If you’ve seen any of the new promo clips for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, you’ve probably caught that flashy line at the end: “Presented in brilliant Fantastivision.” While it sounds like something Reed Richards invented in a lab, fans are wondering what it actually means. Is it a new Marvel video format? Is it just Marvel’s clever in-world way of promoting IMAX? Or a retro reference to VistaVision? Turns out, it’s kind of all of the above.
Despite sounding like a fake TV brand, Fantastivision isn’t pulled from thin air. It’s a clever nod to VistaVision, an actual widescreen film format created by Paramount in 1954. The key difference between VistaVision and standard 35mm? It ran film horizontally instead of vertically, essentially doubling the image area. That meant higher resolution, sharper images, and a better time for VFX supervisors.
Now, before you start thinking Marvel dragged some old camera tech out of a museum for this one, slow down. The Fantastic Four: First Steps was not shot on VistaVision (at least we don’t think so – although it could be in parts). But Marvel’s version, Fantastivision, is their wink at the past and IMAX digital.
The movie was shot on ARRI Alexa IMAX cameras, which basically means you’re getting crisp, retina-punching visuals made for the biggest screens possible. It’s also been converted to 3D, in case you want Galactus stomping toward your face in glorious depth. This isn’t just another Marvel film tossed onto an IMAX screen. It’s one of five movies actually shot entirely with IMAX-certified digital cameras. The others are F1, Superman, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Operation Hadal.
Director Matt Shakman, the guy who directed WandaVision and clearly enjoys playing with format, wanted the film to look like something Stanley Kubrick might’ve made in 1965. Production notes even mention he handpicked vintage-style lenses and leaned into that “mid-century science fiction” aesthetic. So if this movie ends up looking like 2001: A Space Odyssey, don’t be too surprised.
Marvel’s using “Fantastivision” to set the vibe: part nostalgia, part sci-fi, part marketing wizardry. It sounds cooler than just saying “See it in IMAX.” And honestly, would you rather see it in plain old 3D or Fantastivision? Exactly.
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