🕰️ Why is The Fantastic Four: First Steps set in the 1960s?
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in an alternate universe version of 1960s New York. Director Matt Shakman describes it as a “retro-futuristic” world inspired by the Space Race and the era’s optimism. In this timeline, Reed Richards pushes the world forward with advanced technology that highlights science’s potential.
This decision explains why the Fantastic Four weren’t already part of the MCU’s history. If Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm had been saving the world since the 1960s, someone like Peggy Carter, Nick Fury, or Hank Pym would’ve mentioned them by now.
🌐 How does this fit into the larger MCU timeline?
No one really knows yet. What makes this really confusing is that Thunderbolts* post-credits scene showed a spaceship with the Fantastic Four’s logo headed towards Earth. However, Feige claimed that the ship we saw in Thunderbolts* might not contain the team we’ll see in First Steps.
Time will tell if Feige is trying to mislead fans to prevent spoilers. But having the team’s origin play out in this alternate 1960s, Marvel celebrates the Fantastic Four’s roots. The team’s original 1960s comic was praised for being a breath of fresh air for how relatable the characters were and it’s clear Disney wants to replicate that energy for their films. And since it’s set in a different universe, the film is free to tell its story without contradicting previous films set in the MCU.
🌌 What role does Galactus play in all of this?
First Steps will introduce Galactus, a world-devourer, but also a multiversal threat. His arrival signals a much bigger game at play as the MCU lays the groundwork for Avengers: Secret Wars.
In the comics, his hunger for worlds brings him into conflict with other cosmic heavyweights like Doctor Doom, Kang, and the Celestials. In the multiverse, those conflicts could escalate as Galactus threatens not just one world, but multiple realities.
🚀 So what does this mean for the future of the MCU?
While they won’t admit it outright, it’s looking like Marvel is positioning the Fantastic Four to be at the heart of the Multiverse Saga. The cast for First Steps has already been confirmed to star in Avengers: Doomsday, so it’s just a matter of how the team will enter the main MCU timeline.
Bringing Galactus into the fold hints at massive consequences that reverberate across multiple universes. And there’s always the possibility of adding Sue and Reed Richards’ son Franklin and his reality-warping abilities to the story. When the multiverse finally cracks open, don’t be surprised if this version of the Fantastic Four steps through the door. Ready to join the main MCU just in time for its biggest crisis yet.
