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The Fantastic Four: First Steps brings Marvel’s First Family together for a bold new adventure on the big screen and a whole new reimagining for the MCU that is packed with high-octane moments from start to finish in the story, as the Fantastic Four face a seemingly insurmountable threat in Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer. First Steps is all about that ’60s aesthetic, blending retro-futurist variations of real history with classic Marvel style, which looks new and familiar at the same time.
There are tons of hidden references to the past, and some hints to Marvel’s future. The cameos in this adventure connect the tale of the Fantastic Four to the wider Marvel universe and tie new strands from old-world comics to this next-gen cinematic reality.
The attention to detail offers plenty for fans to unpack, whether it’s fun background Easter eggs, surprising connections to real events reimagined through a Marvel lens, or just the thrill of seeing the team’s origin being given a vibrant update.
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Disclaimer: The list is ranked in no particular order and reflects the writer’s opinions. Spoilers ahead. Readers’ discretion is advised.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps references the comics, the Future Foundation & more
1) The Ted Gilbert Show
A playful nod to the Beatles’ Ed Sullivan Show moment instantly gives the Fantastic Four celebrity standing in the MCU, a sharp contrast to the Avengers, who started out under public scrutiny. Here, the team isn’t just accepted. They’re celebrated pioneers, shaping both pop culture and superheroics.
The film’s staging, complete with arrows highlighting every member, mirrors the Beatles’ iconic TV debut, hinting that the Fantastic Four are more than just heroes—they’re pop sensations. By blending their cosmic adventures with cultural achievement, the story shows how these heroes inspire and lead, transforming what it means to be a public icon in this Marvel universe.
2) Fantastic Four (1994)
A memorable Easter egg from the latest entry in the MCU pays homage to the team’s very first cinematic endeavor. At the beginning of the movie, astute fans will notice the original cast of the unreleased 1994 Roger Corman film, Alex Hyde‑White (Reed Richards), Rebecca Staab (Sue Storm), Jay Underwood (Johnny Storm), and Michael Bailey Smith (Ben Grimm), in the crowd to show their appreciation for MCU’s Fantastic Four.
Even though the franchise continues to develop and expand, the MCU is more than willing to acknowledge the past. This cameo helps represent the legacy and the history behind the cinematic adaptation of Marvel’s First Family. It also serves as a love letter to loyal fans.
3) WandaVision
WandaVision director Matt Shakman also helms The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and he leaves behind one of the smartest Easter eggs in the film for the observant MCU fans. In one of the busy street scenes in Earth-828’s New York, the camera focuses on a storefront named Westview Appliances and Televisions, which is a clever nod to Westview, the very town that Wanda Maximoff held under her spell in WandaVision.
Matt Shakman has said that the Easter egg was him honoring a Marvel project that he holds close to his heart. By connecting the magic of Westview to this new Marvel chapter, Shakman leaves a clear message back to his own storytelling interests involving family, transformation, and consequences.
4) The Future Foundation
In this film, the Future Foundation is shown as a philanthropic institute with Sue Storm at the helm, committed to advancing global peace and driving the world towards full demilitarization. This film interpretation shows the Fantastic Four’s idealism and worldwide commitments while also showcasing the team’s origins in scientific exploration and discovery long before they became superheroes.
This is not just another misguided detail—it’s a clever Easter egg that nudges Hickman’s run into the front, stressing the multiverse, world-building, and incursion events. The Future Foundation implies the MCU’s renewed focus on science fiction themes and presents the future for Marvel’s cosmic adventures.
For a team built on brains, courage, and curiosity, these choices emphasize discovery, innovation, and awe. It is now center stage. Instead of focusing on spectacle, the narrative positions the Fantastic Four as explorers and solvers of problems.
5) The Bridge on Reed Richards’ blackboard
Reed Richards’ blackboard pops up throughout The Fantastic Four: First Steps, becoming a subtle thread that tracks his work on a game-changing multiversal travel device. What starts as a daring escape plan from Galactus takes a left turn when Shalla‑Bal intervenes, but the tech still comes through when it matters most in the final showdown.
Dubbed “the Bridge,” this invention isn’t just a clever piece of sci-fi. If it’s fully realized, it can let the Fantastic Four cross over into the main MCU timeline, making Reed’s genius the literal key to connecting worlds. The significance only ramps up in the post-credits stinger, where Doctor Doom enters the frame.
His presence suggests he’ll be the one to push the team to use the Bridge, forcing them to run to protect Franklin Richards, Reed and Sue’s son, from coming dangers. It also corroborates the Thunderbolts* post-credit scene where the Fantastic Four’s spaceship was spotted entering the main MCU timeline.
6) Earth-828
In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we see the new Marvel timeline with its multiversal designation, Earth-828. This designation holds meaning, as it serves to signify a tribute to Jack Kirby, the artist and co-creator of the Fantastic Four, who was born on August 28, 1917.
By connecting the identity of the universe with Kirby’s birthday, the film provides an acknowledgement of Kirby’s contribution to Marvel history and the creativity that first brought the team, and so many other heroes, to life. It’s a small detail that provides a connection between the past and present and gives long-time fans an important Easter egg baked into the expanding multiverse of the MCU.
7) The Excelsior
In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the team’s rocket is named The Excelsior, which is a reference to Stan Lee’s famous catchphrase. For decades, “Excelsior!” was Stan Lee’s trademark sign-off, a word synonymous with hope, aspiration, and reaching for something greater.
Thus, calling the rocket after Lee’s trademark phrase is an homage to the co-creator who pushed some of Marvel’s greatest heroes into the stratosphere of pop culture. The Excelsior is an emissary of adventure, hope, and imagination, carrying the Fantastic Four and Lee’s legacy into the next chapter in the MCU.
8) Yancy St.
Ben Grimm’s stroll down Yancy St. in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, complete with a stop for cookies at a neighborhood deli, grounds the character in his roots. In both the comics and the MCU, Yancy St. is the address where Ben’s story begins, capturing the everyday heart of the kid who would become the Thing.
The film also showcases how Ben Grimm is now a hero among the people, loved by all in his neighborhood. This is in stark contrast to the 2005 Fantastic Four version of the character, who people feared initially.
9) Latveria
While the Future Foundation scene portrays global cooperation with every nation sending their own representatives, a conspicuous absence is felt in the empty seat that was reserved for Latveria. This subtle technical detail lays important grounds for Doctor Doom’s eventual arrival as the elusive monarch of Latveria.
By having Latveria absent on the global scene, the film signals some wider tension while keeping Doctor Doom’s ominous shadow just out of the frame, implying that the ruler will hold an eminent presence in untold stories. It’s a subtle, yet highly effective, accomplishment, having sown the seeds for Doom’s full rise as a political force and fresh, formidable competitor for the MCU.
Doctor Doom’s appearance in the mid-credits scene in The Fantastic Four: First Steps only solidifies this reference.
10) Galactus’ origins
Galactus reveals that he was once “little,” much like the Fantastic Four before him. This hint suggests that the MCU’s version shares origins with the comics, once the last survivor of his own universe, transformed and burdened with an endless hunger.
His world destroyer ship is accurately named TAA-II, as before becoming the current version of himself, he was a dweller of the planet of TAA. Originally, in the comics, Galactus had an earthly beginning as a man named Galan, with a family and a rather ordinary life. When their universe comprised destruction, he was singled out by Eternity for a unique purpose.
He was gifted with Cosmic Power and was transformed into Galactus, a being of immense power tasked with shaping the fabric of the new universe. Now gifted with the power to devour worlds, Galactus is not just a source of destruction but a crucial force for maintaining cosmic balance and order, forever marking his origins as both a survivor and a cosmic constant.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently running in theaters worldwide.
