A Fantastic Four Rumor May Explain The Marvel Reboot's 1960s Setting
A new "Fantastic Four" rumor suggests why Marvel Studios' upcoming reboot takes place in the 1960s.
After a rotten 2023, many fans wonder if the MCU can rebound after releasing two huge failures in one year. Luckily, the studio is finally starting work on their long-gestating reboot of Marvel's first family. In February 2024, Marvel officially announced the cast of "Fantastic Four" with a cheeky poster filled with visual homages and cues indicating a '60s setting. While the studio hasn't explicitly confirmed that the flick is set in that time period, all signs point to Marvel taking a trip down memory lane. But there's a possible twist involved as well, as, according to insider Daniel Richtman (via his Patreon), the film is also set in an alternate universe.
While no further details were given, this does make the 1960s setting both more exciting and plausible. If the Fantastic Four existed in the mainline MCU universe (referred to in the films as Earth-616), characters like Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) would have likely spoken about their exploits. By setting the film in an alternate universe, "Fantastic Four" can play by its own rules and won't have to retroactively tie itself into key MCU events from the '60s, like Howard Stark (John Slattery) working on the tech that would eventually be used to create his son's Iron Man suit.
That said, it should be noted that Richtman's "Fantastic Four" timeline explanation is a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt.
What the alternate universe detail could mean for the MCU
The potential 1960s setting is made even more intriguing by the fact that the comic, created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, debuted in 1961 and featured themes that were prominent at that time. When it was announced that Marvel would be tackling the film, fans excitedly hoped that the flick would be set in that era. According to Daniel Richtman's report, their wishes will come true.
The announcement poster for "Fantastic Four" features the characters in throwback, retro-style costumes and showcases H.E.R.B.I.E., the team's friendly robot companion. While the mechanical assistant debuted in 1978, the rest of artist Wes Burt's illustration screams the '60s, including the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) reading what appears to be the December 13, 1963 edition of Life Magazine.
If the rumor about the film being set in an alternate universe is true, it will be interesting to see how Marvel tackles merging this setting with the rest of the MCU. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" effortlessly showcased how the multiverse and alternate timelines co-exist (remember John Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic?), though we were only given small peeks into these different worlds. Will "Fantastic Four" be entirely set in this alternate universe, or will the characters eventually make their way into the main timeline that the MCU currently populates? Or will Marvel boldly separate the team from the Avengers, leaving them alone in their own self-contained universe? Only time will tell when the film hits theaters.
"Fantastic Four" is slated to debut on July 25, 2025. Pre-production work on the team's MCU debut has already begun, and the film's working title might be hiding a hidden meaning...