A New Scene From Fantastic Four Just Changed Everything We Know
Galactus is only the beginning.
Marvel is notorious for keeping the content of its films under tight wraps, but after Thunderbolts, it feels like the plot of the MCU’s next movie is already laid out. Marvel’s First Family is gearing up for their MCU debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and their role in upcoming films like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars is already a foregone conclusion. But we also know that Fantastic Four will take place in a universe outside of Earth-616, where the vast majority of Marvel projects have been set.
After the most recent Fantastic Four trailer, it was assumed the planet-consuming entity known as Galactus (Ralph Ineson) would devour their world, forcing them to flee to a new Earth. That theory seems to be confirmed in Thunderbolts’ post-credits scene, where the Thunderbolts see the Fantastic Four’s spacecraft approach Earth. Their tech calls the ship “extradimensional,” confirming they’ve come from a different universe. Now, Marvel seems to be revealing how and why the Fantastic Four left their own reality.
Potential spoilers ahead for The Fantastic Four: First Steps!
Fantastic Four could be even more cosmic than its trailers have made us believe.
At this year’s CCXP in Mexico City, Fantastic Four’s cast appeared to tease the film and unveil some new footage. Omelete broke down the scene screened at the convention, which follows the Fantastic Four as they’re chased in their ship by the Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner). They’re “leaving a planet that seems to have been consumed (or is being consumed) by Galactus,” and to make matters even more stressful, the pregnant Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) has gone into labor.
Sue’s husband Reed (Pedro Pascal) assists her in the delivery while Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) flies the ship, and Sue’s brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) tries to fight Shalla-Bal. The Silver Surfer is apparently hunting Sue and Reed’s baby, likely because their son Franklin grows up to harness reality-bending powers. To avoid Shalla-Bal, Reed orders Ben to fly into a black hole. The scene ends there, but it’d be safe to theorize that this is the moment the Fantastic Four are transported to Earth-616.
On the other hand, it wouldn’t make much sense for Marvel to unveil what should be one of Fantastic Four’s biggest scenes. Though we know it will happen, it’s in the studio’s best interest to keep the how under wraps for as long as possible. This scene shown at CCXP may not actually be the climax of the film; if a recent theory is to be believed, it could be just the beginning of the team’s ordeals with the Silver Surfer.
Shalla-Bal is just the beginning of the Fantastic Four’s troubles.
According to industry insiders, early screenings of Fantastic Four have revealed big story surprises, with reliable leaker MyTimeToShineHello reporting that the film ends with a scene between Sue, Franklin, and Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.). Galactus and Shalla-Bal aren’t the only ones hunting Franklin: Doom may also want to abduct the child to fuel his powers. It’s here that Franklin’s unique abilities could come into play. Maybe it isn’t a wormhole that transports the Fantastic Four to Earth-616, but Franklin himself delivering the team to safety.
If that’s the case, then it won’t be their Earth destroyed at the end of the film. So which Earth is it? This introduces all kinds of wrinkles to a story that once seemed pretty straightforward. There’s no knowing if this leak is true just yet, but it could be an intriguing way to subvert expectations, given that so much of the Fantastic Four’s future already seemed predetermined.
