On February 4, Disney and Marvel Studios debuted the Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer. Fans took kindly to it, applauding the sense of family present in the themes. Yes, Fantastic Four (FF) may be the adjustment fans have wanted from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for some time. One of the most curious figures in the film’s lineup saw Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the ever-lovin’, blue-eyed Thing, and for the most part, fans agreed that he was a high point of the footage.
The film’s title announcement, further details, and the trailer instills a sense of hope and optimism. This is due in part to the overall aesthetic and the point of this article: a futuristic 1960s. Naturally, this isn’t the only instance in fiction where stories are told in such a setting. This is retro-futurism, a trend that’s been around for decades or more.
What is Retro-Futurism?
Futuristic aesthetics exist in many forms. Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner film features rainy streets in front of run-down buildings and brutalist architecture under the perpetual glow of neon signs. The 2000s saw the Frutiger Aero aesthetic promise a future where technology and nature coexist (see also: solarpunk).
However, in this instance, the retro-futurism aesthetic blends nostalgia with futuristic qualities. From architecture to technology, this mixture adds the cozy familiarity of a rose-tinted period with what the exciting future in that setting has in store.
Video game series like Fallout and BioShock have executed this to acclaim with the use of 1950s culture in their apocalyptic or dystopian worlds.
First Steps adopts this mindset, advancing a 1960s New York with technology that reflects the genius of characters such as Reed Richards and Franklin Storm. Given that the decade was known for advancements in computers, moon landings, and medical discoveries, it’s a no-brainer to set the movie in the same decade that the FF debuted in comics.
What this means for The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Before the Woodstock Era changed American perceptions ahead of the 1970s, there was a vision of moving forward and progressing. Post World War II, the USA continued its economic boom; the Moon Landing itself was a means to keep evolving. The country was on the cusp of a future undreamt of.
Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, and H.E.R.B.I.E. being thrust into celebrity stardom is nothing new—Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo famously did so in their Fantastic Four run in the early 2000s. The MCU takes this and presents the four as big deals in pop culture and society. They’re celebrated cosmonauts, explorers of a great unknown. Their superhero gear reflects this as if they’re about to go to space at any moment.
Children run around in masks of The Thing. People parade signs celebrating the family. These are figures that the people believe in. Aspire to. Before the glitz and glamor of music and entertainment became the norm, this was what inspired the people. Doctors, scientists, and philosophers. These were the people who pushed further.
As society and technology evolved, so has the group. Reed is loving and affable, yet hard to figure out as someone so into science. He’s also burdened with the grief of what his journeys have inflicted on his three companions. He blames himself. Susan tethers him while still being a motherly figure, yet she’s quietly showing signs of being one of the most powerful members of the team. Ben’s figuring out how to cope with life as a “monster” to some and a “hero” to others. Johnny is on the other side of the spectrum; the world thinks he’s cool, so why wouldn’t he ride this high of seeing the masses adore him? As actor Joseph Quinn alluded to on the launch before the teaser trailer reveal, he’d have loved to see the people cheering for him.
The sci-fi epic of the Fantastic Four’s retro-futurism
I don’t expect First Steps to be the next Solaris or 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, I think this, much like Ben’s garlic clove, will add a bit of zip to the MCU. We’ve had grit and snark in the franchise in entries that, while entertaining, blend. Auteur-driven spectacles, meanwhile, have their distinct voices, from Thor: Ragnarok to Black Panther. It’s time for a setting and premise we haven’t seen before to introduce fans as the MCU takes its first steps into something different.
Deadpool & Wolverine have already established an alternative to the mainline film universe with the different elements of unused popular Marvel characters. X-Men '97 has done much of the same on the animated front. With how First Steps is presented, straying from the typical formula looks like the path that Marvel Studios is treading.
I expect fans of the Fantastic Four to be treated to sci-fi spectacles, superheroics, and a universe outside their expectations. Furthermore, this iteration of the quartet differs from past attempts with a solid understanding of who each member is on a fundamental level and builds the nuances from there. Think The Incredibles but live-action. They’re not just stereotypes; rather, they are their own people.
My first impressions of the film leads me to believe this is a story about optimism and hope. (Yeah, I've repeated this throughout the article, I know.) With DC's upcoming Superman operating in a similar vein, it seems we're getting back to that old-fashioned superhero essence that's been sorely missed. And as Agent Phil Coulson once said in 2012's The Avengers: "With everything that's happening... people might just need a little old fashioned."
How this dynamic will factor against threats beyond normal conventions is beyond me. What does Galactus have to do with our heroes? Who is John Malkovich’s character? Is Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in the film? That remains to be seen, but we’ll get there.
All it takes is one small step for man.