Marvel Studios released a new official image from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, giving fans a closer look at the MCU’s most visually distinct movie to date. Thus far, fans have gotten a taste of how the film's production will lean heavily on practical sets and vintage lenses to replicate that classic visual aesthetic.
As shared exclusively by Fandango, the image features Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) and Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm (Human Torch) in retro-style space gear, surrounded by glowing console panels and 1960s-inspired tech. What makes this image so significant is how clearly it illustrates the film’s creative pivot. This is not just another CGI-heavy, modern-looking MCU entry. Instead, Fantastic Four is being presented as a stylized love letter to mid-century science fiction.
Directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, Fantastic Four: First Steps will introduce Marvel’s First Family to the MCU in a way that has never been done before, by anchoring the film in an alternate, retro-futuristic timeline. The core will be played by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing). The film is set for release on July 25, 2025 and is expected to play a key role in shaping Phase 6 of the MCU.
Marvel’s Secret Weapon Is a Total Design Reset
For years, fans and critics alike have pointed to the MCU’s "visual flatness" — overly similar color palettes, heavy reliance on digital environments, and a lack of stylistic variety. Fantastic Four: First Steps appears to be the answer to those concerns.
Shakman has openly discussed his intention to make the movie feel like it came "from 1965," drawing direct inspiration from the works of Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey) and other sci-fi greats of that era.
The visual choices in the new image are not just nostalgic; they are calculated. Specifically, the team's suits are minimalist yet sharply stylized—tight collars, bold chest insignias, and color blocking that echo classic Marvel comic designs. These suits recall NASA’s Mercury-era gear. The image background feels handcrafted, and the lighting is warm and analog. It is not just a style; it’s a full-on tonal reset.
This retro approach allows Marvel to:
- Reintroduce core values like exploration, wonder, and discovery, which the original Fantastic Four comics embodied.
- Create a clean narrative slate, since the alternate timeline frees the story from current multiverse clutter.
- Offer a visually unique identity that stands apart from not just other MCU films but superhero cinema as a whole.
The big takeaway? Fantastic Four: First Steps is not trying to be bigger but smarter, more artistic, and more specific. That specificity might be Marvel Studios’ most powerful pivot since Iron Man in 2008.
Read more about what the bracelets fans spotted in Fantastic Four marketing material actually mean.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
