Much like fashion itself, comic books and superheroes often evolve in parallel with the current time and social climate. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, for example, modernizes its heroes, settings, and themes to mirror today’s cultural anxieties. Ironheart tackles the struggles of opening up through an unbreakable, futuristic iron suit. Thunderbolts* explores the idea of a found family with militarized assassins. That’s why The Fantastic Four: First Steps and its vibrant retro-future style caught the Internet by storm.
Teasers and trailers for the upcoming superfamily film depict a contemporary universe steeped in a 1960s vibe. Shiny sports cars line the streets, boxy television sets broadcast space-race-era programs, and our heroes sport colorful turtlenecks. The world feels incredibly vintage. In an interview with Collider, director Matt Shakman discusses the creative team’s preference for practical effects and 1960s-inspired filming techniques. He says, “The movie is set in the 60s, and so a lot of our inspiration is what Stanley Kubrick did…the more you can make things with your hands and see things with your eyes…the more people will believe…”
This philosophy shines through in the film’s fashion. Our main superpowered quartet (starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is primarily seen donning their iconic blue and white suits. In this rendition, their uniforms forgo the modern spandex, armored look in favor of blue-and-white, ribbed turtleneck sweaters. This style was a staple of 60s counterculture, representing more than casual comfort. According to an article by Damned Paradise, the 1950s saw a different definition of the turtleneck. It connected to “nonconformity and a rejection of mainstream fashion.” In the 60s, it stood by “individuality and anti-establishment sentiments.”
These design choices reflect their role as superheroes within the universe. They are symbols of nonconformity, as they’re the only superpowered beings in their world. Their blue-and-white palette is simple and subdued, a stark contrast to the armored flash and high tech of the MCU. Their matching turtlenecks also represent their unity as a family. The surrounding world is a polar opposite to them both, literally and stylistically. Civilians exist as mere observers to their power, and they wear traditional continental suits and 60s-style bouffant hairdos. The Fantastic Four are a counterculture presence in a traditional world.
Their casual attire is also an accurate mirror of the time and landscape. In the promotional material, characters don cardigan sweater vests, neatly pressed dress shirts, long trench coats, and more. While simply recognizable staples of 60s fashion, they represent a focus on the scientific advancement of that world. Cardigan vests imply scholarly, scientific frames of mind, which makes sense given the team’s astronaut origins. Dress shirts and trench coats invoke an understated sophistication mixed with mystery and intrigue. The designs of those pieces are simple, often focusing on a single color and texture, such as the Fantastic Four’s recognizable baby blue knitwear. All of these design choices work to create an expressive identity for the world.
The overall dress of the film’s visuals matches their characters’ ideologies as well. Heavily influenced by the 60s-era Space Race and technological boom, the visual language balances Reed Richards’ love for scientific exploration and the existential dread that accompanied the cosmos during that time. Cars and buildings have that vintage charm, as the bold silhouettes, sleek design, and chrome details blend to create a retro-future. In the words of Netflix Junkie’s article, it’s akin to a “forbidden romance between NASA archives and pulp magazine covers. Vintage lenses capture each frame with a dreamlike glow…” The movie symbolizes both the ambitions and limitations of space travel and humanity’s relationship with exploring a hyper-futuristic reality.
Ultimately, The Fantastic Four: First Steps goes beyond using fashion as a mere visual. To embrace a retro-futuristic vision is to understand the cultural anxieties and thoughts of that time, as well as the characters. Regardless of the story, the film has already made its mark, setting itself apart from the main MCU as a stunning alternate universe where science and discovery are the future.
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