Why Fantastic Four Is The MCU’s Most Important Upcoming Release
Director Matt Shakman is tasked with bringing one of the most iconic superhero teams of all time to the big screen. The Fantastic Four have had a rough cinematic history, but in 2025 they are set to debut in Marvel Studios’ groundbreaking cinematic universe. As expectations mount, Fantastic Four will be a sign of viability for the MCU entering Phase 6 and beyond.
The Fantastic Four and Focusing on the MCU’s Future
When Disney began to boost their MCU output in Phase 4, audiences were introduced to dozens of new characters across film and television. While this move has provided new fan-favorite characters, one question has arisen: Where is it all headed?
Fantastic Four can provide the MCU with figureheads that it has been lacking since the send-off of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame. Maybe characters like Sam Wilson, Carol Danvers, Shan-Chi, and Shuri are the new faces of the MCU, but they likely won’t meet up until Avengers: Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars. A great Fantastic Four film could bring the best group dynamic, action, and heart since the recently-concluded Guardians trilogy.
Not to mention the team’s rogues gallery includes some villains that would make for great phase-ending villains, like Doctor Doom and Galactus. Future Fantastic Four adventures could see them mixing with Namor, Black Panther, and even some villainous Skrulls left over from Secret Invasion.
Can Marvel Still Land A-List Talent?
Most of the online conversation surrounding Shakman’s Fantastic Four is about who will take up the iconic mantles. A recently circulated rumor claimed A-listers Adam Driver and Margot Robbie were poised to portray Reed Richards and Sue Storm, with indie darling Paul Mescal as Johnny Storm and Hamilton alum Daveed Diggs as Ben Grimm included as well.
That kind of exciting, big-name talent attached to mainline heroes has been lacking from the MCU recently. Big stars like Christian Bale will sign on for a one-off villain role, but nowadays many established actors may be hesitant to sign on for a multi-year, multi-picture deal with Marvel Studios. Landing even one, let alone four, well-known performers would restore some general audience interest to the ever-expanding cinematic universe.
Proving Marvel’s First Family Aren’t Spoiled Cinematic Goods
The MCU Fantastic Four film will be the fourth theatrically released film based on the comic book icons in 20 years, and the fifth overall if you want to count the unreleased Roger Corman version. At the very least, this newest iteration can prove to audiences that it isn’t impossible to make a good Fantastic Four film.
The Fantastic Four made their comic book debut in 1961, and they’ve been a pivotal part of some of the biggest stories on Earth-616 and beyond. The upcoming film is burdened with the expectation to finally do these characters justice on the big screen. But if director Matt Shakman and writers Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer can pull it off, it would rejuvenate the MCU as it enters Phase 6 and speeds towards another two-part Avengers finale.
Fantastic Four is currently scheduled to release on May 2, 2025
