That might sound like no big deal, but after 2023’s “The Marvels,” this spring’s fourth “Captain America” movie and “Thunderbolts*” all underperformed by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) standards, the new “Fantastic Four” may offer broader audience appeal by not pulling from other franchises.

The MCU introduces Marvel's first family in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," but what do you need to watch first?

It’s been a long time coming, but the Fantastic Four finally have a good movie to their name. The Fantastic Four: First Steps may not be perfect, as IGN’s Clint Gage said in his 7/10 review, but it gets the fundamentals right: the Four themselves are well cast,