Marvel is taking the measured approach to introduce Fantastic Four, set up next big villain
Marvel Studios is going to take the slow-and-steady approach to introducing the Fantastic Four in the MCU. According to a report on MCU Cosmic, the studio will introduce these new characters similar to how it brought Black Panther into the fold.
The Fantastic Four and the X-Men can now feature alongside the Avengers, after the rights to 20th Century Fox and its assets were purchased by Disney. Studio president Kevin Feige has said that the plan to introduce these fanfavourite characters will unfold gradually.
After unveiling the studio’s Phase IV lineup at the San Diego Comic Con last year, Feige said, “So this is Phase 4, thank you. Now there’s a lot of other stuff we didn’t get to talk about today. We didn’t even mention that we’re making Black Panther 2. We didn’t mention the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is coming. We didn’t have time to talk about Captain Marvel 2, by the way. I didn’t even have time to talk about the Fantastic Four. And there’s no time left to talk about mutants.” According to MCU Cosmic, the studio intends on introducing one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, Doctor Doom, by first setting up the nation of Latveria and its prime minister, Lucia Von Bardas.
This is similar to how Wakanda was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, before being fully explored in the Black Panther film. “In the comics,” the report said, “she’s actually the successor to Doctor Doom after he was deposed as the ruler of Latveria and even used the Doctor Doom name for a time.”
Doctor Doom last appeared on screen in 2015’s ill-fated Fantastic Four film, in which he was played by Toby Kebbell. It has been rumoured that John Krasinski is in talks to star in and direct the rebooted Fantastic Four. Hindustan Times