The “First Steps” part of the title of the new “Fantastic Four” movie is misleading. We don’t see the superhero quartet take their first steps, not as changed individuals and not as a team. The movie takes place four years after a space anomaly altered the DNA of astronauts Reed “Mister Fantastic” Richards (Pedro Pascal), Ben “Thing” Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Johnny “Human Torch” Storm (Joseph Quinn) and his sister, Sue “Invisible Woman” Storm (Vanessa Kirby). Fortunately, the alterations turned out to be mostly positive, and the team uses their newfound gifts to better the planet of Earth-828.

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The team certainly uses their powers for the greater good, but they don’t rely on them as much as you’d think. Richards is such an outstanding intellectual that he barely ever calls upon his ability to stretch. Sue uses her diplomatic talents to broker a peace deal that has nothing to do with her (admittedly poorly-defined) force-field powers. Johnny tries to prove his worth to the others by tackling problems without relying on his fire powers. Ben is more than happy to lend his rock-body to issues that require physical force, but he’s just as happy to live as normally as he can. The team is certainly good for fighting off the occasional supervillain, but they also motivate the inhabitants of Earth-828 to do good with their own lives so they don’t need to rely on superheroes.

Of course, sometimes the world needs the Fantastic Four at their most Fantastic. As couple Reed and Sue are preparing to welcome a baby, extraterrestrial being Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), later known as the Silver Surfer, arrives on Earth-828. She’s there to herald the impending arrival of planet-eating giant Galactus (Ralph Ineson). Nice of her to give everyone a chance say goodbye to their loved ones, though I don’t see why Galactus needs a herald to give away the element of surprise.

The Four won’t stand for their entire world to be eaten, so they go on a space mission to try to reason with the hungry humongoid. He’s willing to cut a deal: he’ll spare the planet in exchange for Reed and Sue’s baby, which may have an all-powerful combination of his parents’ powers. The team refuses to hand over the baby, of course, but that does leave them with the residual problem of Earth being doomed. Can the Fantastic Four save their world from a villain the size of a skyscraper? Do the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its Disney overseers want to keep making money off of these characters?

Story-wise, there’s not much new here, other than maybe how little action there is for a superhero movie. There’s a chase scene midway through the movie, and a typical-of-the-MCU battle involving a big glow-y thing at the end, but other than that we see little more than quick bursts and highlights. The Four actually try to stop Galactus by calling upon help from civilians on a global scale. I seriously doubt that enough people on our Earth would be willing to chip in and make these sacrifices, but remember, this movie doesn’t take place on Earth, it takes place in a parallel universe on Earth-828.

The appeal of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” doesn’t lie in the likeable-but-familiar heroes, it lies in the setting of Earth-828. The world looks like what people in the 1960’s thought the world would look like in 2025. Technology has advanced and there are things like flying cars, but style and decoration have retained what I would call a retro aesthetic. Yes, there’s even an agreeably-chirpy, charmingly-cumbersome robot servant in the team’s headquarters. It’s the most memorable MCU setting since Wakanda, and it might even have that one beat. I can see why the Fantastic Four want to work so hard to save this world. Earth-828 elevates this otherwise-middling MCU entry into the best installment in years.

Grade: B

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is rated PG for action/violence and some language. Its running time is 115 minutes.

Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.