When Marvel literally gives birth to a parallel universe
Here we go again. The Fantastic Four are back on screen. Again. With a new cast, a new aesthetic, a new origin story. But don’t worry, they certainly haven’t rewritten everything: the narrative invisibility, the rubbery dialogues, and emotional depth worthy of a kiddie pool are all still there. Just with more lights and a faint hint at adult themes, like the mystery of being parents... in space.
Yes, because this time the real novelty isn’t the tight suits, nor the umpteenth cosmic threat coming from a galaxy that apparently has no union. No, the real bomb—and Marvel really wants us to get this—is that Sue Storm is pregnant. A pregnancy among meteors, black holes, and interdimensional fights: finally, every modern mother’s dream. Forget the epidural: here, childbirth is assisted by zero gravity.
And the script makes sure we feel it. This baby is special. This baby is different. This baby—spoiler alert, prophetic—is Franklin Richards. The Fifth. The Next Gen. The SuperKid. Here’s the real point: we’re not watching a movie, but a two-hour trailer for an already scheduled sequel, a family saga where the newborn already has a contract to appear in at least three crossovers, a Disney+ spin-off, and a cameo in Avengers 12: Infinite Cradle.
There’s something oddly comical about seeing our heroes face cosmic cataclysms while discussing interstellar diapers and deciding who will teach their child flame control or telekinesis. Reed Richards, the smartest man in the universe, here becomes a sort of multitasking dad alternating between building quantum portals and picking a name for the kiddo. Spoiler: he’s already a more interesting character than half the cast.
The whole movie revolves around this suspension between superhero adventure (which feels like it was taken from some old box set forgotten in Marvel’s backroom) and preparing the future heir, who clearly has to save the world, or destroy it, or at least help sell millions of lunch boxes.
The main threat—Galactus or whoever, because honestly at this point villains are as interchangeable as phone cases—seems just a pretext to reach the real climax: the revelation that inside that belly is the new frontier of the franchise. And while the universe risks annihilation, the true pathos is: will cosmic peace be born first or little Franklin?
Now, let’s be clear: much more was expected in terms of fun and bite. A lighter tone, sharper jokes, writing capable of mocking itself like in the best moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead, we get lukewarm comedy, lacking rhythm, seeming afraid to push beyond afterschool galactic humor.
This isn’t a movie, it’s a collective pregnancy, a symbolic gestation of the next narrative business. Everything is built to make us believe we’re witnessing an epochal transition, when in reality we’re just watching yet another pilot episode disguised as a reboot. With the difference that now, besides saving the world, our heroes also have to assemble the crib.
In short, the 2025 Fantastic Four is the first superhero movie where the multiverse intertwines with the family mortgage. A film that talks about superpowers but secretly works to generate—more than tell—the anticipation of something not yet here. But it will come. Maybe in September. Maybe with teething.
“To govern a family is little less difficult than to govern a kingdom.”
— Michel de Montaigne
