Film still from Fantastic Four: First Steps. Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Being bored one Saturday evening, I decided to watch the Fantastic Four: First Steps directed by Matt Shakman. Now normally, I would stay away from Marvel Superhero films, but that evening I needed an escape. However, while watching the film I found myself … pleasantly surprised. The film moved me to think more deeply about ethical questions, and even got me reflecting on my Christian faith.
The film begins with a montage of The Fantastic Four in action. Mr Fantastic, the Invisible woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing are seen clobbering their enemies as they restore peace and security to the citizens of New York.
Eventually, the Silver Surfer makes her appearance and announces that the end of the earth as we know it is approaching. She states in an ominous tone, “I herald his beginning. I herald your end.” Galactus, that “dragon,” who is not of this world, and yet is bound to it, is coming to devour all life.
Now, it turns out that there is one person that will satisfy him: the child or little Franklin. This child is apparently a being of “infinite power,” and Galactus, if he is given this child, will be satisfied. The inhabitants of the earth would be let free. Here was the moral dilemma. What would you do?
I thought to myself, “that choice is easy, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” It is better to sacrifice one child for the sake of the world, than to allow the whole world to fall into destruction. We could perhaps quote the high priest in Jesus’ time who said, “… You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50). This question also calls to mind the human sacrifices that were made once in the distant past. I don’t think these sacrifices were done out of malevolence, but really out of a desire to “save” the community from some greater calamity (pestilence, plague etc). Hence, sacrificing one person to save the whole of the human race seemed like the obvious choice.
However, as the film progressed, I realized I was wrong. Suzanne Storm brought this lesson out when she invites the crowd to reflect on the meaning of family. She states, “I’m not sacrificing my son for this planet, but I won’t sacrifice this planet for my son.” She then appeals to the conscience of all and asks them to fight together as a family.
I thought to myself, “yes, what sort of people would we be, if we were willing to sacrifice a child to save ourselves?” Is it not better to stand and die in support of one’s family, than to live and breathe and become something less than human? The Silver Surfer does point out that if the child was older he would give up himself. But then there is a difference between the world offering up someone who is innocent against his or her will, and the child offering up himself on behalf of the world.
In the end, Suzanne Storm fights to the death to save her child. However, she is not left to die but is brought back to life by her “little boy.” This child looks like one of us, and yet is a being of infinite worth, dignity, and power.
In a curious dialogue between Mr. Fantastic and Galactus, Mr Fantastic points out that the child could not be such a supernatural being because they had done all the “tests” on him. However, Galactus responds that “he hides his nature from you.” The line brought to mind a prominent theme of Ignatius Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises where Christ is said to hide himself while he undergoes his passion (Spiritual Exercises 196). Could it be that God hides himself? That is, God enjoys playing “hide and seek” with us as well?
In the end I was very happy to have watched the film, and felt enriched by it. There were deeper reflections on what it means to be human and how Christ can make an appearance to each one of us in the most unlikely of places. What’s more, for a Marvel movie, the explosions weren’t too bad.