10 Things About The Fantastic Four: First Steps That Make No Sense

With the movie now available for streaming, it’s a good time to revisit some of its plot holes. However, this doesn’t diminish the fact that it was generally a strong addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its success is understandable.

Even in a world with powerful beings like a planet-eating god and a baby who can bring people back to life, some parts of superhero movies still stretch credibility. There’s a limit to how much we can accept as believable, even in a fantastical setting.

There Were Better Ways To Avoid Galactus

A major criticism of *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* centered on the heroes’ attempt to defeat what was believed to be an unstoppable enemy. Their plan – to divert Galactus and buy time – was incredibly bold and raised many questions about how it would actually work, and whether they had any other options. As it turned out, they did, because the plan ultimately failed.

Even if teleportation was the Fantastic Four’s most effective weapon against the nearly invincible Galactus, they should have prioritized it. Instead of their complicated main plan, they should have immediately focused on using Reed Richards’ technology to move Galactus far away from Earth while he was still traveling. This would have been a smart way to prevent him from ever reaching our planet and causing destruction.

Many Of The Deleted Scenes Should Have Stayed

Shortly after the movie came out, some deleted scenes surfaced. It’s common for filmmakers to cut scenes to improve a movie’s flow and remove unnecessary parts. However, seeing these scenes – some on the Blu-ray release of *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* and others described online – makes it hard to understand why they were removed, especially since many viewers felt the movie, at under two hours, was already too short.

Many of the scenes that were cut could have easily been kept, especially since they would have improved character development. For example, Mole Man’s important actions in the final part of the movie would have made more sense if his earlier scene with Sue Storm hadn’t been removed. Similarly, more scenes featuring John Malkovich as Red Ghost could have enriched the movie’s world and better highlighted the Fantastic Four’s abilities.

Doom Was Almost Entirely Absent

Doctor Doom is a major character connected to the Fantastic Four, especially Reed Richards, and the two have a long-standing rivalry. Surprisingly, he wasn’t mentioned at all in the comic *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*. The empty seat reserved for Latveria at the United Nations highlighted how noticeably absent he was. Doom eventually showed up, but his appearance was quick and he didn’t have any lines.

Doctor Doom is missing from the recent film, *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*, and a possible explanation might appear in the upcoming *Avengers: Doomsday* movie, scheduled for release on December 16, 2026. However, his lack of involvement feels strange right now, particularly given that, in the comics, Doctor Doom would definitely have reacted to the threat of Galactus to defend both his country, Latveria, and the planet Earth.

The Silver Surfer Gives Earth’s Protectors Plenty Of Time To Prepare

Shalla-Bal appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to deliver a grim warning: Earth was going to be destroyed by Galactus. Surprisingly, instead of urging people to fight, she advised them to cherish their remaining time with family and friends, as Galactus’s arrival would still take a considerable amount of time.

This delay gives Earth’s defenders a chance to prepare for Galactus. While Shalla-Bal likely believes nothing can defeat him, it’s unclear why she’d risk anything at all. Considering Galactus simply wants to destroy the planet, she could suggest using this time to evacuate instead of giving in to despair.

Rachel Replaces Alicia Masters For Seemingly No Reason

Before the release of *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*, Natasha Lyonne was confirmed to play a secret character, sparking rumors she’d be Alicia Masters – a significant character in Marvel comics known for her relationship with Ben Grimm and involvement in the initial conflict with Galactus and the Silver Surfer. However, Lyonne ended up playing Rachel Rozman, a completely new character who didn’t have a major impact on the story.

The chemistry between Rozman and Grimm hints that Rozman’s character was created to fill the role of Alicia Masters. However, it’s unclear why they didn’t simply use Grimm’s original love interest from the comics, as it would have achieved the same emotional impact. This leaves fans questioning if Alicia Masters will reappear in future Marvel films, especially with major events like *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars* on the horizon.

The Fantastic Four Are Earth’s Only Superheroes

I’ve always thought it was interesting how the Fantastic Four seemed to be Earth’s *only* defense when Galactus showed up. Their encounter with the Silver Surfer really made it feel like it was all on them, and it’s weird because you don’t see any other heroes stepping in to help beforehand. It works for the story, and it’s a great story, but it just doesn’t quite fit with everything else going on in the Marvel Universe, you know?

It seems unlikely that a universe filled with powerful gods and magical abilities would only have one group of superheroes. If Doctor Doom from another reality is as powerful as his comic book counterpart, that implies other sorcerers, like Doctor Strange, must also exist. And even without considering superpowers, it’s reasonable to assume heroes like Iron Man and Hawkeye would appear in a world where villains like Red Ghost and Mole Man choose to use their skills for evil.

Galactus Was Too Easy To Defeat

The Fantastic Four first tried to find a way to deal with the incredibly powerful Galactus without fighting him. However, they eventually had no choice but to confront him directly. While this battle was a good opportunity for the team to showcase their abilities, it also revealed that Galactus wasn’t completely unbeatable, despite his reputation.

Even though Galactus is incredibly powerful, possessing the Power Cosmic, he was repeatedly stopped by much weaker superheroes. Sue Storm, for example, managed to restrain him with her force fields, even though it cost her life. This is surprising, considering Galactus is essentially a god, and he himself described those who opposed him as just “clever little bugs.” This makes him seem less intimidating than he’s usually portrayed.

The Bridge Wasn’t Comic Accurate

Reed Richards’ latest invention, the Bridge, proved to be a pivotal device in defeating Galactus.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe often makes changes when bringing comic book stories to the screen. It’s surprising, though, that the new *Fantastic Four* movie, *First Steps*, chose that specific title, considering the ‘Bridge’ is a key element in the comics and is expected to play a big role in the upcoming *Avengers: Secret Wars*. This naming choice implies the movie won’t follow the comic book version closely, and it’s unclear why the filmmakers didn’t simply give Reed Richards’ teleportation device a different name.

The Fantastic Four Thought That Galactus Would Be Fooled By Their Obvious Trap

Galactus wasn’t as strong as everyone believed, but he was reasonably clever. When their first plan failed, the Fantastic Four tried to trick him into entering a large teleportation device. They used Franklin Richards as bait, hoping to send Galactus away, but Galactus figured out their plan just in time.

Considering the clear warning signs, it was unlikely Galactus would be fooled. However, the Fantastic Four still gambled on him being tricked, which is especially surprising since Reed Richards, one of the world’s most intelligent people, is on the team.

The Power Cosmic

In *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*, the story takes some creative freedoms with the source of Galactus’s immense power, the Power Cosmic. Notably, it applies this power to Franklin Richards, who is usually depicted as a mutant with reality-altering abilities. The film suggests that receiving Galactus’s power comes with an unending need to consume planets, implying that Franklin Richards will also develop this planet-eating hunger – a significant change from how the character is portrayed in the comics.

Despite its grand name, the Power Cosmic doesn’t appear to be all-powerful when Galactus uses it. For example, even with this power, he couldn’t teleport back to his ship when he was far away, and he had to physically walk to retrieve Franklin. Interestingly, Franklin demonstrates that the Power Cosmic *can* bring people back to life. It’s hard to fully understand what the Power Cosmic actually does, but it definitely doesn’t seem to grant unlimited power.

2025-10-07 02:12