With the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to introduce fresh costumes for Marvel’s First Family, the film’s principal costume designer, Alexandra Byrne, has come out to shed light on the suits’ retro style. In a recent discussion, the Academy Award-winning designer explained her creative process while outlining the unique layout of the Fantastic Four’s baby-blue outfits that carry a clear distinction from the uniforms worn by past big-screen iterations of the characters.
First Steps costume designer explains how Fantastic Four’s retro costumes came to be
While speaking with Disney Rewards Insider magazine, in their summer 2025 print issue, Alexandra Byrne noted that the First Steps’ script and Matt Shakman’s characteristic vision for the 1960s setting of the film helped her come up with a never-before-seen costume design for the Fantastic Four.
“We spent hours over the dye vats, working out the varying tones and shades in a palette of blues. It’s a painstaking process, but so exciting,” Byrne explained. She also added, “The entire process is an adrenalized chase to capture the essence of the film.” (via ComicBook.com)
The British fashion expert has previously worked on MCU projects such as 2011’s Thor, 2012’s The Avengers, 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as 2016’s Doctor Strange. She also credited Shakman for helping her create the retro Fantastic Four costumes, noting that he “was very clear about his vision of 1960s New York City in a parallel universe.”
Bryne seemed to be satisfied with the design she ended up creating, as evidenced by her comments. “Working on the space suits and the life support systems was a breakthrough moment in terms of the retro-future style,” she said, while also describing the Fantastic Four costumes as “a balance of retro engineering and shiny new aspirations.”
Fans will be able to witness Matt Shakman’s rendition of Earth-828, as well as Alexandra Byrne’s retro take on the Fantastic Four costumes, when the film, featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, among others, hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
