The Fantastic Four: First Steps appears to be the film that the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs right now. It doesn’t depend on other movies to establish its world and story. Watching the dozens of other MCU films and TV shows isn’t required to follow what happens.

So it effectively serves as a necessary reset for a superhero movie universe that has felt tired and unfulfilling over the past few years. Especially when the guy with the red cape flying over Metropolis just brought a jolt of freshness to movie theaters and pop culture.

Yet The Fantastic Four feels new and exciting as well because it’s not set in the very same MCU as the familiar one occupied by the Avengers. The best decision made by Marvel and director Matt Shakman is putting these characters in a retro-future 1960s that looks unlike anything seen in an MCU film before.

There’s no cynicism here. It’s a culture full of wonder, which has also built trust between the world and these superhuman heroes who protect it. Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm are media sensations, rock stars and monoculture icons, which wouldn’t happen in a modern setting. The movie probably could have had more fun with that. But Shakman has cut a tight film and the story has to move along — which is also part of the problem.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a complete movie that stands on its own. Yes, there are threads left dangling that could get picked up later on for future stories. But this is not just a setup for the next MCU chapter, as Iron Man 2 was. (Or more recently, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Captain America: Brave New World.)

Unfortunately, the Fantastic Four’s introduction is a big step on the path toward the next big Marvel movie epic storyline. Because of that, First Steps zips by fast — probably too fast.

It’s fine that the story only makes a brief reference to the group’s origin, even if it’s not as familiar as Batman’s, Superman’s or Spider-Man’s. Jumping right in is how most comic book fans began reading superhero adventures. (A lot of the fun of the hobby was going back to find those old stories.) However, some more time spent with these characters felt necessary, even if the script is pretty efficient at dropping in moments or dialogue that provide key traits.

The one who suffers the most is Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). He’s popular with people because of his famous catchphrase from the Saturday morning cartoon about the group and despite his rocky exterior, he’s kind of cuddly.

But the tragic element of Ben being most affected by the accident that creates the Fantastic Four, transforming him into a monster, is barely touched on. Maybe the thought was that, much like an origin story, it’s understood and doesn’t need to be emphasized. He’s never called “The Thing,” for example, even though that’s what he’s known as in the comic books.

It also doesn’t help that the CGI rendering of Ben’s face allows for very little expression. The lack of definition is surprising. As a result, even if he was presumably on set in a motion-capture suit, Moss-Bachrach mostly gives a voice performance. And it’s strangely understated, especially if you know how he can yell and scream as Richie on The Bear.

Perhaps that was intended to convey an inner sadness. But again, there’s no time to explore that. A giant extraterrestrial wants to consume the planet. Oh, and we really need to get through this film to get to the next two blockbuster Avengers movies, which will include the Fantastic Four.

Otherwise, the characters feel faithful to their comic book portrayals. Although I should admit that I’ve never been a big Fantastic Four reader, other than John Byrne’s defining run in the early 1980s. I always understood how important and foundational Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were to the overall Marvel Comics universe. But as a younger fan, I preferred more “realistic” and hyper-detailed artwork.

Now, I appreciate Kirby’s imagination and sense of design, much of which is reflected in this movie with the sets and costumes — notably with adversaries the Silver Surfer and Galactus. (Kirby also gets a wonderful tribute during the credits.)

Personally, the movie eased my biggest concern going in, which was that all four of the main actors seemed miscast to me. I don’t typically get worked up about such things, but maybe I felt uneasy because the previous Fantastic Four movies (even the 2015 Josh Trank debacle) cast the parts well.

As Reed Richards, Pedro Pascal embodies the tortured genius who struggles to balance work (or just letting his brain work) with family. Making him a “Mr. Wizard” type of children’s TV personality was a nice touch. Yet those who love Pascal for his wit and charm will find it lacking here. Other than his vast intelligence, it’s a bit difficult to see why Susan Storm would fall in love with him. But that was true in the comics too.

Again, I haven’t read many Fantastic Four books since the 1980s, so perhaps Johnny Storm has changed as a character. As I remember, he was always a cocky, impulsive ladies’ man, like Chris Evans was in the 2005 and 2007 films. Joseph Quinn definitely doesn’t portray Johnny that way, nor does he seem right for that type. But he’s not written that way here. This version of Johnny Storm uses his brain and is a believable astronaut. However, he does show some of that characteristic impulsiveness.

The standout is Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm. She’s the true leader of the Fantastic Four, providing the team with its direction and courage. (Her superpowers aren’t defined very well in the movie, but they’ll be familiar to longtime fans.) The world responds to her purpose and strength, especially when she becomes a mother trying to protect her family. Hopefully, future MCU films keep her in that role.

That could very well happen since her toddler son will presumably be a key figure in the storyline of the next two Avengers films. Otherwise, there was really no reason to introduce him, besides making the “family” element of the story more explicit. That “First Steps” subtitle serves a double objective.

Those upcoming blockbusters aren’t just supposed to provide major superhero spectacle, but also clean up an MCU that’s adding the Fantastic Four (and later, the X-Men) in addition to deciding how to move on from Captain America, Iron Man and Thor. But such a humongous undertaking has to start somewhere and this is the jumping-off point that was needed.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars