The Fantastic Four director didn’t want his Marvel movie to copy Guardians of the Galaxy’s approach to shooting in space: ‘I wanted it to feel real’

The Fantastic Four: First Steps director has revealed how he shot scenes that are supposed to be set in space – and what differentiates those sequences from other cosmic Marvel movies, including Guardians of the Galaxy.

In an interview with TechRadar, Matt Shakman admitted he didn’t use a zero gravity (Zero-G) simulator to film sequences that involved The Fantastic Four heading into space via their Excelsior star ship. The group do so on a couple of occasions in the flick, with the most notable space-based set-piece seeing them confront Galactus in deep space after he threatens to destroy their world. You can read more about why he wants to in my review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

It’s during this intense intergalactic sequence that the film’s crew needed to achieve the feeling of weightlessness for the eponymous team.

Indeed, as they flee in their spaceship (the Excelsior) after unsuccessfully attempting to negotiate with Galactus, the quartet are forced to act on the fly as they try to evade capture. Subsequently, there’s no time to strap themselves into their seats, hence the need to carry out their actions in Zero-G.

So, how did Shakman and company replicate the absence of gravity for this sequence? And what is it about the approach they took that separates it from the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy?

“One of the things I really wanted to do is imagine the Fantastic Four as the Apollo 11 astronauts,” Shakman said. “When they go into space, it’s zero gravity. It’s not like Guardians, where they’re able to walk around their ship like Star Trek. I wanted it to feel as real as possible.

“But shooting zero gravity is difficult,” the Marvel Phase 6 film’s director added. “It involves a lot of wire work and it’s hard on the actors’ bodies. It’s very difficult for them to be able to perform and do what they need to do, while also dealing with that sort of physical discomfort. So, while it was a wonderful thing to execute and bring to life in an authentic way, it was challenging.”

That scale of that challenge is more remarkable when you consider how much work goes into shooting a sequence like this.

For starters, over 10,000 feet of wire and almost 30 wire rigs were required throughout the Excelsior’s interior. The ship’s cockpit and fuselage were physically built by First Steps‘ production team to further underline the crew’s commitment to use practical sets and effects wherever possible.

Once the actors portraying Marvel’s First Family were hoisted up in harnesses and attached to various ceiling tracks via the aforementioned wires, they were taught to push off from the set itself without swinging harshly. Doing so would expose the wires and make it more difficult to delete the cables during the post-production phase.

Lastly, puppeteers in gray suits helped to control the speed and movement of each actor, and allow them to hit their marks. Add in the fact that each star had to remember their lines an actually act during this sequence, and you really get a sense of how demanding it was for the entire cast and crew to successfully execute.

Thankfully, all of their hard work pays off in the final product. It’ll be interesting to see if a similar set-up will be used in future Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) projects, including Avengers: Doomsday, which is currently in production and might feature one or more space-set sequences. You can read more about the aforementioned film via my dedicated Avengers: Doomsday hub.

There’s less than 24 hours to go (at the time of publication) until First Steps is out in theaters, so get your last-minute lowdown on it by reading my ultimate guide to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Read the section below, too, for more exclusive coverage on it.

You might also like

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast and character guide: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and who else you’ll see in the Marvel movie
• Marvel director Matt Shakman explains why The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t require any MCU homework: ‘There are no Easter eggs or other heroes’
• Was Doctor Doom ever considered as The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ main villain? The Marvel movie’s director has his say