A minor detail in some leaked The Fantastic Four: First Steps concept art indicates the backdrop could be even weirder than we originally thought. What's more, we could see a particular wallcrawler in the Marvel movie, albeit looking slightly different to how we already know them.
The images from The Fantastic Four, created by Mushk Rizni, show Sue Storm using her powers to stop Franklin, her infant son, from falling off the couch. She catches him in a bubble for a cute family, but that's all superfluous to what’s really caught everyone’s attention: Franklin has Spider-Man pajamas.
More than nightwear with the same colour scheme, Franklin seems to be wearing PJs entirely based entirely on Peter Parker's suit for web-slinging. This has fueled all sorts of speculation about when First Steps is actually taking place.
Comics Concept art pic.twitter.com/CF5V9daNCuMarch 2, 2025
Director Matt Shakman has already commented that it takes place in a "retro-future '60s," in an alternate timeline to the MCU's Sacred Timeline (remember, we’re in the multiverse now). The assumption coming out of the first trailer was that the film literally happens in the '60s, with modified technology to reflect the existence of scientific minds like Reed Richards and the occurrence of superpowers.
But what if instead the feature occurs in an alternative version of MCU’s present day where '60s chic became the dominant aesthetic for decoration and tech? Peter Parker would be an established Spider-Man, swinging around New York City in a broadly similar suit to the one we know and love.
This opens a wealth of possibilities for cameos and references to the Avengers and other heroes and villains. It's already been noted the Baxter Building looks pretty close to Avengers Tower, and this revelation just compounds the hypothesis we’re seeing a contemporaneous story that'll somehow bridge into the Sacred Timeline.
Much like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four are tricky to introduce this far into the franchise because their backstories are so integral to Marvel canon. Setting their introductory movie in modern times, but in its own corner of the multiverse before converging everything lets the MCU bring in Reed, Sue, Johnny, Ben and Franklin while still treating them like they’ve already been around this whole time.
We need answers, the Fantastic Four: First Steps release date can’t come soon enough. For now, Captain America: Brave New World is still in theatres, and Daredevil: Born Again just premiered on Disney Plus. Our rundown of the all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows will keep your informed on the franchise otherwise.
