The Fantastic Four: First Steps - The scoop and digest

The start of Phase Six and IP's second reboot is written by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer and directed by Matt 'WandaVision' Shakman.

Pedro Pascal - Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic

Vanessa Kirby - Sue Storm/Invisible Woman

Ebon Moss-Bachrach - Ben Grimm/The Thing

Joseph Quinn - Johnny Storm/Human Torch

Julia Garner - Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer

Paul Walter Hauser - Harvey Elder/Mole Man

Ralph Ineson - Galactus

Matthew Wood - H.E.R.B.I.E.

Summary

Earth-828.

The Ted Gilbert Show is celebrating four years of the Fantastic Four, who went to space, encountered cosmic turbulence (altering their DNA) and came back forever changed.

During a meal at the Baxter Building, Reed and Sue reveal to Ben and Johnny they're expecting a child.

A few months later, a metallic female arrives on a surfboard-like craft, warning that Earth has been marked for death and will be consumed by Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.

They decide to return to space and confront Galactus, who offers to spare their world in exchange for Sue's unborn baby, as he senses great power within him. 

Nah, you're alright mate.

After escaping, Sue gives birth to Franklin.

Back on Earth, inspired by Archimedes' Lever principle, Reed plans to create a series of interconnected bridges that will transport Earth to another solar system, which planet eating pest won't be able to find for millions of years.

But one suspects there might be a few hiccoughs along the way.

Mid-credits

Four years later, after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Franklin, no doubt a reference to Galactus' hunger, Sue asks H.E.R.B.I.E. what his favourite book is, to which he produces Charles Darwin's The Origin of the Species.

She hears a noise and walks in on a green-cloaked man interacting with Franklin.

Text appears stating "The Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday".

Post-credits

An old-school animation sequence (directed by the Russo brothers) has team fight numerous villains.

Die with yours

Full of heart, narratively coherent and set against a superb futuristic 60's landscape, this was undoubtedly studio's best since Endgame.

Action is at a premium, but worth every second, especially when Silver Surfer chases team across the universe.

While characters are likable and bounce off each other, accents did feel a little weird.

Ever since trailer dropped, my biggest concern was The Thing, as apart from peculiar sized head, CG seemed to regularly alter proportion.

Ben is goaded throughout to say 'It's clobbering time' and when he does during final battle, it's satisfying, rather than cheesy.

Miscellany

Before Shalla-Bal's arrival, Reed says he's been tracking The Puppet Master, The Wizard and Diablo, potentially teasing cameos in the future.

Or maybe, just for the hell of it.

The portal that Galactus is forced into by Sue is open for 37 seconds.  This is the 37th MCU film.

Jack Kirby's birthday is August 28, hence why film is set on Earth-828.

The rocket that team use is called Excelsior, named after Stan Lee's signature catchphrase.  In the comics, it was Marvel-1.

Shalla-Bal is occasionally referred to a sexy alien.  While probably a coincidence, Kelly (Maria Menounos) in the infamous Fantastic Four (2005) is listed Sexy Nurse in the end credits.

Shadow of the Colossus (2005/2018)

At one point during the final fight with big bad (which I really enjoyed btw), Reed jumps on and hops about Galactus' back, slamming his makeshift javelin into a weak spot.

Anybody who has played classic video game (originally on PS2) will be nodding in agreement.

While blow isn't pivotal, just hand me a controller already.

'Probably' everything that 28 Days Later ripped off

Danny Boyle's film had a significant impact on popular culture.

https://nukesandknives.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-legacy-of-28-days-later.html

But is there a dark side to infected moon?

Let's find out.

UK release - 1 November 2002

Remember that sequence at the start with Jim waking from a coma in St Thomas Hospital?

Course ya do.

Resident Evil - UK release (12 July 2002)

At the end, Alice wakes up strapped to an operating table, briefly explores a hospital and finds Raccoon City in ruins.

Good luck finding anything like that in the games.

Alice's red cocktail dress was inspired by Ada Wong's physical debut in Resident Evil 2 (1998).

Yeah, she was only a computer password in 1996 original.

But here's what's strange.

Hannah (left) and Selena (right) are forced into wearing red dresses.

(Shrugs shoulders).

I Am Legend

Richard Matheson's 1954 novel popularised the concept of a pandemic devastating civilisation.

Mary Shelley invented genre though, with The Last Man (1826).

The late and great George A. Romero states written word and its original cinematic adaptation The Last Man on Earth (1964) were key influences for Night of the Living Dead (1968).

Anyway, the second version of Matheson's novel was The Omega Man (1971), which unlike the former starring Vincent Price, Charlton Heston retained the protagonist's name Robert Neville.

Ignoring The Asylum's mockbuster I Am Omega, novel's actual title wasn't appropriated until 2007, when Will Smith stepped into the role.

Early doors, a billboard displaying a logo of Batman/Superman got tongues furiously wagging, but was later revealed to be a joke included by writer/producer Akiva Goldsman, who wrote an early draft for a project that never got made.  

Zack Snyder's mega flop Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice came to fruition in 2016.

Getting back on track.

Loosely based on Craig Harrison's 1981 novel of same name, Geoff Murphy's The Quiet Earth (1985) was an unofficial remake of Ranald MacDougall's The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959), which shares a similar premise to Five (1951). 

Zac Hobson (changed from John) explores post-apocalyptic Auckland, New Zealand.

43 years later, here's how London 'became' New York City.

Nice view

Steps

Overturned bus

Newspaper

Holy SHIT!

In both instances, striking imagery was captured by cast and crew shooting locations at dawn for limited periods over x amount days.

Time to remind everybody of something I first revealed to the world in October 2020.

https://nukesandknives.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-most-incredible-film-rip-offs-ever.html?m=0

Primal Rage (1988)

At a Florida university, Professor Jenkins inadvertently creates a Rage Virus while performing experiments to restore dead brain issue in baboons.

When college journalist Frank breaks into the laboratory, he's bitten on the arm by test subject. 

As infection worsens.

Geezer goes on a killing spree, transferring affliction to others. 

No matter how different the rest is, they plagiarised idea for set up.

The Walking Dead #1 (September 1989)

Unrelated to 1936 film and a certain other comic series of same name, check this out. 

Jim enters St. Anne's Church, with Barker also seeking salvation.

They meet an unnamed Father and Father Brannigan.

Who are both infected.

Surely not?

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) - The scoop and digest

The sequel to I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is co-written by Sam Lansky and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, from a story by Leah McKendrick and Robinson.

Madelyn Cline - Danica Richards

Chase Sui Wonders - Ava Brucks

Jonah Hauer-King - Milo Griffin

Tyriq Withers - Teddy Spencer

Sarah Pidgeon - Stevie Ward

Jennifer Love Hewitt - Julie James

Freddie Prinze Jr. - Ray Bronson

Summary

On July 4 2024, Ava returns to her hometown of Southport for Danica's engagement party.  Afterwards, she, along with her fiancé Teddy, Ava and Milo decide to drive down to Reaper's Curve to watch the fireworks.  Before setting off, they also take former friend Stevie, who has recently left rehab.

A drunk Teddy behaves like an idiot and causes a car to crash and ultimately plummet down the cliff, killing driver Sam Cooper.

Before parting ways, Teddy convinces everybody to keep quiet and let his powerful politician father cover accident up.

One year later.

Ava returns to Southport for Danica's bridal splash, who has since split from Teddy and now marrying Wyatt.  Among the gifts, Danica opens a card with I Know What You Did Last Summer written inside.

When a new killer dressed in a fisherman slicker causes mischief, Ava seeks help from Julie James, who asks: "What did you do last summer?"

Mid-credits

Karla Wilson (Brandy reprising role from I Still) is watching a news broadcast reporting events of the film.  Moments later, she answers the door to former college roommate Julie, who has received a note stating "It Isn't Over" and a photograph of Karla's face crossed out in red ink.

She responds by asking, "Who do we have to fuck up this time?"

You can't erase the past

Despite a solid performance from Cline, requel (unlike Scream), has no reason to exist.

Motivations for Stevie (out to avenge her friend Sam) and Ray (broken by years of depression) were grossly underwhelming.

As her character Helen Shivers died in original, Sarah Michelle Gellar is brought back de-aged in a nightmare sequence, with Croaker Queen bizarrely decomposing in front of Danica.

Dreaming about somebody you've never physically met doesn't make any sense.

Like Sam's stolen car, third act fell off a cliff and Ben Willis isn't even referenced.

But horrible script really PISSED me off.

Wyatt is first on the kill count and when tagged by a speargun, he reacts by saying: "What the fuck bro?"

Asshole then begs for he/she to take the codes to his Crypto wallet.

I'm not joking.

At the end, Ava realises it was Ray who attacked her before he killed True Crime podcaster Tyler, as he's wearing the same jacket she slashed while fighting back.  I'm sorry, but nobody would be that stupid.

Final scene with Ava and Danica reflecting on experience in a playful way and joking about killing Stevie is ridiculous.  However, according to Ava, all this could've probably been avoided, if men just went to therapy.

Fuck the fourth of July and FUCK this film.

The Legacy of 28 Days Later

Even though the infected AREN'T zombies, Danny Boyle's film made sub-genre popular again, beginning with Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.

Alex Garland acknowledges Resident Evil (1996) and George A. Romero's Dead trilogy were chief to screenplay, with the opening hospital sequence inspired by John Wyndham's 1951 novel The Day of the Triffids, and/or Steve Sekely's subsequent film adaptation.

Why not throw The Crazies (1973) into the mix too?

But enough about all that, let's rock and roll.

The Walking Dead #1

Deputy Rick Grimes and bicycle courier Jim awake from respective comas to some bad news.

I have a question.  Why the FUCK was Cillian Murphy brought in naked?

Is this supposed to be his rebirth or something?

Err.

On how strikingly similar opening sequences are, co-creator Robert Kirkman has stated:

"I saw 28 Days Later shortly before the first issue was released, which came out in October 2003.  28 Days Later was released in the States in June 2003, and by that time, we were already working on the second issue by the time I saw it."

Regardless of what you believe, I reckon a spy in England gave him the idea.

(Laughs).

Rick finding a corpse is unique to comic.

Which is more exciting then watching Jim guzzle Pepsi.

Meanwhile, in Quahog. 

Family Guy - Peternormal Activity (S14 E4)
Cleveland has the idea of setting a horror film inside an abandoned hospital.

Rip offs

State of Emergency¹ (2011)

The Rage (2007)

¹unrelated to 2002 video game of same name.

Others

Mutants (2009)

The Last Seven (2013)

The Girl with All the Gifts² (2016)

²Colm McCarthy's adaptation of M. R. Carey's 2014 novel of same name takes multiple cues from Boyle's film, but is basically an unauthorised version of The Last of Us (2013).

The Night Eats the World (2018)

French film even steals Frank's idea of placing containers outside to collect rainwater.

Miscellany

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

To paraphrase news report towards the end.

"6 months after Z-Day, director Edgar Wright rubbishes the virus was caused by 'rage infected monkeys³', dismissing claims as bull-⁴."

³Chimpanzees are apes.  Anachronism may have been intentional.

⁴Liz abruptly cuts things short.

My Dead Girlfriend (2006)

Opening text:

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

-A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"Shoot 'em in the head..."

-Night of the Living Dead.

28 HOURS LATER

The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror XX (S21 E4) - Don't Have a Cow, Mankind
Made from cannibalized cows, the Krusty Burger² transforms people into munchers.

Community - Modern Warfare (S1 E23)
After an hour's kip, Jeff finds Greendale's campus seemingly deserted. 

Party Rock Anthem (2011)

On March 1, LMFAO's Redfoo and Sky Blu slipped into comas after excessive party rocking.

The next morning, their new single was released to the world.

Music video premiered on March 9, but opening caption confirms events take place on March 30.

Significance of date is unknown.

Malcolm Goodwin (a parody of Louis from Left 4 Dead), grabs dance duo and explains that ever since song came out, all the world wants to do is "shuffle".

What's this?

The fourth part of first campaign No Mercy is The Hospital.
To reach Rooftop Finale, a lift must be called which terminates on Floor 28. 

Hmmm.

Left 4 Dead 2 (2009)

At some point during The Passing, graffiti is written on a wall.

REPENT THE END IS EXTREMELY ------- NIGH

Before Jim meets survivors Mark and Selena, uncensored message is seen in church.

Private Mailer

Chained up geezer is a tribute to Bub in Day of the Dead (1985).

Also.

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Extra portraying the zombie Dr. Isaacs attempts to domesticate is uncredited. 

Anyway, check out these cheeky bastards.

Little Nightmares II (2021)

State of Decay 2 (2018)

Cheating slightly.

The Evil Within (2014)
Before freeing bastard to activate boss fight, Sadist is initially chained up in a barn.

Epic ends on a promotional high.

Family Guy - Brian's Got a Brand New Bag (S8 E4) vs Poster 1

Yes, it's all about the writing.

Dangerous Animals (2025) vs Poster 2

In full.

The infected don't have yellow eyes, but I suppose red would blend in too much. 

Marvel Zombies 3 #2 (December 2008)

President Evil⁵ #2 (September 2009)

⁵By pure coincidence, comic series shares the German title for comedic slasher The Tripper (2006).