The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Stuns in Style, Stumbles in Substance
ESTIMATED domestic box office revenue
$201 – 241MM
Mythosis universal quests used
5
Audience appeal
4.98% – 6.09%
Hidden potential
$831 – 918MM
The Fantastic Four: First Steps aims to redefine Marvel’s First Family as the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set in a retro-futuristic 1960s on Earth-828, the film deliberately avoids their origin story. Visually, the movie dazzles with its aesthetic, promising a unique spectacle. However, despite its stylish veneer, First Steps suffers from a fractured storyline. The script lacks real tension, as its world-ending conflicts are quickly resolved. Its ambition is ultimately undercut by a formulaic approach, leading to an empty feeling and underdeveloped character arcs.
1. The invisible plot structure of The Fantastic Four: First Steps
1A. Script of The Fantastic Four: First Steps borrows 93% of its events from 5 mythological tales
The desire to be in a safe environment drives Reed’s quest of Tranquillity. The quest borrows events from the tale of Odysseus in Greek mythology. Both Odysseus and Reed navigate their way through hostile territory with the help of others.
Silver Surfer’s quest is driven by selfishness. The quest borrows events from the tale of Valmiki in Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Garrett are self-centred but eventually have a change of heart and sacrifice themselves.
The desire to protect & nurture drives Sue’s underdeveloped quest of Family. The quest borrows a few events from the tale of Demeter in Greek mythology. Both Demeter and Sue lose their loved one but ultimately recover them.
The desire to punish offenders drives Galactus’ underdeveloped quest of Vengeance. The quest borrows events from the tale of Duryodhan in Hindu mythology. Duryodhan’s attempt to acquire the kingdom of Pandavas is similar to Galactus’ quest to acquire Franklin.
The desire for fairness & justice drives Franklin’s shallow quest of Idealism. The quest mirrors the tale of Krishn from Hindu mythology. Both Krishn & Franklin perceived to be a threat are abducted but ultimately protected & shielded by loved ones.
Ben & Johnny have a non-existent quest of loyalty.
Mythosis plot structure
#22,774,232
Tales interweaved
Odysseus, Duryodhan, Demeter, Krishn & Valmiki
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. Potential of The Fantastic Four: First Steps' plot structure: $201 – 241MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code. The Code is a set of principles for creating compelling stories. These storytelling principles reveal the strength of a story’s plot structure.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. The Fantastic Four First Steps uses 2 universal quests of Tranquillity & Accumulation. The quests of Vengeance, Family & Idealism are sparingly used.
- In Blockbusters, every character mirrors ONLY ONE universal quest. Reed mirrors the universal quest of Tranquillity whereas Silver Surfer mirrors Accumulation. Even though the quests of Sue, Galactus & Franklin are underdeveloped they are consistent.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Reed borrows 27% events from the quest of Tranquillity. Silver Surfer borrows 16% events from Accumulation. Galactus, Sue & Franklin borrow less than 10% from their respective quests.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. The Fantastic Four First Steps’ quest interweaving score of 0.53 is at par.
2B. Box office revenue estimation of The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The plot’s adherence to blockbuster norms of quest interweaving score suggests the presence of a layered conflict. “Galactus taking Franklin from the Baxter Building” is a powerful scene that entwines the quests of four characters. This event occurs in the tales of Odysseus, Demeter, Krishn & Duryodhan.
However, with only two central quests the story feels narrowly focused. Furthermore, low event borrowing rates for these quests risk weakening their character arcs.
Characters like Sue and Galactus appear tethered to their quests symbolically rather than actively contributing to plot momentum. This limits emotional range and misses out on thematic exploration of quests like Vengeance & Family.
The Script Score measures the potency of a plot structure. Higher its adherence to the principles of Mythosis Code, greater is the potency. The Script Score helps estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.17
Audience appeal
4.98% – 6.09%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. Ideal plot structure of The Fantastic Four: First Steps
We have identified 32 mythological tales. These are the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
32 mythological tales strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential. First, we map a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale. This exercise reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Second, identify missing events to plug the gaps. Plugging gaps deepens the character quest. Third, use missing events to strengthen the interweaving between various quests.
3A. Gaps in the current plot structure
- Narrow Quest Spectrum: Only two central quests dominate the narrative that restricts thematic diversity and suppresses emotional complexity
- Fragile Arcs: Reed and Silver Surfer character journeys are underpowered. Sue, Galactus & Franklin are portrayed as symbolic figures rather than evolving agents of the plot. Their actions often feel reactive rather than driven by personal stakes or values tied to their quests.
- Quest Interweaving Doesn’t Elevate All Characters: It reflects structural success; it doesn’t equate to strong character integration. The overlap centres around a select few, leaving others orbiting the story without meaningful convergence or growth.
3B. Unlocking the hidden potential
The Fantastic Four reimagining through the lens of its Mythosis Plot Structures, reveals its untapped brilliance. Mythosis Plot Structure #812,338 and #872,339 intricately weave the archetypes used by the writers of First Steps into a cohesive narrative.
Here’s how this reimagining deepens the Fantastic Four story:
- Mythic Plot Structure Integration: The narrative gains a richer emotional and symbolic resonance by deeply integrating these mythic elements. The two primary plot structures enhance the story, with #872,339 being noted as more powerful and having the potential to captivate broader audiences.
- Archetypal Character Development: The characters are assigned legendary archetypes, which helps to deepen their motivations and resolve any narrow character spectrums.
- Silver Surfer channels the ambition of Valmiki rooted in ego and moral blindness. Franklin assumes the mantle of Krishn the upholder of fairness and justice. Galactus epitomizes the unscrupulous acquirer.
- The first structure, #812,338 primarily focuses on Reed’s quest for Tranquillity.
- While the second structure, #872,339 significantly amplifies Sue’s journey to protect and nurture, drawing a parallel to Demeter’s quest.
- Narrative and Thematic Deepening: By incorporating missing events from timeless legends, the reimagining resolves the narrow character spectrum, deepens character motivations, and threads individual quests into a cohesive story.
- For example, Silver Surfer’s transformation is brought about by Franklin. Another instance is Silver Surfer helping Sue overcome Galactus, mirroring how Zeus helped Demeter overcome Hades.
- Audience Appeal and Box Office Potential: The second plot structure #872,339 is projected to generate significant commercial success, with lifetime domestic box office earnings estimated to be in the range of $831 to 918 million. This potential for broad appeal stems directly from its deep mythic integration and powerful narrative.
Explore Mythosis Plot structure # 872,339 to enhance current revenues by 3.9X!
Tags: Odysseus, Tranquillity, Krishn, Idealism, Demeter, Family, Valmiki, Accumulation, Duryodhan, Vengeance, Matt Shakman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer, Kat Wood, Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2025