When the Fantastic Four’s introduction to the MCU was first announced, I’ll admit that I was sceptical. After all, the 2005 film wasn’t anything to write home about, and the less said about the 2015 movie, the better. A pattern had emerged where every decade, we seemed to get a new Fantastic Four reboot. At this point, if Marvel didn’t get it right, we can only assume that it’s some kind of recurring humiliation ritual for both the studio and its actors.

So it must be a relief to everyone that The First Steps isn’t just good — it’s great.

We can attribute much of this success to the titular Four, with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn all giving outstanding performances. But Kirby’s iteration of Sue Storm is undoubtedly the best part of the film. Her portrayal of Sue breathed new life into not just the character, but the MCU as a whole: dramatically shaking up the status quo. 

Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below. The film is out now in the UK and the US.

Sue’s intelligence is finally front and centre

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Previous cinematic iterations never quite did the character justice — in both the 2015 and 2005 movies, her only quality seemed to be ‘pretty.’ The sharp intelligence that defines Sue Storm in the comics has been sorely lacking on-screen, until now. Indeed, as Reed Richards himself says in an early moment of the film, Sue is one of the best scientists on Earth-828. She just so happens to be his wife.

Her intelligence is further exemplified by her position as a leader in international negotiations, demonstrating that she possesses more than one string to her bow. And let’s be honest, while Reed was portrayed as the man with a plan, it was always Sue who put the final pieces of the puzzle together. 

The thing I like about Sue is that she isn’t just a brainbox: she’s a leader. Without hesitation, she declared to the Silver Surfer that she and the Four were the protectors of Earth-828, and in her impassioned speech to protesters, she demonstrated how she was the beating heart of the team. She positioned herself as the matriarch of not just the Four — but the entire world. 

She proves how motherhood is a strength, not a weakness

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Motherhood in general is integral to Sue’s character in the movie, as she becomes pregnant with (and later gives birth to) her son, Franklin. But being pregnant doesn’t stop her from going on a high-stakes space mission. Sure, she was a little distracted by the whole giving birth thing, but even then, she manages to help the team escape and give the Silver Surfer a big old wallop.

In our society, it’s arguable that mothers are expected to put their careers and personal pursuits on hold to raise their children. Still, Sue demonstrates that you can do both, which, especially in a 1960s setting, is a significant victory for feminism. While motherhood is part of her identity, she doesn’t let being a mother solely define her — and that’s a crucial distinction.

Up until this point, motherhood has been portrayed pretty differently in the MCU. For Wanda Maximoff, motherhood is presented as a weakness. Her love for her sons and grief from losing them is what starts her down the path of villainy and ultimately leads to her downfall and (alleged) death. By contrast, Sue’s love for her son made her stronger and even more determined to defeat Galactus in the film — it was one of her main driving forces.

She’s “the most dangerous of the Fantastic Four”

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It’s also worth noting that Sue isn’t just mentally strong, she’s physically strong too. In the film, she is shown to be powerful enough to defeat Galactus on her own. This aligns well with the Sue Storm we know from the comics, who Doctor Doom even describes as “the most dangerous of the Fantastic Four.”

While she can’t be described as Omega Level on account of not being a mutant, her force fields pack a pretty mean punch, and in the comics, Hyperstorm (her grandson) describes how Sue has barely scratched the surface of her abilities. So, I’m willing to bet she isn’t too far off.

Ultimately, the Sue Storm we see in this film is nothing short of a triumph. She’s intelligent, strong-minded, and, most importantly, channels her compassion into strength. She’s everything you could want from a superhero and more, and is a perfect role model for young girls.

As we know, the Avengers have been lacking a strong leader since the deaths of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, and while Reed is being eyed for this role, I think all the reasons above prove that Marvel is looking at the wrong family member. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is out now in cinemas in the UK and the US. UK readers can book tickets on Vue, Showcase, Odeon or Cineworld. US Marvel fans can pre-order them from AMC Theatres, Fandango and Atom Tickets.

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