The world is trucking along, experiencing earthquakes in Russia; France, Canada, and the United Kingdom recognising the State of Palestine; Kash Patel hanging out with Winston Peters; and a convicted felon was discovered cheating at golf on his own golf course, as well as a new Some Geek Told Me blog, in the form of The Fantastic Four: First Steps-Movie Review.

It seems only last week that I was writing the preview for the movie, and time has passed in the only way it can: painfully slowly during the week and quickly at the weekend, bringing us to this day. So, without prancing around like a person who likes to prance around, let’s move into one of the world’s most beloved literary works, a Some Geek Told Me movie review!

You know how the classic story goes:

• I buy a movie ticket days in advance.
• I arrive at the cinema and purchase a drink.
• I proceed to enter the theatre without anybody asking to see a ticket. Every. Single. Time. It’s amazing.

Anyway, the theatre was about 1/3 full, which for a Tuesday night, was not too shabby. It was one of those times there was no allocated seating, so I planned to go in the middle of the back row; however, a young couple had already nabbed the coveted section, so I sat a few seats away from them. No one is perfect.

As for the trailers, it was another case of showing trailers for children’s movies, and not a single movie aimed at adults. In saying that, an argument could be made that Pixar’s Hoppers could fit into both groups.

So after the trailers had finished, it was time for the Fantastic Four to enter the MCU! As always, let’s go over the rules of the review.

1.) Please be aware there will be spoilers concerning the movie, so proceed with extreme anxiety and caution.

2.) The aim of my reviews are not to rip apart the subject or trash it. If I liked the subject enough to watch it, then I’ll give my honest (possibly biased) opinion.

3.) I’m not a professional critic, so I’m not going to dive into deeper concepts and themes, or the art of filmmaking. I’m just a geek; always have been, and always will be.

I’m not here to lick windows, so let’s get on with the review!

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First things first, did I like the movie? I did actually. I realise that the MCU has been chugging along since 2008, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the 37th chapter, but I liked it. I really did. I mentioned in the Thunderbolts*: Movie Review, that I hoped that the MCU could continue its momentum, so maybe they have.

Things I liked:

A few things stand out to me from this film. The first topic of conversation was the visuals, which included the sets and special effects. With the way modern movies are filmed, you have no idea if the performers are standing on a physical set or just standing in front of a green screen. It’s the same with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, since some of the sets looked so real and tangible, I couldn’t tell the difference between reality and CGI. To me, that’s a good thing.

This, of course, leads into the gorgeous retro-futuristic aesthetics, which ranged from period costumes to the buildings to the Fantasticar. Earth-828 feels like a lived-in world, and in my humble opinion, that’s an extraordinary thing.

With visuals for the characters, well, I was not disappointed. This was the first time that Mister Fantastic’s elastic powers did not look weird and fake. Also, when the Human Torch took flight to see what was causing the light show, as in the Silver Surfer’s arrival, I think there was a lens flare on the camera, coming off his flames.

The scene with Sue making her womb transparent, so Reed could see Franklin, was creative and beautiful. As a father, I would have loved to have seen UMC1 and UMC2 as Reed had done. The film-makers had thought outside the box with Sue on that one. That was transformative.

Sue also had two awesome moments, when she explained that she would not be sacrificing the world for her son, just like she would not be sacrificing her son for the world. The other was when she started pushing Galactus through Manhattan and into the teleportation portal.

Like I said last week about watching the trailers, Ben Grimm looked spectacular, and he was. It was the best live-action version of the Thing I have ever seen, and that included developing his personality, losing the angst from the previous films, and giving the public the real, “Blue-Eyed Lovin’ Thing.” Grimm was happy being the Thing, which provided an anchor point to the film.

When a comic-book character gains powers or is transformed, they traditionally look the same or have a slight variation. Within Marvel, Archangel has his wings, Wolverine has his claws, and even Bruce Banner can change into the Hulk and back again. But like Nightcrawler, Triton and many others, the Thing can not transform into his human self again, because he is a rock creature, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Ben Grimm is always the Thing, all of the time, but he’s alright with that. He’s upbeat, being a rock creature, so he may not like it, but he has accepted it; he’s relatable. He’s not moping about trying to find a cure, because he was too busy making friends and protecting his neighbourhood. It was stunning to see his eyebrows!

The dialogue among the members of the Fantastic Four was excellent, just as I had hoped. Each character brought something unique to the conversation. It was interesting to see Reed struggling to find an answer to a question, while Johnny was portrayed as intelligent and creative. Ben grew a beard, adding to his character development, and Sue once again demonstrated that she is the most powerful member of the team.

I had previously seen the Silver Surfer’s entrance on a video before the film opened, which featured her saying, “I herald his beginning. I herald your end. I herald… Galactus”. I have to admit, that speech did not lose any of its potency in the theatre. Julia Garner was terrific as the Herald of Galactus.

I thought Paul Walter Hauser’s Harvey Elder / Mole Man was going to be just a cameo, but he came back to play a larger role, along with a few one-liners, with one destroying Johnny by commenting on his clothes. I’m going to remember that burn.

Finally, we have reached the Destroyer of Worlds, Galactus. As I mentioned last week, 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer featured Galactus, but it resembled a world-eating cloud entity. The film-makers changed this by having Ralph Ineson play Galactus, and I loved it. Seriously, seeing Galactus sitting on his throne, as well as stomping around Manhattan, was staggering.

Galactus’ height will always be up for debate, but having a man hundreds of metres tall walking around is an unsightly and ludicrous image; however, it was still fantastic. Who else could wear such an audacious helmet but Galactus? I was so pleased with his appearance.

Things I disliked:

This MCU film was a little odd for me, because I really liked it. I came out of the theatre, feeling quite positive about it. Maybe I was still riding the wave from Superman, or watching Galactus and the Thing, but I was thoroughly entertained. However, as I have said before, no movie is 100% perfect.

Over the years, I have noticed a recurring theme in TV shows, movies, and comics that annoys me. While I understand that the Fantastic Four originated from a comic book, I often find it frustrating that alien invasions or attacks from other countries typically take place in the United States, specifically in New York.

DC are guilty of this, but the greatest offenders are Marvel. I know their target audience is Americans, but as a non-American, it can be tiresome to read or watch aliens or foreign countries invade America. Aliens invading New York, or at the least, the United States, has been used so many times in movies that it’s very predictable.

My example to this problem is this: the Silver Surfer arrives on Earth, and she could go anywhere on the planet, absolutely anywhere, but not only does she decide to visit the United States, but New York, no less. And the very first humans on the planet that she meets happen to be the Fantastic Four?!

Why didn’t Shalla-Bal decide to visit India or China, two of the most populous nations on Earth? She could have gone to Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, or Greece, but she didn’t. She went to the United States, like no other country exists.

As for the city, New York ranks about 10th in size on the globe, with Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, and São Paulo all larger. Why didn’t the Silver Surfer arrive in Mexico City, Cairo, Mumbai, or Beijing? Is English the only human language she knows? I understand the plot needs to be driven forward, but it still could have worked if the Silver Surfer arrived in another country, and the Fantastic Four travelled there to greet her.

Another point I want to address is that I do realise the film was not about the Silver Surfer, but the scene where Johnny talks to Shalla-Bal in her native language and forces her to confront her actions was creative. The guilt of her being the Herald of Galactus had finally caught up with her, forcing her to face her mistakes.

After surrendering to the torment, Shalla-Bal took off, then finally appeared to save Johnny and to push Galactus through the portal. It’s a small issue, but the Silver Surfer disappeared for maybe 20-25 minutes of film time, to suddenly betray her lord and master; but as the viewer, you’re not given any insight or more explanation about her betrayal. Where did she go after flying away from Johnny? What thought processes led her to rebel against Galactus?

Like I said, it’s a small issue, but as a fan, I would have appreciated seeing the Silver Surfer wrestle with her past deeds against her soul and loyalty to her lord. It would have added more depth to the character and explained why she decided to stand up to Galactus, rather than being a plot device or a deus ex machina.

For my final point, we need to discuss Franklin, because Marvel has opened Pandora’s Box for a fourth time by introducing characters with immense power levels. First, it was the Scarlet Witch, then Adam Warlock, The Sentry, and now, Franklin Richards. Four characters with reality-warping powers or super-enhanced strength abilities.

Yes, the Scarlet Witch is dead, but the multiverse is a massive place, so never say never. So this leaves Adam Warlock, the Sentry and Franklin to solve, possibly, any problem in the MCU. In the comics, Franklin is highly overpowered. I mean, in one future-set story, Franklin became Galactus.

Franklin is a significant and complex character in Marvel lore, which makes his introduction into the MCU challenging. Film-makers must take their time to explore his powers thoroughly, providing detailed attention to the plots of future projects. They need to exercise caution in how they portray him. I have concerns about their approach, as they cannot overlook Franklin, just like they cannot ignore Adam Warlock and the Sentry.

The die may have already been cast because of the time-jump in the mid-credits scene, when Sue left the room to retrieve a book for Franklin, to discover a person kneeling and talking to Franklin. That person was Doctor Doom. So, it appears that the Ruler of Latveria is trying to recruit, or maybe already has recruited Franklin, which will directly lead into Avengers: Doomsday, which is out in December 2026.

Ironically, I discovered this video explaining a theory of Doctor Doom’s origin in the MCU, which is compelling.

And speaking of theories, my theories about Galactus and Franklin were wrong, but not 100% wrong. The correct answer was a little from Theory A, and a little from Theory B, to create Theory C.

Theory C: The Silver Surfer finds Earth as per her instructions to locate planets full of life. She alerts Galactus of the snack. However, before Galactus can get his Uber ride ready, the Fantastic Four turn up to talk with him. It’s at this point that Galactus detects Franklin’s power level. He then offers Reed and Sue a deal, to trade Franklin for the Earth.

Like Superman, I have only added these criticisms because I’m just being pedantic, as I liked the majority of the movie.

So, what about my preview questions?

• Where is the film’s continuity in the MCU? I would say it is set before Thunderbolts* but before or during Avengers: Doomsday.
• Does Galactus destroy the Earth, or will he be defeated by the Ultimate Nullifier? To the best of my knowledge, there was no Ultimate Nullifier reference, as he was defeated by being pushed through a teleportation portal, thus saving Earth.
• Will the dialogue between the members of the Fantastic Four be smart, witty, and heartfelt, or will it tank? I think overall, the dialogue was great. It was witty and sharp when it needed to be, just as it was dramatic and serious as the plot developed.
• Considering the movie takes place on another Earth, will there be any main MCU cameos or references? Even though there were no direct MCU cameos and references, there were still Marvel references. We had the Fantastic Four battling Peotr the orangutan, one of the Red Ghost’s Super Apes. Apparently, John Malkovich played Red Ghost, but the scenes were cut from the film. We also had Reed mention he had been tracking the Puppet-Master, the Wizard, and Diablo, as well as featuring the Giganto fight scene, mirroring the cover of The Fantastic Four #1.
• Will the Yancy Street Gang appear? Please be a yes! No, however, I believe a news report mentions, “The Yancy Street Bookies.” I may have misheard it, but that’s what it sounded like.
• Does Franklin develop and grow super quickly? No, Franklin developed at the normal rate. The film established the pregnancy discovery in Act 1, then did a montage of events to signal time passing. Franklin was born, and when the mid-credits scene appeared, there was a time-jump of 2-3 years, with Franklin appearing as a preschooler.
• How large a role will H.E.R.B.I.E. play? It concerned me that H.E.R.B.I.E. may have been a punching bag or been used as a jester-type character, but I was wrong. All of the members of the team treated H.E.R.B.I.E. like he was a part of the family, because he was.
• Will the origin of the Fantastic Four be explained as being set in the present, but with a flashback, or will the characters gain their powers in Act 1, then have a time jump to progress the story? This was clever because when we meet the Fantastic Four for the first time, they already have their powers. Their origin story was told through the means of The Ted Gilbert Show, which used “old” TV footage of the Fantastic Four’s departure to space and arrival back to Earth, four years ago.
• Are Reed and Sue aware of Franklin’s abilities? Do they witness him doing things or just detect his power level using technology? As you can imagine, both parents are concerned; Reed more than Sue, that Franklin could inherit some abilities or powers from his parents. Reed conducted several tests, and the results are negative. They only learn of Franklin’s powers because Galactus used the Power Cosmic to detect and scan Franklin while he was in the womb. Later on, Franklin resurrects Sue from the dead after the final battle.
• Will the Silver Surfer betray Galactus? Yes, she did, and I’ve already discussed that question. Thanks for asking.
• Will there be any Negative Zone, Doctor Doom, Annihilus, or Valeria Richards references? Yes and no. There were no Negative Zone, Annihilus, or Valeria Richards references, but Doctor Doom made a mid-credits cameo, along with his empty Latverian seat at the United Nations.
• For Galactus’ origin, how will it be explained? Reed tried to explain Galactus’ origin, but because of Galactus’ power level and age, Reed was not confident of his findings, since Galactus was beyond Reed’s level of understanding and research. In saying that, Reed mentioned that Galactus may have come from a time before the Big Bang, which paired with the information Galactus was chatting about, while sitting on this space throne.
• On Earth-828, is Reed considered to be the smartest person on the planet? That was unclear, but he’s certainly regarded as one of the smartest people on the planet.
• Does Johnny say “Flame On!” to activate his powers? No, he didn’t; however, his action figure did.

Just before I end this awful review, I want to say how important it was to have a small tribute to Jack Kirby at the end of the film. It brought a smile and tear to my face.

Overall, I have to say well done to Marvel, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Fantastic Four: First Steps was indeed a great first step into Phase Six.

Anyway, don’t trust me, go watch it for yourself, so you can be the judge. Have you seen The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Please tell me your thoughts about it. I would love to know.

Ok, that’s another blog for another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. I toil away to keep myself sane and hopefully entertain you. Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, keep pushing for more international recognition of Palestine, and I’ll see you on Saturday for an extra blog.

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I have just wrapped up the first movie preview/review for the DC Universe (DCU) with Superman, but here we are once again, at the dawn of a new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

I typically don’t do movie previews/reviews back-to-back, but since DC and Marvel decided to duke it out this July at the box office, what’s a geek to do? I checked with my wife to see if I was allowed to go out twice in a month, even on a work night, and I was given the green light! Cool.

As you are well aware, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the third MCU film to be released this year, after Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, in addition to being the 37th film in the franchise. In New Zealand, the film opened on Thursday 24th July, which is a day before it opened in the United States. There were no advanced screenings for the film; however, I have obtained a ticket for Tuesday 29th, because, say it with me, I’m a geek.

For the uninitiated, this will be the fifth live-action movie featuring Marvel’s First Family, which includes The Fantastic Four (1994, an unreleased movie), Fantastic Four (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and Fantastic Four (2015). This, of course, does not include the Mister Fantastic cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, or the Fantastic Four references throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, along with the Human Torch cameo.

Since 20th Century Fox owned the movie rights to the Fantastic Four and other characters related to them, they produced Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Fantastic Four, with the 2015 version being a reboot. I’ll be coming back to these films for further discussion, so in the interest of speeding up the writing process, I’ll refer to Fantastic Four as 2005, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer as 2007, Fantastic Four as 2015, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps as 2025. Clear as mud?

The original 1994 film has never been released, and its history is too stupid to really mention, so we’ll just move on and not mention it again.

To lay some groundwork, Disney purchased 20th Century in 2019, and since Disney owns Marvel, it has given Marvel the first real opportunity to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU; although Namor, a traditional Fantastic Four friend/enemy, was introduced in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The Fantastic Four were first introduced in…would you believe, The Fantastic Four #1, back in 1961, so comic book fans are well-versed with the characters and their powers. In saying that, the 2025 movie has been a long time coming.

We know that the cast has Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm / Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm / Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Harvey Elder / Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser), Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics) being voiced by Matthew Wood, and arguably, the big attraction, Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson.

I believe the film’s budget was about $200 million, similar to Thunderbolts* and the expectations for 2025 to be a success at the box office, and with critics and fans is high, considering Superman is soaring, and recent MCU films like Thunderbolts*, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Marvels have not fared too well.

Will The Fantastic Four: First Steps be the first great step into Phase Six? Let’s not watch the paint dry because, It’s clobberin’ time!

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Am I looking forward to watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

I always ask this question, and the answer is always yes. Apart from the two cameos from Mister Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine, we have not had a film where the Fantastic Four are set in the MCU.

As I understand it, the film is set on Earth-828, which is in the MCU’s multiverse, so at some point, the Fantastic Four will interact with the main MCU characters on Earth-616. This was hinted at with the end-credit scene in Thunderbolts*.

Like many other comic book fans, I was excited about 2007 to see the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus, in all his immense glory. However, in my personal opinion, instead of portraying a gigantic man, towering above buildings and wearing a ridiculous helmet, the studio opted for the safer, but less accurate adaptation of Galactus by presenting him as a world-eating cloud entity. It was a disappointment to say the least.

But do not despair, because in this movie, the God of Oblivion will be presented as comic book accurate as possible, with a live-action performance from Ralph Ineson, as an enormous man, rocking one of the coolest headpieces in pop culture.

To be honest, I’m going to the movie to see the Fantastic Four, but the main draw for me is Galactus. I’ve always believed, and others seem to agree, that Galactus transcends concepts of good and evil. He simply exists as a force of nature and cannot be defined by human morals.

If a lion is chasing a zebra, the zebra perceives the lion as evil. The lion is trying to kill the zebra, which places the lion as a villain and the zebra as a victim, or at the very least, a heroic figure.

However, from the lion’s perspective, it does not see itself this way. The lion is a carnivore, so if it does not hunt, kill and eat prey, it will die of starvation, and so will its family. The lion is simply operating as it was born to do, which is similar to Galactus.

If Galactus marks a planet for consumption of its life force, the sentient organisms of that planet will view Galactus as the ultimate villain. He is going to destroy their world, lives, art, history, culture and everything else, because he wants to. To them, Galactus is evil personified.

And just like the lion, Galactus does not see himself like that; he’s beyond this. Galactus is cursed with a hunger that can only be sated by the consumption of a planet’s life force. The greater the amount of life on a planet, the greater the substance for Galactus. If Galactus does not consume planets, he will die. To him, he is simply doing what he needs to do to survive.

This makes him a fascinating antagonist, because yes, he commits evil and villainous acts, but it’s not because he’s evil. If he does not destroy worlds, he will die. Galactus is choosing to live, which means all life in the universe needs to fear his arrival, or pray he never finds them.

This, of course, brings us to the Silver Surfer. The original Silver Surfer in the comics and in 2007 was Norrin Radd, who was a native of the planet, Zenn-La. Eventually, Galactus came knocking on Zenn-La’s door, so Radd offered him a deal: if Galactus left Zenn-La alone, along with his lover/wife, Shalla-Bal, Nadd would serve Galactus by seeking out other worlds for him.

The Devourer of Worlds agreed to this and shared a part of the power that he has, the Power Cosmic, and transformed Nadd into the Silver Surfer, the Herald of Galactus. As the Silver Surfer, Nadd travels the universe, seeking out worlds with an abundance of life for his master’s diet, although Nadd tries to get around this by supplying Galactus with planets that support little or no life.

In 2025, Julia Garner plays the Silver Surfer, but she is also Shalla-Bal. Whether her origin is explained or her connection to Norrin Radd is revealed or mentioned remains to be seen.

Over the years, the Silver Surfer has rejected Galactus numerous times, as well as seeking out adventure in the universe, by redeeming themselves by helping and saving lives, using the Power Cosmic. To me, the Silver Surfer is on a never-ending quest to gain back their soul by correcting their past mistakes; it’s a great character. In saying that, the character has probably changed since I read about them.

To some people in the universe, the Silver Surfer is just as guilty as Galactus for the destruction of planets. Yes, it’s true that the Silver Surfer personally does not consume a planet, but they identify the planet and reveal its location to Galactus. Whether Galactus would ever find that particular world, with or without the Silver Surfer’s assistance, is moot when it is being consumed.

The Silver Surfer offers us an amazing moral dilemma: to protect and save your family and loved ones, would you sacrifice millions of worlds and billions of sentient life-forms, in order to maintain their protection? Would you sacrifice your soul, or even a part of it, to protect the people you love, but at the cost of billions, if not trillions of people? Could you trade a planet for a person?

This awkward and complicated question of morality is presented to us in the most often mocked and ridiculed literature, which to some, is viewed as intellectually inferior or only for children: comic books.

What is the movie about?

According to Marvel.com, the premise is this:

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet.

What can we expect?

The running time is 114 minutes, which means it’s less than Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*.

In the teaser trailer and following trailers, we have been given footage of the various members of the Fantastic Four. The 2005 and 2007 special effects for Reed, Sue, and Johnny were fine for their time, with 2015 improving on them.

2005 had a budget of around $100 million, 2007 had $130 million, while 2015 had $120 million to work with. Because 2025 has the backing of Disney, bankrolling $200 million, we should expect some upgraded visuals, especially with Mister Fantastic.

To add to this, The Thing looks amazing! 2005 and 2007 required Michael Chiklis to wear practical effects to be The Thing, but for 2015‘s Thing, Jamie Bell’s performance was motion-capture. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s portrayal of the Blue-eyed lovin’ thing was another motion-capture performance, but this version of the Thing looks a lot more comic-accurate than others presented before.

There should be great detail in examining the different relationships within the family, as well as how they interact with each other. Reed will be clever, but aloof, Sue will be caring and strong, Johnny will be a joker and playboy, and Ben…well, he’s the nemesis of the Yancy Street Gang, isn’t he?

I can also imagine the destruction caused by Galactus will be impressive, along with his size and his spaceship, Taa II. Because of the retro-futuristic aesthetics and the Silver Surfer’s visuals, we can expect to see some wonderful scenes.

This incorporates witnessing people displaying elasticity, flight, projections, invisibility, superhuman strength, H.E.R.B.I.E., and a glimmering woman on a silver surfboard that can fly. These powers should be eye candy for us.

Now, to the best of my knowledge, I have never issued a prediction for any of the movie previews before, but with 2025, I’m going to make an exception. Fuelled by the end-credit scene in Thunderbolts*, featuring a spaceship with a “4” logo on it, and the threat of Galactus, I’m wondering if Marvel is going to break something that can’t be fixed.

I think, maybe, that Galactus will win and destroy the Earth, leaving the Fantastic Four to flee to another universe, using Reed’s technology, or someone else’s powers. It would be a bold move from Marvel, but considering Galactus is such a threat, they may want to explore this by having the heroes lose.

This way, when the Fantastic Four visit Earth-616, they will be more determined to fight harder and redeem themselves, because they failed to prevent their own Earth from being destroyed. It’s just an idea, but it would shake up the MCU, and that could be a positive thing, with no time travel or rock collection that could alter it.

The last thing I want to discuss is the Fantastic Four’s fifth member. No, I’m not talking about H.E.R.B.I.E., though that would be funny. I’m talking about Franklin Richards, the son of Sue and Reed, who possesses abilities not limited to matter and energy manipulation, flight, teleportation, reality warping, precognition, astral and energy projection, telepathy, telekinesis, time-travel, and durability. Essentially, Franklin is like a Swiss Army knife; he can do anything he wants.

Two pieces of information have led me to Franklin’s admission in this section of the preview. Firstly, the details about Reed and Sue in 2025 were released to explain that they were married, then she was pregnant, and finally, she would give birth to Franklin. I don’t know what the time frame of the film is, but I remember reading these reports, along with the trailers, to identify this fact:

One of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics, Franklin Richards, would be in the film.

The other piece of information is Galactus’ appearance. Based on a trailer I’ve seen, I have two different theories about why Galactus has arrived at Earth.

Theory A: The Silver Surfer finds Earth as per her instructions to locate planets full of life. She alerts Galactus, who turns up for a snack, then detects Franklin’s power level, and is open to giving Reed and Sue a deal, to trade Franklin for the Earth. He did it with the Silver Surfer; he can do it again.

Theory B: Using his ultra-high tech on his spaceship and the Power Cosmic, Galactus detects Franklin’s power level. He orders the Silver Surfer to pinpoint Franklin’s location to find and capture him. The Fantastic Four offer a tiny amount of resistance, but he offers Reed and Sue a deal to trade Franklin for the Earth. He did it with the Silver Surfer; he can do it again.

The question of whether Galactus was aware of Franklin’s power level before the film began is irrelevant. At a certain point during the movie, Galactus knows about Franklin’s abilities and presents his parents with a dilemma: Will they choose to save Franklin or the Earth?

The only reason I know this is because in one of the trailers, Reed is talking to the media about the proposal, which they rejected. Now, whether this was a positive or negative move from Marvel to include this key plot point in a trailer, once again, remains to be seen.

Do I have concerns?

Of course I do, I wouldn’t be a geek if I didn’t. In my defence, though, I always have concerns about comic book movies. Nevertheless, let’s proceed with my concerns for the 37th MCU film.

• Where is the film’s continuity in the MCU?
• Does Galactus destroy the Earth, or will he be defeated by the Ultimate Nullifier?
• Will the dialogue between the members of the Fantastic Four be smart, witty, and heartfelt, or will it tank?
• Considering the movie takes place on another Earth, will there be any main MCU cameos or references?
• Will the Yancy Street Gang appear? Please be a yes!
• Does Franklin develop and grow super quickly?
• How large a role will H.E.R.B.I.E. play?
• Will the origin of the Fantastic Four be explained as being set in the present, but with a flashback, or will the characters gain their powers in Act 1, then have a time jump to progress the story?
• Are Reed and Sue aware of Franklin’s abilities? Do they witness him doing things or just detect his power level using technology?
• Will the Silver Surfer betray Galactus?
• Will there be any Negative Zone, Doctor Doom, Annihilus, or Valeria Richards references?
• For Galactus’ origin, how will it be explained?
• On Earth-828, is Reed considered to be the smartest person on the planet?
• Does Johnny say “Flame On!” to activate his powers?

Ok, I believe that’s it, provided I don’t think of anything new. Are you planning on watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps? As always, please let me know.

I seem to be closing these vanity musings in a similar vein lately, but I meant it. Please look after yourselves. The world this week was full of scandals, controversies, border conflicts, solar and wind storage capacities, genocide, trade arguments, high food prices, passport designs, and an AI penis. It can be bleak, but not all is lost; it never is.

This may sound tired and cliché, but hundreds of millions of people around the world feel the same way, and that’s ok. It means you’re not alone, you’re never alone.

Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, and if you’re feeling down, watch the South Park Season 27 premiere; I promise you’ll feel better. Hang in there, and I’ll see you next week for The Fantastic Four: First Steps-Movie Review.

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