Superman (2025) vs The Fantastic Four: First Steps

[The Batman]

There's been a lot of comparison between these two movies. Now that they're both released, which one did you prefer?

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Objectively speaking, after watching both, I'd go with The Fantastic Four.

Its script was tighter, the stakes in that film were much higher, you felt the urgency and the dread of the coming of Galactus. Then it was also emotional and each member rose to the occasion.

With Superman, the cast all were on their A-game, but the problem was the script. Gunn got the essentials together and the stellar cast did the best they could with it, but there were flaws and it didn't have a lot of meat to it, IMO.

 

[psylockolussus]

The Fantastic 4 easily.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I enjoyed both but I feel that FF is the stronger of the two films.

It is funny because they share A LOT of similarities (I mean....both have villains pushed into blackholes) but FF did a lot better at making their world feel genuinely lived in, stronger villains, packed in A LOT in a shorter run time but felt longer. Stronger CGI as well.

FF whole opening montage is what I was hoping to get in Superman.

 

[Drizzle]

Loved both but I'd go with Fantastic Four. I thought the story was a little stronger. The cast was stellar across the board for both movies, though.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Loved both movies, but Fantastic Four all the way

 

[Web-Head]

Fantastic Four pretty easily. I think @Shinobi Shaw nailed a lot of it. I connected with The Fantastic Four as a whole more than Superman too. Better visuals, better world.

 

[kguillou]

Gotta go with F4. Dont get me wrong, Gunn successfully revitalized the Man of Steel but the script really was a bit all over the place and saved by a great cast, great direction, and a fun, zippy tone and pace.

F4 had great stakes, a great villain and a lovable family dynamic and the 60s retro future aesthetic just made the movie gorgeous to look at.

 

[Elayis]

I'm really shocked by how high everyone is on FF.

To me, Superman was by far the superior film, and it's not even close. It's clear that Gunn had a vision and something to say, while First Steps was little more than brand management. There's basically nothing about the film that felt inspired or justified its existence. It's probably the most aggressively mediocre movie I've seen in a while, and easily the MCU's most boring entry.

FF did nothing to alleviate my fears going into phase six, while I couldn't be more excited for the potential of the DCU.

 

[Venom 1988]

I really liked both movies but also had problems with both. For me they are about the same but I think i enjoyed Superman a bit more than FF.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Neither is a great movie but absolutely FF. I don’t think there’s anything it doesn’t do better.

 

[Kane52630]

One has personality and ideas and one does not.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

How true.

One was also confused if it wanted to be a sequel to a first movie that never was or a crossover movie while the other held its focus and prioritized the titular heroes.

 

[BlackFox]

I mean, its just good that both seem to have gone over well with fans considering both IPs have had a rough ride of late, both nailed the main characters and have me interested in their future, feels like less toxic fanboy-ism than in the past between DC and Marvel as well (no doubt there's some about, tis the internet after all) but its a win for both it feels like.

Personally, yeah F4 won me over from the start and never let go, not just in the characters and setting but for from a film perspective the pacing, visuals and chemistry was just pitch perfect and genuinely threatening villains and felt like a Phase1/2 era Marvel film that was firing all cylinders and brought something new and fresh to the scene and I'm a long way from being a F4 comic book fan so that tells me a lot about the movie.

Superman was good, I just found the story a little more messy and had just a few too many characters trying to set up the world that got in the way of the main characters that were working so well. I wanted more Supes and Lois and less Hawkgirl and Jimmy Olsen subplots for a first outing. I am very much looking forward to Supergirl though, looks like that will be fun.

The fact they both had similar reviews and openings is pretty good outcome.

 

[Kane52630]

How true.

One was also confused if it wanted to be a sequel to a first movie that never was or a crossover movie while the other held its focus and prioritized the titular heroes.

View attachment 143020

Well one had insane chemistry between its cast and one does not.

In fact, you can say the 2000s version had better chemistry.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Well one had insane chemistry between its cast and one does not.

In fact, you can say the 2000s version had better chemistry.

And what a coincidence! One had nicely cast actors with NOTHING meaningful to say in a bipolar script while the other had perfectly cast actors giving us emotion and familiarity and warmth amidst looming terror.

 

[sdgrandia86]

I'm a Marvel guy myself and was never really a big fan of Superman but I absolutely loved Supermen 25. I found F4 pretty boring &, aside from Susan, miscast.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Enough time has passed.

Invisible Woman's speech to the world > Supes' speech to Lex.

Seethe.

 

[Drizzle]

One has personality and ideas and one does not.

How true.

One was also confused if it wanted to be a sequel to a first movie that never was or a crossover movie while the other held its focus and prioritized the titular heroes.

View attachment 143020

 

[Kane52630]

You should have posted this:

 

[KBX]

Both movies were good, but FF was the better film. Setting up the DCU got into the way of having a truly great Superman film, while FF really had nothing to do with the MCU, which made it focus on itself, characters and story. Sorta role reversals between the two universes.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Superman wins for me, but I loved both. Glad we got them so close together. Made a crappy summer for me quite a bit better.