It was November 1961 when that first issue of The Fantastic Four comic was released, created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.

Its first cinematic outing was a stalled affair, with 1994’s The Fantastic Four, directed by Oley Sassone, never released.

They were luckier in 2005 when the film Fantastic Four was released, followed by a sequel two years later.

The material was examined again in 2015, for just a one off, and the superhero foursome have been quiet ever since. Until Now.

This re-iteration finds the family set on Earth-828, a variation of Earth in the Marvel multiverse, in 1964, facing a menacing threat.

It’s been four years since Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), returned from their mission in space, where they encountered cosmic rays that gave them super powers.

They now find themselves set up base in New York City, as a superhero team, fighting all super-villains.

Then, one day, a Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), travels through space and visits them with a message: Earth is going to be visited by Galactus (Ralph Ineson) with a mission, to destroy the planet.

The Fantastic Four aren’t keen on that proposal, so decide to travel through space and confront Galactus. When they do, they’re giving an ultimatum, which if they agree to will save Earth, but is it a step too far?

The arrival of The Fantastic Four: First Steps marks the first entry in phase six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as the 37th entry overall in the MCU.

The previous phase has been a mixed bag, proving that MCU has been on shaky ground.

Thankfully director Matt Shakman, a TV director who has only directed one film (in 2014), has made an impressive return for this fab foursome.

It could easily have resorted to being a prolonged origin story, but thankfully their back story takes up only a couple of minutes to get audiences up to speed, then just concentrates on the story at hand – the end of the world.

It’s visually intriguing, down to the fact it’s set in an alternative reality, seemingly influenced by the 1960’s animated show The Jetsons, with its ‘future’ look set in the film’s 1964.

It’s also helped by a strong bond between the four of them, as well as an offspring that makes them stronger, that plays a part in whether the planet survives or not.

The interaction is both familiar and playful, and makes their relationship with one another endearing.

It’s also a plot that doesn’t necessarily rely on any other element of the MCU, and can be enjoyed as a standalone adventure. It’s basically the world needs to be saved, which is simple enough, but with it shot through a chic, retro sci-fi sheen lens, it’s visually engaging.

Shakman also manages to make Ben Grimm vibrant, despite Moss-Bachrach’s performance being all CGI, his warmth and cheeky charm oozes through.

A strong return for the Fantastic Four then, and sees this first step a strong one going forward, with their appearance in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday guaranteed for them to keep it in the family again.

A superb, well crafted, and wonderfully acted entry, that makes it a stand out story for their family album.