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Mid-Century Modern Interiors in Fantastic Four
I went to see Fantastic Four this week, and for me, it was the ultimate trifecta—comic book nerd, film fan, and modernist design obsessive all rolled into one. Tuesday night movies with my daughters is our long-standing ritual. We’ve been doing it since they were little enough to barely sit still through a film. I had my trusty pretzel smuggled in (truth be told, they’re WORLDS better than the stale ones the theater sells), and as the lights went down, I thought I was there for the superheroes. Turns out, I was really there for the set design—and the mid-century furniture that stole the show.
A Case for Awards—and a Nod to Jack Kirby
Before we talk modernist sightings, let’s give credit where it’s due. The production designer Kasra Farahani, art directors (the team of Alex Bailey, Liam Georgensen, Oliver Goodier, Nick Gottschalk (supervising), Laura Miller, and Tom Whitehead), and set decorator Jille Azis absolutely deserve an Academy Award nomination for what they pulled off in Fantastic Four: First Steps. The way they melded a vision of the past with a vision of the future was nothing short of miraculous—and pulling that off takes real skill.
Jack Kirby himself—the legendary co-creator of the Fantastic Four comics—would’ve been proud. The spirit of his universe is alive in every corner of these sets, where architecture and design are as much a part of the storytelling as the characters.
Modernist Sightings in Fantastic Four
One of the first pieces that caught my eye was in the dining room—a perfect white Tulip Table designed by Eero Saarinen. Surrounding it were matching Tulip Chairs, their sleek pedestal bases looking as elegant on screen as they do in real life. Saarinen once said his goal with this design was to “clear up the slum of legs” under tables and chairs, and here it was, decades later, holding its own in a superhero movie set.
The set also made full use of a sunken living room, a hallmark of mid-century modern design. It created that cozy, conversation-pit feeling while keeping the space open and flowing—a design choice that made the room feel lived-in yet cinematic.
A Calder Moment in the Living Room
Hanging above the sunken living room is a sculptural mobile in the style of Alexander Calder, its delicate arms and floating shapes almost mimicking the old-school mobiles of our solar system. It adds a sense of movement and cosmic playfulness, perfectly offsetting the room’s clean modernist lines.
A Trio of Modernist Icons by the Entryway
Just inside the entry, a Florence Knoll bench sits neatly under the stairs, its clean lines setting the tone for the space. And if you squint, you can spot a Warren Platner side chair tucked off to the side, along with a Harvey Guzzini table lamp casting a soft glow. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it vignette of mid-century mastery, perfectly staged right where you first step in.
If you look closely, you can peep the Saarinen Tulip side tables tucked next to the seating area. They echoed the dining setup perfectly—those same smooth pedestal bases keeping the lines clean and the space uncluttered.
A Bitossi Pop on the Bar
Just off the living room, the mini bar setup features a tall Rimini Blue Bitossi vase, its rich glaze and handcrafted texture adding a bold hit of color to the sleek modernist space. A small detail, but one that speaks volumes about the set’s attention to authentic mid-century style.
A Peek at Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair
In the sunken sitting area of Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s bedroom suite, you can spot an Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair. Designed in 1958, its sculptural, cocoon-like shape is unmistakable—even in silhouette. A quiet nod to one of the most celebrated pieces of Danish modern design, perfectly placed in this fantastic retreat.
Later in the movie, in Johnny’s bedroom, you can spot a Womb Chair. Florence Knoll once asked Eero Saarinen for “a chair like a basket full of pillows,” and this was his answer. A sculptural hug of a seat, perfectly at home in this retro-futuristic set.
Reed Richards’ Lab and a TWA Vibe
Reed Richards’ lab felt like a direct nod to Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center at JFK. The sweeping curves, the space-age lines, and those deep, rich reds gave the scene that same bold, futuristic optimism Saarinen made famous. This was obviously a nod, too, to the set design of “2001:A Space Odyssey”. Don’t think, for a moment, that I missed THAT one!
A Bathroom with Gio Ponti Flair
In one quick bathroom scene, the rounded walls are paired with asymmetrical mirrors in the style of Gio Ponti, turning a simple vanity moment into a mid-century design statement. It’s a subtle nod to Ponti’s love of fluid, organic shapes that break away from rigid lines.
A round bed appeared in another scene, a clear nod to Milo Baughman’s glamorous, sixties-era designs. It instantly reminded me of I Dream of Jeannie and that kitschy little scene tucked inside her bottle home—playful, a little fantastical, and totally unforgettable.(I’m still trying to figure out where she went to the bathroom..)
Above the bed hung a Brutalist wall sculpture in the style of William Bowie, its torch-cut texture and layered metal giving the room a bold, sculptural attitude. On the side table, a Louis Poulsen Panthella table lamp, designed by Verner Panton in 1971, cast a soft, space-age glow that pulled the whole scene together perfectly.
Final Thoughts
I went in expecting superhero action, but what stuck with me were the interiors—a love letter to mid-century modernism wrapped in a comic book movie. From the clean lines of Saarinen’s Tulip Chairs to the bold statement of Milo Baughman’s round bed, Fantastic Four had serious design chops. Credit to Kasra Farahani, Alex Bailey, Liam Georgensen, Oliver Goodier, Nick Gottschalk, Laura Miller, Tom Whitehead, and Jille Azis for creating a world Jack Kirby himself would’ve smiled at.
Driving home that night, my daughters chattering about their favorite scenes in the backseat, I couldn’t stop thinking about those sets. Tuesday movie night gave me superheroes on screen—but the real heroes, at least for me, were the designers who built that stunning modernist world.
