Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Retro Vibe? 4 Must-See 1960s-Style Films

The moment Marvel revealed its 1960s-set Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans instantly connected with its retro-futuristic aesthetic. Director Matt Shakman’s vision of Earth-828 – a utopian 1960s brimming with atomic-age optimism, mid-century modern design, and space-race enthusiasm – offers more than superheroics; it’s a time capsule of an era defined by boundless possibility. If the film’s stylish setting captivated you, these four movies masterfully recreate that same vibrant, technicolor energy of early-’60s America.

How Fantastic Four: First Steps Nails the Retro-Future

Unlike previous adaptations, Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 2025) plants Reed Richards and Sue Storm squarely in an alternate 1962. Production designer Eve Stewart (Les Misérables) crafted a world echoing The Jetsons and Mad Men, where chrome-lined skyscrapers touch clouds and household robots serve martinis. Shakman told Empire Magazine (May 2025) the goal was authenticity: “We studied NASA documentaries, Eames furniture catalogs, and Life magazine spreads. This isn’t parody – it’s aspirational.” The approach mirrors Stan Lee’s original 1961 comics, born when the space race symbolized collective hope.

4 Films That Channel the Same 1960s Magic

1. Down with Love (2003)

Stream on Prime Video/Apple TV
Set in the same year as First Steps (1962), this underrated gem channels Rock Hudson/Doris Day rom-coms with whip-smart flair. Renée Zellweger plays a feminist author upending gender norms, while Ewan McGregor’s womanizing journalist tries exposing her. The pastel suits, rotary phones, and split-screen flirtations ooze period charm. Costume designer Daniel Orlandi won an Oscar nod for recreating Swinging Sixties fashion with meticulous accuracy. As The Guardian noted, it’s “a candy-colored love letter to an era of innocence and invention.”

2. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

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Steven Spielberg’s stylish caper spans 1963–1969, tracking Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. From forging checks to impersonating pilots, the film bathes in period details: Pan Am terminals, rotary-dial motels, and Mad Men-esque office spaces. The Society of Motion Picture Art Directors praised its “flawless recapturing of mid-century design,” using Kodachrome-like visuals to mirror Abagnale’s fabricated glamour. Tom Hanks’ weary FBI agent provides a grounded contrast to the era’s seductive allure.

3. Don’t Worry Darling (2022)

Rent on Prime Video/Apple TV
Olivia Wilde’s psychological thriller weaponizes 1960s aesthetics for chilling effect. Florence Pugh’s “perfect” housewife lives in a company town where husbands work at the mysterious Victory Project. Though criticized for its plot, its production design is undeniable: sun-bleached bungalows, cocktail-hour dresses, and chrome appliances hide dystopian secrets. Costume designer Arianne Phillips (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) told Vogue, “We used vintage fabrics to make the utopia feel tangible before unraveling it.”

4. A Single Man (2009)

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Fashion designer Tom Ford’s directorial debut immerses viewers in 1962 Los Angeles through Colin Firth’s grieving professor. Every frame drips with period sophistication – minimalist homes, tailored suits, and smoky bars – echoing First Steps’ emphasis on emotional depth beneath sleek surfaces. Ford collaborated with Mad Men’s design team, earning an Oscar nomination for the film’s visually haunting elegance. The New York Times called it “a masterclass in sustained atmosphere.”

For audiences craving the retro-futuristic charm of Fantastic Four: First Steps, these four films prove the 1960s remain cinema’s most stylish playground. Each blends period authenticity with thematic resonance, whether exploring social change (Down with Love), identity (A Single Man), or the era’s dark undercurrents (Don’t Worry Darling). As Shakman’s superhero family prepares for their MCU debut, revisit these classics to experience the optimism, design, and intrigue of a world reaching for the stars. Stream them tonight and time-travel to the decade that inspired Marvel’s first family.

Must Know

Q: Is Fantastic Four: First Steps set entirely in the 1960s?
A: Yes. Marvel confirmed the film occurs in an alternate 1960s universe (Earth-828), embracing atomic-age aesthetics and social dynamics distinct from the main MCU timeline.

Q: Which movie best matches First Steps’ upbeat tone?
A: Down with Love shares its playful, colorful approach to the era, avoiding dystopian themes for witty romantic escapism.

Q: Are these films historically accurate?
A: While stylized, all use meticulous research. Catch Me If You Can consulted FBI archives, and A Single Man adapted Christopher Isherwood’s semi-autobiographical novel.

Q: Will Fantastic Four’s 1960s setting impact future MCU stories?
A: Shakman hints the team’s anachronistic perspective could create unique conflicts when interacting with modern heroes in later phases.