Hideo Kojima praises Fantastic Four reboot for retro-futuristic style and efficient storytelling structure
Renowned game creator Hideo Kojima has publicly praised Fantastic Four: First Steps, describing the film as “truly fantastic” and highlighting its unique retro-futuristic aesthetic. Kojima shared his thoughts on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, where he applauded the film’s immersive 1960s world-building and thematic tone.
Kojima noted the film’s attention to detail in recreating a stylized 1960s environment, citing its fashion, architecture, branding, and even food items. “Not only the fashion, color schemes, design, cityscapes, TV and anime programs, costumes and spacesuits, rockets, and cars, but even corporate names, food items (cereals, soft drinks), and storage media (magnetic tapes, discs) are thoroughly created with a 1960s look and sense of the future,” he wrote.
Watched “Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
From the fashion, color palette, design, cityscape, TV and cartoon shows, to the costumes, spacesuits, rockets, cars—not to mention company names, food items (cereal, soda), and storage media (magnetic tapes, discs)—everything is crafted… pic.twitter.com/ftROun64m6Drawing comparisons to Bewitched and The Incredibles, Kojima praised the film’s family-centered narrative and lighter tone. He suggested that Fantastic Four: First Steps reflects a broader shift in superhero storytelling post-pandemic—from darker realism to colorful nostalgia.
Kojima also applauded the film’s storytelling efficiency, particularly its choice to explain the team’s backstory through an in-universe television program. He explained that detailing the origin story in full would have slowed the film's pace, noting that the streamlined narrative successfully immerses audiences from the start. “In terms of being the ‘First Steps’ to ‘restart’ this series, it’s truly ‘Fantastic,’” he added.
While Kojima's praise adds to the film’s critical momentum, its commercial performance tells a more mixed story. After a strong debut, the film is projected to earn around $42 million in its second weekend—a 64% drop. Despite that, it has crossed the $200 million mark in ten days, making it the highest-grossing MCU film of the year so far.
Directed by Matt Shakman, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, and Ralph Ineson as Galactus.