With strong, universal themes around familial bond and protecting the future, this latest Marvel film should resonate most with parents.

First Steps was a nostalgic journey through the Fantastic Four's animated past, cleverly woven into the MCU's latest offering.

Track the evolution and legacy of the ground-breaking superhero team. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Fantastic Four: First Steps opened to an estimated $57 million in the United States on Friday, including preview screenings, making it the second-largest opening day of the year. The figure puts the Marvel Cinematic Universe entry just behind A Minecraft Movie, which earned $57.11 million on its opening day.

Curious about the meaning behind Earth-828 in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? The number appears quietly but carries weight, connecting the film to something beyond its story. From a final scene to a hidden reference,

First Steps has proven doubters wrong and brought another hugely successful, crowd-pleasing Marvel movie to cinemas. This is possibly surprising to those who believed the film was going to be a due, including some who took issue with the movie having a female Silver Surfer in Julia Garner.

First Steps finally gives us what fans have been waiting for: Silver Surfer and Galactus in all their cosmic glory.

The first attempt at making a film about the superheroes was an extremely low-budget affair that was shot, abandoned and mostly forgotten about in the 1990s.

Ralph Ineson, whose gigantic stature and booming voice can be found in Fantastic Four this week, co-starred alongside Nicholas Hoult, aka Superman's Lex Luther, in last year's Robert Eggers-directed Nosferatu remake. And now, the pair have bonded further, as each currently serve as the main antagonist in this year's comic book movie tentpoles.