Summary
- Fantastic Four: First Steps integrates characters into the MCU for the first time, leaving previous adaptations behind in history.
- A key detail in the film trailer shows Human Torch’s flames interacting with the camera lens, a nod to cinematography.
- Director Matt Shakman’s unique cinematography for the movie includes this unique interaction with Human Torch’s flames.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer officially launched on Tuesday morning and Fantastic Four fans have been diagnosing every single moment in the video to see what they could tell about the upcoming movie. While those fans were looking closely at the CGI for The Thing and Jonny Storm, some have noticed a very interesting touch that has nothing to do with the characters on film and more about the way the film was shot.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Reed Richards, Johnny and Sue Storm, and Ben Grimm to the MCU for the first time after years of waiting. There have been several FF4 movies rolled out to theaters though none of them were directly attached the Marvel Cinematic Universe and they’ve now been left in the dustbin of history. Even the first edition of Reed Richards, played by fan-favorite John Krasinski is nothing more than someone from the alternate reality. But now the group is coming to the MCU this summer.
Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer Has Interesting Detail
While most were busy looking at the first shots of Galactus and deciding whether or not the film does the scale of his size correctly, one Fantastic Four fan account on X (formerly known as Twitter) was looking at the way the shots were being done. Fantastic Four Updates saw a detail when the trailer features Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch firing up his flame. “If you pay close attention to Johnny’s flames,” the account wrote. “You will see that it interacts with the camera and causes us [to] see the dirt and smudges.”
A close inspection of what the Twitter account is looking at is absolutely accurate. As long as The Human Torch’s light glows on screen, there’s an ability to see the little dirty partches and smudges on the camera lens. It’s a bit of breaking the fourth wall that the account clearly likes as it added, “Matt Shakman, you’re the GOAT.” Shakman is the director for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
A look at the rest of the trailer indicates that this isn’t so much a thing that’s going to happen all movie long, though it’s hard to tell entirely considering the flame on that got the attention was at night and the other shots that could show off this effect are during the day. Of course Shakman does employ a different kind of cinematography to the entirety of the Fantastic Four movie in order to give it the feel that it’s set in the 1960s.
Not all fans are going to like the kind of touch that Shakman included in the Human Torch shot. Comments on the post on social media point out that it only works if the movie is supposed to be a documentary. However, this move just feels like more of a nod to the movie being on camera and something that eagle-eyed fans enjoyed noticing.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025
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