Nowadays, the Emmy winner is in $200-million Marvel movies. His first film credit, though, came in 2006 when he played a teenage "Paperboy Zombie" for a $22,000-budget horror flick.

That judgement is based on the reviews alone. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has already achieved a rare feat: its debut Rotten Tomatoes rating stands at a solid 86%, making it the first “Fantastic Four” movie ever to earn a “fresh” status. That score even nudges out the new “ Superman ” reboot, which currently sits at 83% on the Tomatometer.

But it was a little odd to hear that Marvel also planned to make the Fantastic Four a major part of the MCU’s future. Even though the Fantastic Four have always been prominent in Marvel’s comics, the characters — created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee — had never translated well to the big screen.

Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn star in Marvel's latest, out July 25.

It’s box office clobberin’ time — or so Marvel hopes.

First Steps are absolutely fantastic. Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases in United States theaters this weekend. Directed by Matt Shakman, the MCU flick stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards,

Despite strong performances by Pedro Pascal and others – and for all its "breezy competence and flair" – this retro vision of the future from Marvel doesn't have enough suspense.

One of the biggest movies to kick off Marvel’s Phase Six is the MCU’s newest movie, Fantastic Four: First Steps. Based on the FF trailer, the 2025 movie release not only stands apart due to its stellar casting,