Although it might be hard to grasp, the first live-action “Fantastic Four” film released in theaters will have reached its 20-year milestone when “Fantastic Four: First Steps” debuts. This marked the inaugural display of the Fantastic Four in human form, with Ioan Gruffudd portraying the elastic team leader, Mr. Fantastic. The film now seems like a throwback to another era, which it indeed is, but despite its decidedly silly tone, Gruffudd’s depiction of Reed Richards as a brilliant yet occasionally oblivious scientist was warmly received by many fans.

Both “Fantastic Four” and its sequel, “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” were generally welcomed by fans, though they didn’t quite capture the spirit of the adventurous and enduring heroes that the team is known for in the comics. When it comes to the unsuccessful 2015 reboot, perhaps it’s best left unmentioned. Critics and audiences largely criticized Miles Teller’s take on a younger, more complex Reed Richards, mirroring the overall reception of the film. Fortunately, the upcoming “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” the first film to introduce the team to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, seems to be garnering more optimism.

In the newest reboot, Marvel has chosen “The Mandalorian” and “The Last of Us” actor Pedro Pascal for the role of Reed. Despite some debate over this casting choice, his rendition of Reed as a modest scientist and devoted family man is already resonating with dedicated fans. Before heading to the theater, make sure to read our Reed Richards guide, which will prepare you for “First Steps.”

A husband, a father, and a superhero with super-stretchy powers, younger audiences might be forgiven for thinking that Mr. Fantastic and the Fantastic Four is just a rip-off of Mr. Incredible and Pixar’s “The Incredibles.” But anyone over the age of 15 probably knows that the Pixar film was an homage to Marvel’s First Family, which makes it doubly ironic that critics are calling “Fantastic Four: First Steps” a live-action version of “The Incredibles.”

Still, even if Reed Richards seems like a mix of Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, he’s something very different, too. In the comics, Richards is, in fact, one of the Marvel Universe’s most towering intellects, even more so than the likes of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. And that’s something that “First Steps” appears to be leaning into, with Reed portrayed much less as an intrepid adventurer as he is a scientist and intellectual whose unexpected acquisition of alien-like powers makes him a reluctant superhero.

In “First Steps,” we’ll see Reed go from husband to father, from explorer to hero, and from scientist to humanity’s savior. As leader of the only group of heroes who have a chance to stop the cosmic devourer, Galactus, Reed will have to make difficult choices. And when Galactus brings the life of Reed and Sue’s son, Franklin Richards, into the equation, he’ll have to balance the entire planet vs. the life of his child.