Summary

• The Fantastic Four may gain their powers and time travel via the Quantum Realm, allowing them to the modern-day MCU.
• The 1960s setting is ed by references and clues, tying the origin of the Fantastic Four to the era when they were first introduced in the comics.
• The use of the Quantum Realm and the 1960s setting provide an exciting twist on the Fantastic Four's origins while staying true to their comic book history.

A compelling MCU theory for The Fantastic Four suggests how Marvel's First Family can make the jump from the 1960s to the modern-era. With Marvel Studios confirming the official cast along with new artwork on Valentine's Day, various clues and references suggest that the Fantastic Four's story will initially be set in the 60s. However, there's already a perfect way for the superpowered family to interact with the MCU's heroes in the present.

The Fantastic Four's cast includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards's Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm's Invisible Woman, Joeseph Quinn as Johnny Storm's Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm aka The Thing. Marvel's casting announcement also came with artwork featuring the actors in their respective roles while also teasing the film's earlier setting. To that end, here's how The Fantastic Four can end up in the modern-MCU following their apparent introduction in the 60s.

The Fantastic Four May Get Their Powers And Accidentally Time Travel Via The Quantum Realm

An Exciting Origin Twist Using Established MCU Concepts

A very exciting possibility for the Fantastic Four's origins in the MCU would be to incorporate the Quantum Realm. Having been used to time-travel in Avengers: Endgame, the Quantum Realm offers both an established means for Marvel's First Family to travel forwards into the future to the present-day MCU while also granting them powers. After all, 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp confirmed that Janet van Dyne received additional abilities following her decades in the Quantum Realm. As such, the subatomic dimension could certainly be responsible for the FF's powers as well.

In the original comics, the Fantastic Four receive their powers via cosmic radiation during a space flight. To that end, the Fantastic Four have long been explorers and adventurers exploring the unknown, so perhaps they intended to explore the Quantum Realm in the 1960s as predecessors to Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, only to be trapped for decades until they end up in the modern-day MCU. It's certainly an exciting idea, and why not use what's already established in the MCU when it leads to roughly the same result as the First Family's comics origin?

Why Marvel's Fantastic Four Seems Set To Involve The 1960s

Lots Of Strong References

Along with the retro style of their suits and the new logo for The Fantastic Four, there are a few references and teases pointing to a 1960s setting for The Fantastic Four at least at the onset (it's not yet known if the movie will be a full period piece). Regardless, the TIME magazine Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm is reading is an illustrated version of a cover from 1963 featuring President Johnson. Likewise, Pedro Pascal's own post celebrated Marvel's annoucnemtn with the hashtag #AllYouNeedIsLove, a Beatles song which was released in 1967.

It's also worth nothing that the titular team was also Marvel Comics' first team of superheroes, back when the publisher was still known as Timely Comics, and Fantastic Four #1 was published in 1961. Clearly, the 1960s was quite an important era for both Marvel Comics as well as the Fantastic Four themselves. As such, it's rather fitting that the MCU's The Fantastic Four will at least begin in the past before jumping to the present, especially with Matt Shakman directing who helped bring WandaVision to life with its own retro themes.

The Fantastic Four is set to release May 2nd in 2025