Marvel’s Visual Maestro Reveals ‘Fantastic Four’ Design Secrets

From High School Sketch to Cinematic Icon

Ryan Meinerding, a pivotal figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s visual evolution, is experiencing a profound career milestone, bringing a beloved childhood character to life on the big screen.

A Full-Circle Artistic Journey

Meinerding’s journey with Marvel began at the inception of the MCU, aiding Jon Favreau on “Iron Man.” Now serving as Marvel Studios’ character designer, creative director, and head of visual development, he has dedicated the last five years to realizing The Thing for “Fantastic Four: First Steps.” The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing. The cast also features Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer, with the story set in Earth-828 within an alternate MCU timeline.

Meinerding shared that his initial sketch of The Thing, completed during his high school years, is featured in the new art book, “Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding.” Reflecting on this full-circle moment, he stated, I can’t quite describe how it feels, because it is one of those things that comes along once in a lifetime.

Crafting The Thing’s Expressive Form

The challenge of making a character composed of rocks, like The Thing, relatable and full of emotion was a significant undertaking. Meinerding emphasized the importance of adhering to Jack Kirby’s foundational designs, particularly the character’s distinctive head shape, brow, and eyes. The idea of that heavy brow and these bright, shining blue eyes, really popping when he looks up at you, was important.

To ground the digital character in reality, Meinerding’s team incorporated practical elements on set, including meticulously crafted stand-in costumes and giant shoes created by costume designer Alexandra Byrne. Real rocks were also brought to set as a color and texture reference for visual effects artists. We’re always looking for ways to make this stuff feel as real as possible. Meinerding found inspiration for these tangible references by visiting landscaping suppliers.

Retro-Futurism and Creative Collaboration

The visual development for “Fantastic Four: First Steps” aimed for a retro-futuristic aesthetic, drawing inspiration from 1960s sci-fi cinema and concept artists like Syd Mead and Robert McCall. Meinerding began sculpting The Thing on his computer in 2019, following the acquisition of the film rights. This project represents his most extensive work to date, with his team producing an impressive 3,600 pieces of concept art.

Meinerding highlighted the crucial role of expressive facial features for The Thing, noting that his eyebrows, eyes, and mouth are key to conveying emotion. That eyebrow does everything. It makes him surprised, angry or happy. The team navigated the challenge of ensuring these expressions remained visible despite the character’s rocky texture, finding a delicate balance to maintain emotional clarity.

The collaborative process within Meinerding’s team, which includes long-time collaborators like Andy Park and Rodney Fuentebella, is integral to their success. The team brings a wealth of experience, and each one of them brings what they love about the characters and tries to solve those problems in different ways. This approach fosters a dynamic environment where multiple artistic solutions are explored and presented to filmmakers.

Iconic Suits and Character Design Challenges

The team opted for the classic blue and white suits for the Fantastic Four, intending to evoke a friendlier, more earnest feel reminiscent of 1960s sci-fi films, steering away from a contemporary aesthetic. This retro design choice aligns with the film’s overall visual tone.

Comparing the creation process for “Fantastic Four” to “Thor,” Meinerding noted the unique challenge of establishing a new world like Asgard for the latter. However, he finds that all character design work, whether digital like The Thing or effects-driven like Sue Storm’s powers, presents similar creative hurdles. The Thing is a challenge for reasons that you have a lot of comic book fans who have very strong ideas, and you want to deliver for them. But you also want the character to feel real.

Bringing cosmic entities like Galactus and the Silver Surfer to life involved distinct challenges. For Galactus, the focus was on establishing his immense scale and presence, staying true to Kirby’s original designs. For the Silver Surfer, the team explored ways to depict her reflective, tarnished mirror surface and capture the haunting quality of Julia Garner’s performance. The visual fidelity of the Silver Surfer’s reflectivity, which changes based on her environment, was a key area of development.

The film’s visual identity, including its logo, was meticulously crafted to fit the retro-aesthetic. Early discussions explored various design directions, with the final concept art presenting numerous options to filmmakers Matt Shakman and Kevin Feige before landing on the finalized look.