In addition to its strong opening weekend performance, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been met with a lot of positive critical reception, so it’s fair to call it one of Marvel Studios’ successes. However, not everyone’s a fan of the latest adaptation of Marvel’s First Family. Rob Liefeld, who co-created Deadpool with Fabian Nicieza, didn’t mince words while sharing his thoughts about the 2025 movie starring Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby’s Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Thing and Joseph Quinn’s Human Torch.
Following five months after he took aim at Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige over Captain America: Brave New World’s box office drop, Liefeld went on X to share a picture he took of an empty IMAX theater screening First Steps to accompany his negative reaction to the movie. Check it out:
This was the 5pm Fantastic Four screening at my IMAX. I can tell you why there is very little repeat biz on this film. It’s impossibly dull & boring. pic.twitter.com/AdiHfOmbMSJuly 30, 2025
Ok, I need to point out that Rob Liefeld posted this on Tuesday. Sure, it’s a shame that theater wasn’t packed, but at 5 pm on a Tuesday, a lot of people are either still at work or have just come home and might not be in the mood to go straight back out to see a movie. Plus, IMAX tickets cost more than what you’d pay for a standard screening, so taking those factors into consideration, I don’t think the amount of attendees in that theater should be considered indicative of The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ quality.
Still, Rob Liefeld is entitled to his opinion about First Steps, as no movie is ever going to please every person that sees it. Still, this continues the writer/artist’s critical streak towards Marvel. Back in January, he expressed his dissatisfaction at Deadpool & Wolverine not including Josh Brolin’s Cable. Then the following month, Liefeld shared that he’d severed ties with Marvel over issues that began in 2023, but reached a tipping point over alleged slights at the Deadpool & Wolverine New York premiere. Also, in February 2024, he announced that he was retiring from working on Deadpool comics, though he cited his age as the main reason for this.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps may not have Rob Liefeld’s cup of tea, but with its 86% Tomatometer and 92% Popcornmeter scores on Rotten Tomatoes, it certainly was for many others. A Fantastic Four sequel is reportedly already in development, and as theorized by Variety last month, it could fit into one of the four theatrical slot’s Marvel’s blocked off for 2028. Other possibilities include the long-awaited Blade reboot, Black Panther 3 and the X-Men reboot.
But we don’t have to wait until then to reunite with the MCU’s Fantastic Four, as they’ll return for Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027. Finger crossed that Rob Liefeld is more entertained by their appearances in those gigantic ensembles.
