The Fantastic Four: First Steps was directly inspired by a Christopher Nolan film, according to MCU director Matt Shakman. The admission follows a much-needed successful opening weekend for the MCU hit, which is already regarded as the best adaptation of Marvel’s First Family in three decades.
This is largely thanks to the bold interpretation of the team as being explorers first and foremost. The Fantastic Four: First Steps delves into the тιтular team’s spacefaring activities without rehashing their origin story, except for a brief recap in the movie’s opening minutes. Some of the movie’s most memorable sequences occur in deep space.
Matt Shakman recently revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that these sequences were directly inspired by some of the sci-fi genre’s most prominent movies, including Interstellar, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Apollo 13. In fact, the celebrated MCU director even admitted that he might have directly stolen certain scenes, stating:
I love Interstellar, I love [Christopher] Nolan and I love Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. When you see a sH๏τ of [Excelsior] docking, it is absolutely a loving homage to the Pan Am jet heading towards the space station in 2001. T.S. Eliot said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal,” and I definitely am not ashamed of stealing from some of the folks that I love so much. So Interstellar was a huge reference, as well as 2001 and Apollo 13. There’s this amazing IMAX doc [called Apollo 11] about the Apollo 11 mission, and it was made for the 50th anniversary in 2019. It is incredible, and it was another huge reference point for us.
The move is seemingly paying off, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps already grossing more than half of its production budget in the first weekend alone, according to The Numbers. It goes to show that there is still a large appeтιтe for cosmic adventures within the MCU.
What Matt Shakman’s Inspiration For The Fantastic Four: First Steps Means
It’s Easy To Draw Parallels Between Shakman’s Inspirations And Certain SH๏τs
It isn’t difficult to recognize the precise scenes that were directly inspired by the likes of Interstellar. The sequence in which the Fantastic Four flee from the Silver Surfer while Sue Storm is in labor features a neutron star that looks suspiciously similar to Gargantua, the pivotal black hole in the Christopher Nolan movie.
Matt Shakman previously revealed that a physical 14-foot-high model of the Fantastic Four’s Excelsior spaceship was used during filming.
The team even uses this neutron star in a similar way to Interstellar‘s Cooper, making a slingsH๏τ maneuver to compensate for the loss of their FTL machine. The sH๏τ is one of the most stunning in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, evoking the same awe as Interstellar in 2014.
Matt Shakman previously revealed that a physical 14-foot-high model of the Fantastic Four’s Excelsior spaceship was used during filming. This fact likens the movie to 2001: A Space Odyssey, the effects for which were particularly mind-blowing when it was released in 1968.
Our Take On Matt Shakman’s Inspiration For The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Shakman’s Inspiration Paid Off
Marvel Studios is no stranger to dazzling CGI sequences, and the images depicted in The Fantastic Four: First Steps are some of the best in the entire franchise. It is no surprise, therefore, to learn that Matt Shakman was directly inspired by some of the sci-fi genre’s most definitive movies.
It’s also heartening to learn that iconic movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar have directly helped to mold the franchise. It further illustrates how The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the result of a labor of love, with Matt Shakman proving himself to be an artistic powerhouse for the MCU.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, The Numbers
