First Steps” is the third Marvel movie to hit theaters this year, but it packs way more hidden references and nods than “Captain America: Brave New World” or “Thunderbolts.” It’s not on the same level of Easter eggs as last year’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,

In their MCU debut, the Fantastic Four become a Fantastic Five with the arrival of Reed and Sue's son, Franklin Richards. Worries that he might not be "normal" are confirmed in Fantastic Four: First Steps when Galactus recognises that the boy can wield an unlimited energy known as the Power Cosmic (presumably because of the "cosmically compromised DNA" shared by both of his parents).

Sometimes, the most effective teases are the ones that don't show you what you're looking for, but rather, highlight its very absence.

In Marvel Comics, Doom’s fixation on Franklin is legendary. He views the boy’s near-limitless powers as the key to creating and ruling Battleworld, a twisted reality of his own making as seen in Secret Wars.

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.

Thankfully, "The Fantastic Four" follows in the footsteps of "Deadpool & Wolverine," "Captain America: Brave New World," and "Thunderbolts*" (aka "The New Avengers"). It's fun and full of heart and passion.

First Steps presents an faithful, entertaining, and compelling version of the story Rise of the Silver Surfer failed to adapt.