The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman and I have something in common. We both admire the work of Jonathan Hickman, a premier comic creator and one of Marvel’s greatest storytellers. Speaking with Variety, Shakman revealed that Hickman’s work with the Fab Four helped stretch his mind around concepts for First Steps.
Shakman is known for directing episodes of WandaVision, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Succession, Game of Thrones, Fargo, and more, and soon, he’ll see his name on comic store shelves for a streamlined collection of Fantastic Four comics published between 2009 and 2011 (i.e. issues #570–588) written by Jonathan Hickman, with art by Dale Eaglesham, Neil Edwards and Steve Epting, and cover art by Joe Quesada.
The collection, hitting shelves on June 3, includes a forward by Shakman, where the Marvel filmmaker cites Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four stories as inspiration for his upcoming film. In the forward, Shakman credits Hickman’s inventions of Reed’s philanthropic Future Foundation, the multiverse portal the Bridge, and the interdimensional Council of Reeds as story elements that got his creative gears turning. While we don’t know how (or if) these story devices fit into First Steps, it’s encouraging to know Hickman’s legendary Fantastic Four run helped influence the upcoming adventure. Could John Krasinski’s Reed Richards return as part of the Council of Reeds? Will the Future Foundation become a part of the MCU? Is the Bridge responsible for the incursions in Marvel’s Avengers: Secret War? I have theories!
You can read a portion of Matt Shakman’s forward below:
“I fell in love with the Fantastic Four when I was a kid growing up in Ventura, California. Encountering a family of super heroes that felt so familiar blew my mind: the humor, the heart, the sniping and griping, the messiness. At the same time, I was taken by the optimism and wonder of their world. With their roots in the ’60s space race, the F4 have always been about exploration — whether it is to the cosmos or the Negative Zone or deep into the human mind. Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny may have incredible powers, but they are family first, scientists and explorers second, and superheroes only when absolutely necessary.
Every Marvel filmmaker attempts to build on what has come before in publishing while simultaneously reinventing the characters for the current moment. The same is true with comic creators. What Lee and Kirby launched in the ’60s changed Marvel forever. Their bold gamble to center a realistic family turned into the biggest hit of the early Silver Age. Every artist and writer since has attempted to build on that legacy while finding something in the characters that made them sparkle anew.
In preparation for Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” I delved into the 60-plus years of comics history. Marvel’s First Family has been continuously cared for by the best and brightest the company had to offer. None shone so bright as Jonathan Hickman. The humor and heart I loved as a kid? It’s there and better than ever. The messy family dynamics? Made even more interesting as Val and Franklin take center stage. And that sense of optimism and wonder? I don’t think the Fantastic Four have been quite as fantastic as they are in the pages of this book.
As we developed the script for the film, I returned again and again to this epic run — thrilled by brain-bending innovations like the Council of Reeds and riveted by heroic standoffs against the likes of Annihilus. But it was Hickman’s deep insight into the specific family dynamics of the Four that affected me the most.”
I like the cut of your jib, Matt Shakman. Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four run got me into Marvel’s first family, and I’ve loved them ever since. Hearing Hickman’s run influenced The Fantastic Four: First Steps has me even more excited for the upcoming film than ever! Let’s go!
