Set Photos Provide First Look at Key Locations from ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

The comic was created in the early ’60s, really at the same time that the space race was starting, so it is infused with that idea of looking to the stars and dreaming of a future where we would be space travelers.

–The Fantastic Four: First Steps director, Matt Shakman via Entertainment Weekly

Footage screened for the audience in attendance at SDCC ’24 showed off that ’60s vibe and leaned heavily into the theme of space exploration which, according to Shakman, is in part where the film’s subtitle originated. “It’s a lot about the space race and about voyaging out there,” Shakman said in an interview with EW. “So First Steps is partly to do with that idea about exploration. I really wanted to take all of that great stuff from Apollo 11 and just imagine that instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, it was the Storms and Ben Grimm and Reed Richards heading off into space.“

Given how integral the team’s experiences in space are to the film, it wasn’t too surprising to learn that the site from which the team launched their first flight was set to appear in the film. An SDCC souvenir map of Manhattan indicated that the Excelsior Launch Pad, located just next to the team’s headquarters, the Baxter Building, was among many landmarks fans should expect to see on screen. Now, as production on The Fantastic Four: First Steps kicks off in the UK, photos and video from the set have revealed that construction is underway to bring the retro-futuristic ’60s Manhattan to life.

In a series of photos shared on X by UnBoxPHD, key locations such as the Baxter Building, the Excelsior Launch Pad and Yancy Street, all seen on the SDCC souvenir map, can be seen taking shape.

Yancy Street has always been an important location in the pages of Marvel Comics. The Lower East Side neighborhood is the home turf of Ben Grimm and analogous to the neighborhood in which Jack Kirby grew up.

In addition to the Baxter Building and Yancy Street, the crew is also building a replica of the real-life RKO Palace Theater which is located on Broadway in Midtown Manhattan and is part of Times Square.

Given that set construction is just getting underway, it will be worth following along over the next week or two to see not only what the completed sets look like but also what other buildings pop up and will be used in the film.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to launch in theaters on July 25, 2025.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Twitter