Some battles are lost, some are won, and then there are some pop culture wars that go on forever. Marvel's latest drop, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is not only pulling in audiences to the theatres like the pied piper but also generating esteemed reviews for its unique retro-futuristic take on nostalgia-driven storytelling. And just so it happens to be going neck and neck with DC's Superman. When the legendary Japanese video‑game auteur Hideo Kojima speaks on the latest MCU spectacle, it counts, even if it means re-evaluating the cultural impact of each of these 2025 hits.

A superhero's family drama pitted against another's origin story, which one is winning? Kojima has the answer.  

Hideo Kojima, the mastermind who revolutionized interactive storytelling in Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, has just been to the theatre to pay a visit to Marvel's first family. Taking to X, Kojima wrote an elaborate review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, praising its 1960s-inspired aesthetic blended with futurism, nostalgia, and efficient storytelling. He pointed out the movie's complete dedication, not simply with costumes or color schemes, but also city logos, food items, and the tiniest details. It was obvious that he viewed those details not as props but as narrative scaffolding, aligning the emotional arcs of the characters with environmental design.

Aside from visual design, Kojima complemented the economy of the story. He highlighted how the film opens with a TV show-style synopsis of the team's feats, role, and current standing, and then shifts to focus on their present, replete with family crises and turmoil. Kojima particularly liked how Marvel escaped an overly explanatory depiction of how the protagonists became superhumans. He hailed the film as "fantastic," taking a "first step" to rebooting the series. For Kojima, Marvel did not miss a spot in offering a fast-paced, clean retro ride with a wide range of emotions displayed. Comparing it with James Gunn's Superman, Kojima lauded the movie for carefully shedding any lag that origin stories would have brought on.

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The world has been fed enough superhero origin stories to move on to gritty emotions and realism while remaining immersed in the suspension of disbelief. 

With an iconic vision that combines game‑cinema and storytelling, Hideo Kojima's impressions of movies and reviews foretell wider trends and provide artistic insights. Kojima distinguished Superman and Fantastic Four based on their storytelling approach. While he lauded Superman, entirely skipping the origin story of Clark Kent, portraying him as an established superhero for the sake of pace and to avoid redundancy, Fantastic Four left a deeper impact on him. 

Marvel got major kudos from Kojima for introducing the superheroes with a TV show-style summary, followed by immediately snatching viewers' attention by plunging the family into a quandary. Leaving him impressed with its high‑concept world-building and psychological grounding gives MCU all the validation it needs to celebrate its new phase. Despite Pedro Pascal's recent backlash, Fantastic Four's narrative-driven take, prioritizing character dynamics and relationships, ultimately gave it a solid box office performance and Kojima's endorsement.

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What did you think of Hideo Kojima's review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.