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Posted in: Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: film, Marvel Studios, mcu, the fantastic four: first steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Director on the Film's Aesthetics
Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps director on embracing a bold '60s style and parallels to WandaVision.
Article Summary
- Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman brings a bold 1960s aesthetic to the Marvel Studios reboot
- Shakman draws parallels to his work on WandaVision, focusing on stylistic and tonal experimentation
- The film emphasizes building a believable family dynamic at its emotional and narrative core
- Fans are responding positively to the unique period style and grounded, character-first storytelling
Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four: First Steps marks a major milestone for the franchise—a bold new beginning after years of false starts. Long seen as Marvel's "first family," the characters have had a complicated cinematic history, and the film wanted to achieve the grounded, stylish adaptation that fans have been waiting for.
And with the film helmed by WandaVision's Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps turned heads from the beginning. From early concept art to teaser footage, fans have seen clear signs of the film's unique 1960s setting—a departure from Marvel's usual contemporary backdrops. But the throwback aesthetic isn't just for show. According to Shakman, it was crucial to the film's emotional and narrative foundation.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Director on WandaVision Similarities
Speaking with Screen Rant, the director explained how the process of making The Fantastic Four: First Steps echoed his experience on WandaVision: "We had three weeks of rehearsal before we started shooting, because we were building a very specific world," he said. "We had to build a family that felt lived in, that felt real, and we had to build this '60s world that had a coherence to it in terms of aesthetics, but also style, tone, and how you approach the movie. So, both of them were stylistic and tonal experiments, which I love doing as a filmmaker."
Shakman's focus on cohesion—visually, emotionally, and thematically—are all pretty solid signs after the pure magic of WandaVision. That emphasis on creating a believable family dynamic could be exactly what's needed to finally bring the Fantastic Four to life in a way that resonates with modern audiences. While previous adaptations leaned heavily into special effects or plot-driven conflict, Marvel's new approach intended to ground the story the characters first. All of the pieces were there for the film to come together from the carefully curated cast, a bold period style, and a director known for balancing genre with emotional complexity, fans are really responding to the film in a positive way.
Marvel Studios' film The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in theaters now.
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