The MCU's revival is within reach. Six years after Disney+'s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Fantastic Four will soon take its first steps within Kevin Feige's cinematic universe. After the failed attempts of Tim Story and Josh Trank, Matt Shakman has called on Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach to bring to life the heroes imagined by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961. In front of his camera, the quartet is expected to face Galactus, the planet-devouring hero who was already introduced to audiences in the early 2000s.
The story will take place in an alternate universe, inspired by the late 1960s. Sent into space, Richards and his companions will be exposed to cosmic rays. Upon their return, they will develop strange powers. These new abilities will make them the defenders of the planet. And they will have their work cut out for them with the arrival of the Silver Surfer and later Galactus.
The first trailers focused on introducing all these wonderful people, detailing the stakes of the film, which must also prepare Avengers: Doomsday. A new promotional video, shared yesterday, delves deeper into the themes of the story, particularly that of family. The Fantastic Four are, in fact, the Marvel family at its core, and writers Josh Friedman and Jeff Kaplan were right to emphasize these connections between the characters.
While the synopsis promised that the confrontation with Galactus would take a “very personal turn”, we finally know what it’s all about. After appearing pregnant in the latest images, Susan Storm now shows herself with her cherub and her husband at her side. The Funko figurines hadn't lied, Franklin Reed will be on the trip.
A character who could bring many others...
First appearing in 1968, Franklin Richards was also born under the pen of Stan Lee and the pencil of Jack Kirby. He is the eldest son of Susan and Reed Richards and his birth was not easy for the couple. Shortly before giving birth, the heroes learn that an unknown energy is gravitating around the fetus. Reed, Ben and Johnny will thus go to the Negative Zone to retrieve the control stick from the antagonist Annihilus. From a young age, he demonstrated various powers, such as reality manipulation, telepathy, and teleportation.
Like his parents, he has had many adversaries in glossy films. One stands out, even though viewers have been hoping to see him on the big screen for a while. Indeed, Mephisto plays a crucial role in the character's journey in the comics. The demonic entity fears his powers and will put him in a coma for several months. While there's no indication that this idea will be explored in the film, and it probably won't, it's clear that Marvel is giving itself a new opportunity to introduce the character who first appeared in 1968's Silver Surfer #3.
So head to the cinema on July 23 to find out if Fantastic Four is worth the wait and if it opens a convincing new chapter for Marvel. After the disappointment of Thunderbolts*, the House of Ideas is no doubt hoping to reach new heights in profitability at the global box office and build anticipation among long-time fans as Avengers: Doomsday comes into its own.
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