to his gigantic size on screen, he looked genuine.

Actor Ralph Ineson talks about his role and the costume, which was heavy but bearable. He said it was actually not too uncomfortable, however viewers watching the show might think otherwise. It does look cumbersome but Ineson didn’t mind.

Several Deleted Scenes and a Gag Reel make up the remaining bonus features, along with optional audio commentary by director Matt Shakman and production designer Kasra Farahani.

The Fantastic Four are brought to the screen by Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm), and Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm). And yes, there is a sequel in development.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is available now on Digital, and arrives on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD October 14.

Fans can also bring home the adventure with the Walmart exclusive The Fantastic Four: First Steps pop-up Blu-ray package, featuring a striking slipcover and a dynamic display that springs to life with the team soaring into action in the iconic Fantasticar. This collectible edition pop-up includes the Blu-ray and digital release along with bold, retro-inspired artwork that makes it a must-have for Marvel enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The Fantastic 4: First Steps is rated PG-13 for action/violence and some language.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. Francine is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Consumer images supplied courtesy of the studio