The movie "Fantastic Four: First Steps" is set in the 1960s, specifically on Earth-828, an alternate retro-futuristic universe. The story takes place around the year 1964, celebrating the fourth anniversary of the Fantastic Four gaining their superpowers from exposure to cosmic rays during a space mission. The setting aligns with the era when the original comic book characters were created, reflecting the 1960s optimism and space race context. This timeframe is chosen to be more comic-accurate and to fit within the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse concept, separate from the main MCU timeline.