That’s why The Marvels introduced mutants in a different universe, and according to director Matt Shakman, that’s also why the Fantastic Four find themselves on a parallel Earth in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Marvel StudiosIn an interview with SFX, Shakman revealed more about the choice to set Fantastic Four in a retrofuturist utopia. “We didn’t want them to be on this Earth with the other Marvel characters — because where were they when Thanos came?” Shakman said. The Fantastic Four hail from a different universe, a clever way to combat Marvel’s continuity issues. Marvel StudiosCreating a new universe also allowed Fantastic Four to make more direct tributes to their creator, Jack Kirby (Earth-828 nods to Kirby’s birthday, August 28).