‘A Huge Problem Movie’: Marvel Reportedly Worried After Fantastic Four: First Steps Test Screening

By Pune Media On May 31, 2025

The Fantastic Four: First Steps sees the Marvel Cinematic Universe walk into new territory as it enters Phase Six and sets up the impending saga with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. However, if new reports are to be believed, those steps into the next phase may not be so smooth as The Fantastic Four reboot gets some interesting early feedback.

According to Hollywood scooper Jeff Sneider (of The InSneider), First Steps got mixed reviews following a public test screening in Los Angeles earlier this week. According to Sneider, the biggest causes of concern among some audience members were the lack of character development and questionable CGI usage. “My source called it both ‘mid’ and ‘meh,’ and ‘not that bad, but not that good, either,’” he said. “More concerningly, they said it featured weak character development and bad CGI, though the latter issue will certainly be addressed over the next month.”

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Furthermore, Sneider claimed the reason Marvel conducted the public screening was because they had reason to worry about First Steps‘ reception and that the studio’s feelings about The Fantastic Four remake had waned over time. “In general, Marvel doesn’t do public test screenings unless they’re worried — that was the case with Eternals, The Marvels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Captain America: Brave New World,” Sneider said.

“While I initially heard that Marvel was high on First Steps internally,” Sneider continues, “a separate industry source who has not seen the finished film himself has sounded the alarm in recent weeks that the film is ‘a mess’ and ‘a huge problem movie.'”

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Notably, this information has not been confirmed by Marvel and should be treated as a rumor at this time. If accurate, time will tell if such screening feedback will become amplified or overblown, as it raises concerns about whether this retelling will do Marvel’s first family justice. First Steps comes after three previous attempts to bring The Fantastic Four to the big screen. Two pre-MCU films, 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer, were commercially successful but yielded mixed critical responses. Then, there’s the universally derided FANT4STIC, one of the least-rated films ever, let alone comic book movies (9% on Rotten Tomatoes).

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Matt Shakman talks about The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ unique world design and why telling a story in an alternate Marvel reality was “liberating.”

First Steps sees a new iteration of the titular quartet, with Pedro Pascal portraying Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman and Ebon Moss-Bachrach playing Ben Grimm/The Thing. Set on a ’60s-inspired retro-futuristic parallel Earth, First Steps sees the titular superpowered family try to protect their world from the planet-eating Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

Directed by Matt Shakman, First Steps also features the MCU debuts of John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne and Paul Walter Hauser in undisclosed roles, with a Star Wars alum voicing Richards’ trusted robot companion, H.E.R.B.I.E. Before First Steps reaches cinemas, the film is getting a special edition comic book tie-in to further build anticipation.

First Steps opens in theaters on Jul. 25.

Source: Jeff Sneider

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date: July 25, 2025
Director: Matt Shakman
Writers: Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee
Producers: Jamie Christopher, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Tim Lewis

Pedro Pascal

Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic
Vanessa Kirby

Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman
Joseph Quinn

Johnny Storm / Human Torch
Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Ben Grimm / The Thing

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