Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con panel was full of surprises for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Alongside announcements of new projects in film and TV, fans were treated to the first official information about Marvel's upcoming movie starring the iconic Fantastic Four: it will be part of the MCU's Phase 6 and will release in November 2024.
Aside from that, very little is known about this new interpretation of Marvel Comics' First Family. It will likely be a much different film than the 2005 film starring Jessica Alba and Chris Evans, and will hopefully be an improvement on the 2015 version with Kate Mara and Miles Teller. Despite this, here's what fans can anticipate about Phase 6's first installment.
10 The Return Of Reed Richards
The release of Fantastic Four is still a long way away, but the stage has already begun to be set. 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness confirmed the existence of The Fantastic Four in the MCU's multiverse. To the surprise of fans, fan-favorite casting choice John Krasinski appeared as Reed Richards in the film's Illuminati sequence.
It's unknown if Krasinski will reprise the role in the Fantastic Four film, or if his cameo will remain a multiversal variant. Rumors have pointed to actors like Penn Badgley or Jamie Dornan taking on Marvel's smartest man alive. A lot of fans have also championed an African-American actor in the role, such as William Jackson Harper of The Good Place.
9 Rounding Out The Other Three
Many other names have been thrown around for the other three members of the Fantastic Four: Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The inclusion of Krasinski as Reed Richards has led many fans to want Krasinski's real-life wife, Emily Blunt, to play Sue Storm. Other actresses like Natalia Dyer and Melissa Benoist have also been circled in rumors.
Surprisingly, Natalia Dyer isn't the only Stranger Things alum to make fan castings. Joe Keery and Dacre Montgomery have been top choices for Storm's brother, Johnny Storm. For Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, many comedy actors have become popular fan choices, such as Seth Rogen or Jason Segel.
8 It Won't Be An Origin Story
One thing has been confirmed by Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige following the film's confirmation at Comic-Con. Fantastic Four will not be an origin story, at least not in the familiar way we've seen it in the previous two iterations. This approach has been proven to work thanks to films Spider-Man: Homecoming and even DC films like The Batman.
For a quadruple threat like The Fantastic Four, however, starting the story in media res will be a whole different challenge. Perhaps, like Eternals, the film will include flashbacks to the team's days before their fateful space exploration gone wrong. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the four are introduced into the mythos of Marvel's existing universe.
7 Enter Doctor Doom
It may seem tiresome to some fans to rehash the same villain in the third reboot of a franchise. However, Doctor Doom is not any ordinary villain in Marvel Comics, especially given Marvel's plans for Phases 5 and 6 of their cinematic universe. Doctor Doom, if done justice, will be a bigger threat than Thanos, or even the new baddie Kang the Conqueror.
Doom's casting rumors have circled the Internet for years, from Giancarlo Esposito to Javier Bardem. Some rumors claim that Doom will show up as early as a post-credits scene of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Fantastic Four may be the perfect film to truly show off his potential as a multiverse-shattering villain.
6 The Kang Dynasty
In 2025, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be the first Avengers film to release in 2019's Endgame. The film will certainly feature the return of Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who debuted in Loki and will reprise his role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, Kang also hides a deep connection to the Fantastic Four.
Prior to becoming a threat to the multiverse, Kang was Nathaniel Richards, a descendant of Mr. Fantastic from the 31st century. In fact, it's Richards' partnership with Doctor Doom that causes him to become a multiversal conqueror. Given He Who Remains' backstory in Loki, it's possible Marvel plans to reveal this connection in the Fantastic Four film.
5 The Build-Up To Secret Wars
Victor von Doom is incredibly integral to the comic book iteration of Secret Wars, which is confirmed to be the subtitle of The Kang Dynasty's sequel. If Doom appears in the flesh in Fantastic Four, it's possible the film will serve as a direct build-up to the two new Avengers projects, setting up Doctor Doom as the threat to take over after Kang.
The question remains how the Fantastic Four will be set up to have their first meeting with the Avengers. The comic book version of Secret Wars infamously involves the crossroads of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, the latter of whom have not had a confirmed project at this point. Hopefully, Marvel is able to do this comic book arc justice.
4 Fan-Favorites Come To The Rescue
The Fantastic Four have had a long history of crossing paths with some of Marvel's biggest characters, some of whom could appear in the film. In the past, She-Hulk has been a temporary member of the group. They've also worked closely with characters like Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Luke Cage, among others who haven't appeared in the MCU.
One big name that could show up in Fantastic Four is Peter Parker himself. Spider-Man has often been a close ally of the First Family, and after Spider-Man: No Way Home, he could be on the hunt for a new one. It would also explain why Jon Watts was attached to the film when it was first announced, to continue Peter's story as a supporting character.
3 It Was Agatha All Along
Of course, there's another important character in the MCU that shares a close connection with the Fantastic Four. That would be Agatha Harkness, who appeared as an antagonist in the Disney+ series WandaVision played by Kathryn Hahn. Her popularity caused Marvel to greenlight a new series that will debut in Phase 5, Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
Aside from being the mentor to Wanda Maximoff in the comics, Agatha first appeared as the governess of Reed and Sue's son, Franklin Richards. It's possible that one or more members of the Fantastic Four will make an early appearance in Agatha: Coven of Chaos, perhaps leading up to Agatha making her feature film debut in Fantastic Four.
2 Earth-616 Gets Their Own Illuminati
Reed Richards' introduction in Multiverse of Madness as a member of Earth-838's Illuminati may not be a random inclusion. In the comics, the Illuminati is a secret society of some of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe. Reed Richards has often been a staple of this group, which obviously led to his encounter with the Scarlet Witch.
Aside from Strange, Professor X, and Black Bolt, many other characters have been a part of Marvel Comics' Illuminati. Namor has been a frequent member, and the character will soon debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The new Fantastic Four movie may surprise fans again by introducing Earth-616's own version of the Illuminati.
1 Expanding The Galactic MCU
Obviously, the biggest bonus of an upcoming Fantastic Four movie is to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe expand to new horizons. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm will most likely join Marvel's already wide array of space-centered characters, like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel, the Eternals, and Thor.
However, the Fantastic Four are also a gateway to some pretty big cosmic threats to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's Galactus the world-eater and his herald Silver Surfer, who have yet to appear in a film since 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. They could also lead to villains like Super-Skrull or Psycho-Man in future films.