Fantastic Four set photos prove one exciting thing about the new MCU movie

Every 10 years or so, when the planets align, and the cosmic rays are at their strongest, Hollywood takes a crack at adapting the Fantastic Four.

Unfortunately, the results haven’t been so fantastic, and the three superhero movies we’ve got starring Marvel’s first family have either been forgotten – sorry, Silver Surfer fans – or been so wretched that they’re better off forgotten (you know, the one).

So when behatted Marvel mastermind Kevin Feige announced all the way back in 2019 that Marvel Studios was bringing the four into the MCU proper, I must admit I wasn’t entirely convinced. 

It’s not that I didn’t trust Feige and Co (I love most Marvel movies). The issue I had was that Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben aren’t like most superheroes, and I couldn’t see how they’d fit into the wider MCU.

I want photos! Set photos!

Well, it’s early days, but all of the Fantastic Four set photos I’ve seen online have convinced me of something I’m loathe to admit: I was wrong about Fantastic Four: First Steps.

How have some blurry set photos convinced me I was wrong? Well, honestly, the ones I like most are the recent images of Ben Grimm, aka the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing. This new version of the Thing looks like he literally wandered off the page and onto the Fantastic Four set. 

It’s easily the most comics-accurate version of Ben we’ve ever got, and I’m choosing (optimistically, I know) to believe that it proves something about director Matt Shakman’s vision for the new movie. 

You see, the Four aren’t like other superheroes. Yes, they save the day from supervillains, and they’re not against helping the Avengers avert whatever crisis currently threatens the Earth, but first and foremost, the Four are adventurers.

Think of the Four as what would happen if you threw Indiana Jones and Doctor Who into a pop-culture blender and made a delicious comic book smoothie. They’re explorers discovering new dimensions and worlds, adventurers hunting down lost technology and artifacts. Basically, their stories are bombastic, bold, and outlandish. 

Explorers of the unknown

They’re not a group that works well in a grounded world because they’re not at all grounded  (Literally. They have a flying car!). That’s why ‘the movie that shall not be named’ sucks so much. It took the fantastical out of the Fantastic Four and tried to tell a realistic and gritty story. 

That can work for some superheroes (Nolan’s Batman remains the ur example), but when the unorthodox is fundamental to a character or team’s being, then exorcizing it is a bit like removing a vital strand of DNA. You’re going to end up with some weird, sloppy mutant (I’m thinking Senator Kelly from the first X-Men movie). 

So, to loop back to that Thing set photo, the thing (not that one) that excited me about it is that I think it demonstrates a commitment to the weird and wonderful, an essential ingredient that has been missing from the Fantastic Four so far.

Indeed, other pictures and videos from the set suggest a confidence and love of the source material necessary to make the Four work. How else would you explain the brilliant retro uniform Joseph Quinn’s been photographed wearing? 

It’s a world away from the dull MCU “tacti-cool” costumes we’ve seen before, and I’m here for heroes fighting crime (or planet-devouring gods) in outfits that look like something you’d find at the back of your grandad’s wardrobe.

Basically, I’m saying that the eccentric is core to the Fantastic Four (accidental rhyme), and previous adaptations were reluctant to embrace this quintessential element. That’s why they failed, and it’s why I believe First Steps will soar… or at least be better than Fant4stic… oh no, I named it! 

If you love everything MCU, check out our guides to Marvel’s Phase 5 and Phase 6, where we break down everything you need to know about upcoming Marvel movies like Thunderbolts, Doomsday, and Secret Wars.