Film is a visual medium. Superhero movies consistently struggle between depicting spectacle and substance. Aesthetics can control every aspect of a blockbuster. Unfortunately, the superhero genre and its most dominant empire struggle to keep their modern outings visually engaging. They can only capture modern cities exploding and blue lasers firing from national monuments in so many different ways. The Fantastic Four brings a potential new path forward for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its long-awaited retro-futurist aesthetic.
The Fantastic Four is one of a small handful of Marvel's upcoming projects that spark excitement in the fanbase. Deadpool & Wolverine and Blade attracted many unsure viewers, but less iconic names like Thunderbolts and Agatha are less impressive. This raises several concerns, hinging the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the success or failure of a few films.
Fantastic Four: A Look Back At The Last Live-Action Silver Surfer
Everyone knows Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer didn't work out, but as a new take on the character comes to the MCU, how did the first fare?
The Fantastic Four will have a 60s-inspired aesthetic
The limited information available about Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four adaptation suggests a retro-futurist aesthetic. Marvel revealed the cast through an image that resembled a greeting card from a charming 60s family. This superhero team has a few unique attributes, one of which is their old-fashioned origin story. Unlike The Avengers or X-Men, the Fantastic Four operates as a family unit. Reed Richards is a stern father; Sue is a doting mother; Johnny is a rambunctious son; and Ben alternates between a fun uncle and an older brother. Their dynamic is inexorably linked to the culture and media popular at the time of their creation. That unique circumstance led many to hope for a period piece or time travel storyline in The Fantastic Four.
The cast announcement and aforementioned family postcard featured details suggesting a specific year. Fans have suggested a time travel angle as the most straightforward way to introduce the Fantastic Four. If Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben appear suddenly in modern New York City, they can escape any unpleasant questions surrounding their whereabouts during Endgame. That leaves options for retro and retro-futurist aesthetics. Imagine the stylistic desires of a group of scientists stepping out of the sixties into the modern day. That visual drive could keep things engaging in a way Marvel hasn't enjoyed for several years.
Marvel Movies look too similar
On some level, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has always shared aesthetic elements. This was a deliberate decision to create a form of visual continuity between otherwise disparate projects. When Thor's epic fantasy blended with Captain America's 1940s period action and Iron Man's modern war thriller, it blended as an astonishing crossover. Now, every Marvel project exists with the expectation of blending in with the rest of the franchise. Any tonal differences ring hollow with the ten-year plan staring the audience in the face. Lighting, color grading, costume design, and other visual elements remain stagnant across the franchise.
This concept also extends from the VFX problems. Everything looks similar because Disney and Marvel demand unreasonably quick edits and endless customization. They need to be able to alter any aspect of the film at any point in production, resulting in most visual elements remaining bland and uninspired. Secret Invasion is the worst culprit, but several other projects feel less like shared universe crossovers and more like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation's massive decline in quality. There are always exceptions, but Marvel's critics have always levied this critique, and it's only become more accurate.
Retro-futurism is a great new direction for the MCU
Deadpool & Wolverine will build much of its audience appeal from its callbacks to the early 2000s X-Men movies. Blade will be a new take on a hero that attained widespread love in the 90s. The MCU is constantly bringing its audience into the past by forcing old material through a modern lens. After years of success, they're encountering diminishing returns. The new leap forward could be a leap backward. Several other recent superhero movies feel out of date, unintentionally. Madame Web and Morbius evoke all the worst elements of the early-2000s edgy period. Black Adam andThe Flash captured bizarrely 80s and 90s tropes in otherwise VFX-heavy modern films. The Fantastic Four could be the first through the door when it comes to superhero movies appropriately updating their original aesthetic to fit a new era.
Fans are sick of Marvel's cultural hegemony. In many ways, Marvel can't fix that problem on their own. People want something new, and every choice Disney can make to keep things engaging will further stave off the gradual loss of interest. The Fantastic Four's unique aesthetic will add to its many long-awaited features. Fans expect a lot from the first family of superheroes. A new look will guarantee striking support for The Fantastic Four.
Fantastic Four: Who is Shalla-Bal?
The Fantastic Four's MCU debut will feature Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, the second Silver Surfer.
