Working with then-unknown filmmaker Robert Eggers on 'The Witch' supercharged the actor's career, eventually allowing him to play one of the biggest characters in the Marvel mythos.

First Steps is the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure, and like all MCU adventures it's bringing new characters into the fold.

Title: The Fantastic Four: First Steps Director: Matt Shakman Screenwriters: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Paul Walter Hauser, Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson Distributor: Walt Disney Running time: 1 hr 55 mins

But it was a little odd to hear that Marvel also planned to make the Fantastic Four a major part of the MCU’s future. Even though the Fantastic Four have always been prominent in Marvel’s comics, the characters — created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee — had never translated well to the big screen.

It seems that First Steps is finally the one that has done it right, and we’re going to unpack the elements on which the critics seem to agree. That said, we’re going to avoid any particular plot details, instead focusing on what critics find to be the film’s general weaknesses and its general strengths.