Every 60s Animated TV Show Reference In The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps pays rich homage to the team’s animated past, particularly the 1967 The Fantastic Four cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera. First Steps makes a bold leap into Marvel’s most iconic family. While the movie serves as a modern MCU reboot, it honors the 1960s animated series in several ways.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps depicts an alternate universe to the main MCU timeline, set in a 1960s retro-futurist world. Fittingly, they made several references to the 1967 The Fantastic Four animated series. The Fantastic Four had a limited animation style and just 20 episodes. Yet its influence looms large. The series helped establish the Fantastic Four for decades.

First Steps leans into that nostalgic history without ever getting bogged down by it. These references not only reward viewers familiar with Marvel’s deep bench of media but also enrich the team’s legacy in the MCU. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is filled with tributes to the show that first brought the Fantastic Four to life on television screens nearly 60 years ago.

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The 60s Fantastic Four Theme Tune

The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Score Alludes To The Animated History

The most pervasive and carefully disguised reference to the 1967 Fantastic Four cartoon lies in the orchestral score. The Fantastic Four: First Steps subtly transforms the original theme music into something far grander and emotionally resonant. The iconic horn fanfare and opening strings from the 60s show are slowed down significantly, giving them a more cinematic flavor.

Instead of campy or comedic cues, First Steps uses these motifs to reinforce the movie’s sense of legacy and wonder. However, one moment is more overt. In a late-movie action sequence, a slowed and richly orchestrated version of the original theme plays behind a full-team battle.

Right at the climax of the scene, a motif imitates the bold choral chant of “Fantastic Four!” This is not borrowed from the 60s cartoon, but the catchy chorus from the 1990s Fantastic Four animated series. This clever hybrid of musical nostalgia reflects the team’s multigenerational media history.

It’s not just an Easter egg. It’s a tonal signal. By blending both animated series’ music, First Steps acknowledges the entire lineage of Fantastic Four adaptations, with the 60s series serving as a foundation.

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“It’s Clobberin’ Time!”

The Thing’s Famed Catchphrase Was Popularized By The 60s Animated Series

Perhaps the funniest, and most meta, reference to the 60s animated series comes from Ben Grimm himself. Throughout First Steps, Thing pointedly refuses to say “It’s clobberin’ time!”, rolling his eyes every time someone suggests he try it. He repeatedly states that he never said it and that the phrase was just from the animated show.

What makes this gag even better is the historical context. In fact, Grimm first said “It’s clobberin’ time!” in Fantastic Four #22 (published in January 1964). However, the phrase wasn’t widely associated with the character until the 1967 animated show made it his signature line.

The show’s reliance on Thing shouting “It’s clobberin’ time!” in nearly every battle turned it into an enduring catchphrase. This was arguably what cemented the Thing as a pop culture icon. By poking fun at the line in the movie, the filmmakers are both acknowledging the character’s roots and recognizing how far he’s come.

It’s a smart way to let the phrase exist without forcing it into a new continuity. That said, in the final act, Thing finally relents and delivers the famed rallying cry. It serves as a wink to fans and proof that some traditions are too strong to break entirely.

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An Original Clip From Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Featured A Clip From The 60s Animated Series

The inclusion of the original cartoon footage is unprecedented for the MCU, which rarely incorporates legacy media in such a literal way. This moment acts as both a cheeky fourth-wall break and an acknowledgment of the era that spawned these characters. The fact that the team in the movie exists in a world where an in-universe 1960s cartoon version of themselves was produced adds a bizarre layer of meta-continuity.

The scene appears during the opening montage in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. As the team’s origins and early exploits are explored, the scene examines how Marvel’s First Family has become pop culture icons in its world. During the montage, two people are seen watching their animated television series, wherein the Thing is seen plummeting through the air.

It’s a small scene, but one that encapsulates First Steps’ tone: reverent of the past, playful with legacy, and confident enough to poke fun at itself. It’s similar to the way that Logan referenced X-Men comics, suggesting some level of detached commentary. It also demonstrates how unique their universe is for the MCU, with so few superheroes that the Fantastic Four become the dominant cultural figures.

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A Recreated Clip In Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Post-Credits Scene

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Reanimated The Show’s Intro

Marvel’s post-credits scenes are famous for teasing the future, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps’s ending takes a different approach. The movie ends with a full animated recreation of the 1967 Fantastic Four intro – remade shot-for-shot using the MCU’s cast. The visuals replicate the retro style, complete with thick black outlines, static backgrounds, and stilted movements.

The scene begins with the dated opening titles, complete with a retro grainy filter. It’s obstensibly the title sequence for the in-universe Fantastic Four cartoon, which shows a glimpse of the Red Ghost and other foes. HERBIE quickly turns off the TV before audiences see the whole episode. Yet this reanimated montage suggests these baddies may appear in upcoming films, wrapped in a layer of vintage flair.

This post-credits sequence is a loving tribute, not just to the 60s series, but to the entire animated history of the Fantastic Four. It’s a reminder that even in the sleek, CGI-heavy world of the MCU, there’s still room for cartoon nostalgia. It is also perhaps the most explicit reference to Marvel’s animated past ever seen in the MCU.

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HERBIE The Robot

HERBIE Originated In A Vintage Fantastic Four Cartoon

Though HERBIE the robot wasn’t part of the 1967 animated series, his presence in Fantastic Four: First Steps is a sly nod to the team’s cartoon lineage, particularly the later 1978 series. In that show, HERBIE was introduced as a replacement for the Human Torch. Johnny Storm was absent throughout, as he was licensed to a different project at the time.

Despite not originating in the comics, HERBIE became a surprise fan favorite and was later adopted into Marvel continuity. In First Steps, HERBIE likewise appears as the team’s faithful companion, cooking, cleaning, and even caring for baby Franklin. His design is surprisingly faithful, feeling almost precisely like the animated HERBIE, though with a later tape designs for the face,

The decision to include HERBIE demonstrates the filmmakers’ deep-cut knowledge of Fantastic Four lore. It bridges the decades between the original animated series and later adaptations, and offers a connection to older viewers who remember the bizarre history of a team without Johnny Storm. Though not technically from the 1960s, he represents how The Fantastic Four: First Steps pays tribute to the team’s early animated adventures.