How the Fantastic Four Will Enter the MCU: The 5 Primary Rumors
How the Fantastic Four will enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains one of the most hotly debated topics surrounding Phase 4 and beyond. And, multiple insiders — relying on various sources and leaks, as well as narrative prophecy based on the MCU’s current standing — have come forth with differing ideas. Below, please find the five primary rumors surrounding the Fantastic Four’s entrance into the MCU.
1. Via Doctor Doom’s alleged entrance in Black Panther 2
When it comes to Fantastic Four archenemies, you don’t get more infamous than Doctor Doom. Doctor Doom appeared in Fox’s 2005 cinematic take (and the 2007 sequel) about the family of supers, and he definitely deserves a second shot at villainous stardom.
According to Charles Murphy, and later reported on by multiple sources including We Got This Covered and Inverse, Black Panther 2 may serve as a vehicle to introduce one of the MCU’s next “bid baddies,” Doctor Doom. He may serve as the film’s primary antagonist, looking to expand his empire by invading parts of Africa, which will find him in Wakanda. And, if Doctor Doom is coming, you can bet it’s only a matter of time until the Fantastic Four arrive to help battle the threat.
2. By way of the Quantum Realm in ‘Ant-Man 3’
Recent leaks by Marvel insider Mikey Sutton suggest that The Fantastic Four will travel to the Negative Zone on an explorative mission, as they are scientists, not superheroes at heart.
The Negative Zone will turn out to be the Quantum Realm, and given Ant-Man’s futile experience with the fickle thing that is the Quantum Realm, Scott Lang will serve as the Fantastic Four’s connective tissue to the Avengers.
3. The Fantastic Four will follow the Silver Surfer’s entrance in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
James Gunn recently teased a possible Silver Surfer or Galactus entrance in the MCU. As We Got This Covered noted, when asked if Galactus or the Silver Surfer would appear in the upcoming Guardians installment, the director said, “I’ve had some discussions… :).” If the Silver Surfer joins the MCU, it is likely that connections to Doom and the Fantastic Four will follow suit, as their narrative origins and legacies are connected at the hip.
4. ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ will introduce Reed Richards via The Illuminati
According to Sutton, Marvel Studios is planning to bring The Illuminati into the MCU to battle extraterrestrial threats that the Avengers are not prepped to combat. Wanda will fracture reality, leaving a gateway for threatening forces to enter the planet, and Strange will recruit highly intelligent and skilled people for assistance. Professor X and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) will allegedly be his first two recruits.
5. Peter Parker will discover Reed Richards as a mentor in ‘Spider-Man 3’
In the comics, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man fight together quite often, and Spider-Man comes to see Richards as a mentor; they are both technologically skilled and scientifically advanced, and a professor-pupil dynamic soon develops. Thus, some arguments suggest that using Peter Parker to introduce Mr. Fantastic — followed by the rest of his team — would be a seamless approach to the matter.
