The aesthetic design of Marvel‘s new “Fantastic Four: First Steps” film opening in theaters this week draws inspiration from the optimistic, mid-century modern vision of the future and was heavily influenced by the look of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.
Which raises the obvious question: Does Walt Disney Imagineering have plans for a Fantastic Four makeover of Tomorrowland?
The “Fantastic Four: First Steps” film debuting on Friday, July 25 stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.
Fantastic Four meet-and-greet characters Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, The Thing and the Herbie robot assistant will make appearances in Tomorrowland at Disneyland starting on July 25.
The Space Mountain facade will be bathed in Fantastic Four projection lighting effects at night and Tomorrowland restaurants will sell movie themed food and a Clobberin’ Time sipper in the shape of The Thing’s fist.
Disneyland has not announced any plans for a Fantastic Four makeover of Tomorrowland.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland resort all-time attendance tops 1 billion visitors
Disney and Marvel executives have hinted the Fantastic Four film might inspire a future reimagining of Tomorrowland, according to MiceChat.
“While no official Tomorrowland redo has been announced, the connection between the film’s futuristic aesthetic and Tomorrowland’s legacy suggests that Imagineering could be eyeing a refresh down the road,” according to MiceChat.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed in March that Walt Disney’s visions for Tomorrowland and Epcot served as inspirations for “Fantastic Four: First Steps” during a presentation at the South By Southwest conference in Austin.
“Just like my colleagues at the other studios, I’m a giant, giant Disney parks fan,” Feige said at SXSW. “I’m always drawn to the places that showcase Walt’s vision for the future — particularly Tomorrowland and Epcot. They share a mid-century, retro-futuristic design language that I love.”
ALSO SEE: Disneyland’s biggest decade ever is about to end — and the next could be even bigger
Imagineering Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn announced during SXSW that Imagineers were working on a Herbie robot that would make appearances in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland alongside Fantastic Four meet-and-greet characters.
“This is what is so great about our teams collaborating the way they do,” Vaughn said at SXSW. “We’re always coming up with crazy ideas that we know our guests will love.”
The Marvel Studios design team used the architecture of the 1964 New York World’s Fair to create a retro-future for the new “Fantastic Four” film set in a 1960s alternate universe that never existed, according to Feige.
“That entire movie is inspired in large part by the optimism and the forward-looking nature of the ‘64 World’s Fair,” Feige said during a 2024 D23 panel in Anaheim. “That’s what the ‘Fantastic Four’ movie is attempting to be.”
The Carousel of Progress created by Imagineering for the 1964 World’s Fair was relocated to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and the Ford’s Magic Skyway inspired the futuristic theme land’s PeopleMover.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland resort attendance reaches ‘almost’ 30 million, Disney CEO says
Adopting the retro-futuristic look of “Fantastic Four: First Steps” would make Disneyland’s Tomorrowland more timeless, according to Cinema Blend.
“It’s a perfect look for Tomorrowland,” according to Cinema Blend. “Tomorrowland doesn’t need to become a Fantastic Four land. It can still be a Tomorrowland, just a different world’s view of tomorrow.”
Even the Disney Parks Blog appears to be offering up ideas for Tomorrowland attraction makeovers.
“With a love of adventure and high thrills, you would think the Human Torch would be racing through the cosmos to the edge of the galaxy on Space Mountain,” according to the Disney Parks Blog.
It’s not hard to imagine where the Fantastic Four could settle down in Tomorrowland.
A Human Torch takeover of Space Mountain makes sense. The Disneyland Monorail and Autopia could easily get Fantastic Four overlays based on the new film.
Concept art for “Fantastic Four: First Steps” shows a monorail with a silver nose cone and baby blue pinstripe weaving through retro-futuristic cityscapes.
The Fantasticar in the new movie has a Jetsons-style look based on mid-1960s American concept cars with turbine intakes on the front and back and a bubble dome for a roof.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland celebrates 70th anniversary with parades, fireworks and marching bands
Tomorrowland’s Galactic Grill could offer up a Fantastic Four menu with Fantastic Elastic mozzarella sticks and Invisible Indulgence clear lemon pie.
The Tomorrowland Theater, Star Wars Launch Bay and PeopleMover track all sit underused and in need of some Imagineering pixie dust.
Of course, the new “Fantastic Four” movie will need to be a sequel-spawning blockbuster hit in order for Imagineering to even think about a Tomorrowland makeover based on the burgeoning film franchise.
So far, the signs look good for the film with strong critical reviews, a $100 million-plus opening weekend forecast and a budget north of $200 million. Now all that’s left is to see if “First Steps” becomes the latest Disney film to cross the $1 billion box office threshold — joining “Moana 2,” “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
If that happens, expect to hear more talk about a Fantastic Four makeover of Tomorrowland at Disneyland.