“The Fantastic Four are a family of scientists and astronauts who are exposed to cosmic rays and develop superpowers, although in the 2025 version, these are "celestial rays." They first appeared in print, in a 1961 Marvel comic, at the height of the Cold War and the space race, when the Americans and the Russians vied for global dominance. The 1960s followed the glorious postwar period, in which the USA consolidated what became known as the "American way of life," marked by a optimism that suggested a technologically advanced and glorious future. This illusion ended as the country became deeply involved in the Vietnam War, from which it emerged defeated. Today, with the struggle between China and the United States, a new version of the Fantastic Four, titled Fantastic Four: First Steps, is hitting theaters. What is the significance of bringing this story back to the big screen after three previous films? What connection does it have with current geopolitics? Is this film an isolated case?

So why is it important to bring Fantastic Four back to the big screen? Because it seems like a surefire way to draw audiences. These days, moviegoers aren't as enthusiastic about superhero films as they were years ago, whereas Fantastic Four, from their very first comic book appearances, was a huge success that fueled Marvel's growth in the 1960s. But delving a little deeper, there might be a connection between Fantastic Four: First Steps and the current geopolitical landscape. Fantastic Four reflects a time in history when the United States led the world. Today, that country is forced to compete for leadership with China, which has become a power challenging its global supremacy. And so, in the manner of the English with the myth of King Arthur, which they periodically bring to the screen to remind us that they did get things right at some point in history, the Americans attempt to do the same, appealing to their own "Camelot," which coincides with the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, and also with the presidency of the ill-fated John F. Kennedy—that is, an idealized time in which the future promised to be brighter. This perspective is evident in the film's aesthetics and in themes such as the revived dream of conquering space. Thus, Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) is an attempt to seduce both its usual audiences and new ones by offering an interpretation of current geopolitics and proposing solutions to its problems. This may sound far-fetched and too realistic for a science fiction film whose premise is that a destroyer of worlds named Galactus is going to destroy Earth—not our Earth, but another one in another universe, though very similar to ours, yet still living as if it were the 1960s. The question remains for you: At what point does the metaphor connect with reality?

Let's clarify the situation, so: Why make a movie like this? The answer would be that the Fantastic Four arrive in 2025 to tell the world that the American way of doing things is what will save us from the apocalypse. And which apocalypse? Nuclear catastrophe, foreign invaders, trade wars, drug trafficking—which one? Fantastic Four was produced to show the world that Marvel understands the situation in 2025, just as it did in 2018 when it released Avengers: Infinity War and predicted that a planetary tragedy like COVID would strike humanity. Marvel also knows the story the world needs to heal its fears and move forward. This means that comics and movies are a reflection of the world, a reflection that also serves as a fortune teller to predict the future, and that is why Marvel dares to propose that the solution to everything lies in the family and that the ideal model is the American one, and to be more precise, the one from the early 1960s, that is, the one shown in FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS.

Now, if the film FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, released in 2025, is something of a weapon in a cultural battle between East and West, what are its qualities? Undoubtedly, the first is its ability to present archetypes, that is, exemplary models—in this case, an archetype of society, that of the early 1960s in the United States. In that world, where there is an Earth—not ours, but Earth number 828—that exists in a universe composed of many universes, that is, in a multiverse, its characters defend familial love as a weapon to defeat extraterrestrial enemies; it's like saying that family is the ultimate power. And finally, though no less important, Marvel decided to give the lead role to a Chilean actor, Pedro Pascal. So, to the question of whether this film's premise is an isolated case, I would say no. First, because, like the 2025 Superman film, it tries to return the drama to its comic book origins, and then, to broaden its appeal to wider audiences, such as Hispanics, it casts a Chilean actor at the height of his fame to play the lead role. Therefore, it could be argued that Fantastic Four: First Steps is part of a trend that combines different factors to rekindle and maintain moviegoers' passion for seeing films on the big screen. At this point, the question is for you: Is Marvel's strategy for making its film a success sound? Do you think our reflections are accurate? Do you consider us, despite being true film buffs, to be hopelessly paranoid?