Marvel’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps” may exist in its own retro-futuristic bubble on Earth-828, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s Easter egg-free. This isn’t your typical MCU reference fest – instead, it’s a treasure trove of comic book deep cuts, villain name-drops, and surprises that zip by faster than a Fantasticar through Times Square.
This article contains spoilers for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’
From blink-and-you’ll-miss-it background details to emotional tributes, here’s every secret the film packed into its retro-futuristic world. But did you catch some that we missed? Let us know in the comments so we can pick them out on the second, third, and of course, fourth time viewing the movie.
‘Well, Folks, We All Know Their Story’
The opening montage on “The Ted Gilbert Show” introduces us to three major Fantastic Four villains who’ve already tangled with our heroes during their four-year career. While Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser) gets plenty of screen time being hilariously petty, the Red Ghost and Mad Thinker are more like cosmic breadcrumbs for comic fans. If you want to see much more of what happened around the FF’s initial clash with the underground labor organizer, check out Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps comic book by Matt Fraction and Mark Buckingham, which is set in the MCU and gets into the events around the battle at greater length.
The Red Ghost and His Super Apes
Here’s where things get weird: John Malkovich filmed scenes as the Red Ghost, but director Matt Shakman cut them entirely. However, one of Red Ghost’s Super Apes – Peotr the orangutan – somehow survived the editing room massacre. This Soviet scientist and his three enhanced apes (created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #13) were meant to be the USSR’s answer to the Fantastic Four. The Red Ghost and his full crew do appear in animated form during the end credits cartoon sequence, giving us a taste of what might have been.
The Mad Thinker
The Mad Thinker gets mentioned but never appears on screen – and it’s unconfirmed whether someone was cast and then cut from the movie. Though it would be pretty funny if Mad Thinker was also Malkovich! This early FF villain (from Fantastic Four #15) is basically just incredibly smart, making him a natural rival to Reed Richards. He’s mad thinking, yo.
Giganto
The giant green monster the FF battles in the montage is Giganto, straight from the cover of Fantastic Four #1. The scene nearly recreates that iconic cover moment. This Mole Man-controlled beast was actually created by the Deviants, the arch-enemies of the Eternals. Hopefully someday they’ll make a movie about the Eternals – that would be great!
‘You Baby-Proofed the World’
Before Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) crashes the party, Reed reveals he’s been systematically taking down criminal organizations to make the world safer for his upcoming baby. He specifically mentions three New York operations he’s had police shut down: Puppet Master, the Wizard, and Diablo – all classic Fantastic Four rogues with serious comic book pedigree.
Diablo
Esteban Corazón de Ablo is a thousand-year-old alchemist (thanks to a deal with Marvel’s devil, Mephisto) who first appeared in Fantastic Four #30. Created by the unstoppable duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he’s bad news with a very long lifespan.
The Wizard
Bentley Wittman isn’t actually magical – he’s just super intelligent and passes off his science experiments as magic tricks. Thor would love that approach! Usually the leader of the Frightful Four, this villain was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber.
Puppet Master
Philip Masters uses radioactive clay to create puppets that let him control people’s minds and bodies. He’s also the father of Alicia Masters, who’s typically romantically involved with The Thing. Another Stan Lee and Jack Kirby creation from Fantastic Four #8.
[Special Shout Out] Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman
Despite speculation, Natasha Lyonne isn’t playing Alicia Masters – she’s an original character named Rachel Rozman. Though it’s always possible they could pull a “Michelle Jones” switcheroo like Zendaya’s Spider-Man character. That’s not an Easter egg, that’s a Speculation egg. Speggulation, if you will.
Dragon Man
The cartoon end credits feature Dragon Man, a 16-foot-tall purple dragon android brought to life by Diablo. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #35, he later joined the team as part of the Future Foundation. Even villains can find redemption!
Doom?
During the opening montage, various countries appear at the United Nations – but one is noticeably absent: Latveria, home of Doctor Doom. This sets up the mid-credits scene where Doom appears mask-off with Franklin Richards. The scene features Alan Silvestri’s “Doom?” theme that we’ll undoubtedly hear more of in “Avengers: Doomsday.”
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Get Their Flowers
The film is essentially a love letter to the legendary creators. Earth-828’s designation honors Jack Kirby’s birthday (August 28), while the Fantastic Four’s original spacecraft is named “Excelsior” – Stan Lee’s famous catchphrase.
Yancy Street, The Thing’s neighborhood, is packed with creator nods. “Stanley’s” references Stan Lee’s real name (Stanley Lieber), while “King’s” pays homage to “King Kirby.”
The most brilliant tribute comes when Silver Surfer flies past two comic creators in their office – credited as “Timely Employee #1 and #2” (Timely being Marvel’s original name). The walls are covered with actual Jack Kirby artwork, including “Ogg Lives Again!” from Tales of Suspense #27.
The film ends with a touching Kirby quote about how creators leave pieces of themselves in their characters, followed by his birth and death dates (8/28/17-2/6/94).
Look to the Signs
The retro-futuristic world is stuffed with fake movie posters and billboards. Most seem atmospheric – “Subzero Intel,” “The Emperor’s Twin,” and “Sunrise in Minsk” fit the ’60s setting, while “Attack of the Fungus” might reference Pedro Pascal’s “Last of Us” role.
But there’s one clear callback: “Westview Appliances Television” directly references the setting of Matt Shakman’s “WandaVision,” where a similar store appeared.
The Original Fantastic Four Appear – No, the Other Ones
In a delightful surprise, the cast of Roger Corman’s unreleased 1994 “Fantastic Four” film appears in small roles. Alex Hyde-White (Reed) is ABC Newscaster William Russell, Jay Underwood (Johnny) plays Power Plant Worker #1, Michael Bailey Smith (Ben) is Power Plant Worker #2, and Rebecca Staab (Sue) appears as Channel 9 Newscaster Carolyn Haynes. It’s a beautiful gesture to actors who never got their theatrical moment.
Joseph Culp, who played Doctor Doom, isn’t credited in the final movie. Cursed Richards!
Coincidence? Or Multiversal Incursion?
Several plot points eerily mirror previous Fantastic Four films. Johnny chasing Silver Surfer and losing his flame in space? That’s straight from 2007’s “Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Reed’s teleportation device causing neighborhood blackouts? Nearly identical to 2015’s reboot. Sue dying and being revived by cosmic power? Another “Rise of the Silver Surfer” echo.
These probably aren’t intentional references, but they create strange multiversal déjà vu moments. Reed’s casual mention of parallel universes during his science lecture might explain these connections – or set up his crucial role in “Avengers: Doomsday.”
So what does Pascal’s Reed do in the new movie? Create a teleportation device that, at least initially, can’t transport an egg across the room without blacking out the whole neighborhood. In the case of the new movie, the device is called The Bridge, which is a reference to Jonathan Hickman’s run in the comics, which found Reed inventing a machine that let him see the multiverse. Here, it’s basically the same sort of thing as in the 2015 movie instead.
For Inez Shakman
The film closes with a heartfelt dedication to director Matt Shakman’s mother, Inez Shakman, who passed away on April 3. It’s a touching reminder that behind all the spectacle and Easter eggs, real people pour their hearts into bringing these fantastic stories to life. You can read her obituary here.
What other Fantastic Four Easter eggs did you catch? Let’s discuss in the comments…
