Is Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Proof That the MCU Is Back?

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The Internet has significantly transformed the film industry in various aspects. Nowadays, audiences can conveniently purchase tickets ahead of time and find their snacks ready when they park their cars, thanks to this new development. Furthermore, platforms like Rotten Tomatoes have revolutionized the way we consume movies by gathering numerous reviews in one place. The Tomatometer score has become a crucial factor for many viewers, with a low rating often causing them to avoid screenings and a high one encouraging them to check the next showing time. As “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” prepares for its release, the movie faces mounting pressure to perform well on Rotten Tomatoes.

In the past, it was challenging for Marvel’s First Family to win over critics, but now that Marvel Studios is fully backing the project, things are improving significantly. In fact, ComicBook has declared First Steps as the “best Marvel movie of the year.” At the moment of writing, the film has a 88% Fresh rating, standing alongside some top-tier movies.

Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Rotten Tomatoes Score Blows Its Predecessors Out of the Water

While First Steps doesn’t share continuity with films like Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Fan4stic, it doesn’t mean they should be compared. In the early 2000s, Tim Story’s movies didn’t impress critics much with ratings of 27% and 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, which was less than impressive even back then. Movies like Spider-Man 2 and X2, despite their campy tones, were well-received. Unfortunately, Fox didn’t have the same success with the Fantastic Four. The poor reception of the first two movies led to a hiatus until 2015, when Fan4stic was released. However, Josh Trank’s film, which had numerous production problems, was heavily criticized, earning a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the lowest scores in comic book movie history.

First Steps, currently, stands head and shoulders above all other Fantastic Four films in terms of critical acclaim. Combining the ratings of the earlier films wouldn’t even come close to matching the excellence displayed by this latest installment. However, there remains one significant challenge for First Steps: it must not only impress comic book movie enthusiasts but also meet the high standards set by the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.

Marvel Studios May Have the Win It Desperately Needs in Fantastic Four: First Steps

It’s no surprise that in recent years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t been getting much positive attention from critics, except for movies like Deadpool, Wolverine, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, Marvel Studios has faced challenges with criticism. There was some optimism at the start of 2025, but Captain America: Brave New World’s 46% rating didn’t help improve things. But then, Thundrbolts came along and received an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, just a few months later, First Steps is continuing the positive trend by earning the same high score.

88% is generally impressive, but what’s particularly intriguing is that this score is comparable to many successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut films. For instance, the movie that started it all, Iron Man, boasts an impressive 94%, while Guardians of the Galaxy, another space-faring superhero tale, has a score of 92%. Back then, the MCU was on a winning streak, and it looks like it might be heading back in that direction in 2025. It’s fortunate that Marvel Studios organized itself well because it will likely need all the support ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday in 2026.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

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2025-07-22 22:12