Sly Easter Egg Seemingly Confirms When Marvel's Fantastic Four Takes Place
After today's thrilling announcement about the "Fantastic Four" movie finally peeled back the curtain on Marvel Studios' highly-anticipated reboot, only one question remains in the minds of super-fans everywhere: When exactly will this film take place? Previous live-action versions made the choice to set the action in the present day, struggling to various degrees of success in translating the legendary superhero team into more modern trappings. That hasn't always panned out so well (the less said about the 2015 debacle, the better), so perhaps Marvel's Kevin Feige would set up this new take on Marvel's first family for success by taking a wholly different approach altogether — one that hearkens back to the Fantastic Four's comic book origins. The new title treatment and font already hint at a certain throwback tone and sense of aesthetics, but are there any other clues worth paying attention to that might add more fuel onto Johnny Storm's fire?
You bet there are.
Fans have spent years eagerly speculating about the Marvel Cinematic Universe taking things back to the 1960s, turning this "Fantastic Four" reboot into a period piece and embracing their roots in a way we haven't seen since the 1990s-set "Captain Marvel" movie (and, arguably, dating back even further to the WWII-set "Captain America: The First Avenger"). The poster that Marvel unveiled depicting the quartet in the likenesses of the cast is nothing short of delightful, but a closer look reveals a neat Easter Egg that could speak volumes about exactly when this movie is meant to take place. Yes, the eye will inevitably be drawn to HERBIE the robot hanging out on the edge, but more importantly: Do you see that magazine that Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is holding? That's a recreation of an actual LIFE Magazine issue dated December 1963.
Cover story
Ah, I remember the 1960s like it was just yesterday. (Disclaimer: I absolutely do not, this is a lie.) The Space Race was in full force, the Vietnam War raged on with no signs of putting a stop to the bloodshed, and comic books — like much of pop culture entertainment overall — struggled to keep up with a world that was seemingly changing by the second. This was the era into which a certain comic issue titled "The Fantastic Four #1" made its debut in 1961 and changed the medium forever. Although the strength of these characters came from their potent mix of differing personalities, superpowers, and worldviews, it was the '60s of it all that added an extra oomph.
Fast forward to 2024 and it's no wonder why a 1963 LIFE Magazine cover depicting then-President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House (you can take a gander at the cover here and see the similarities for yourself) would feel like such a big hint. There's also Pedro Pascal's Instagram post in which he cites a famous 1960s Beatles song, if you want some cheekier evidence. The implication from the cover is that this movie could very well take place in the early '60s. As for what storylines the movie might tackle, well, that's a little more difficult to figure out. Though it remains to be seen if the MCU would lay out the Fantastic Four's origin story all over again, it would make sense to incorporate contemporary world events at the time — again, assuming this Easter egg pans out. Maybe don't hold your breath for a Mole Man appearance ... but, then again, who knows!
"The Fantastic Four" blazes into theaters July 25, 2025.