“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” a subtitle was necessary. There have simply been too many previous attempts at Fantastic Four movies over the last 20 years. Marvel Studios clearly wanted to differentiate this one.
Still, the title is a bit awkward. “Fantastic Four” by itself is such a catchy name — alliterative, evocative, campy — that tacking on some other phrase muddies the title card a bit. That’s especially true when that subtitle is more than a little confusing. What does “First Steps” actually mean in the context of the film? We could probably come up with a lot of ideas if you’re okay with tenuous connections, but there are two main ones.
The first and most obvious involves the character at the center of the film’s drama — Franklin, the son of Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal). Born in the middle of the movie, the baby and his mysterious powers are the clearest connection to the phrase “First Steps,” referring to a young child beginning to take on more autonomy. There’s also a possible connection in the team’s status as astronauts.
