After seeing Marvel Studios’ exciting first trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps, I’m pretty confident that something big is being kept secret about Marvel’s First Family. The new trailer does a great job of introducing new versions of Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm’s Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm’s The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm’s The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn). However, I think the superpowered family is hiding a pretty big secret, one that will likely have drastic consequences for their retro-futuristic timeline set apart from the main MCU.
In the first trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps, it’s confirmed that the residents of the Baxter Building are seen as major celebrities. Displaying incredible powers and abilities, it certainly looks as though the family of heroes are the most famous people in this retro-futuristic version of the 1960s (coinciding with the FF’s 1961 debut in the comics as Marvel’s first superhero team). That said, I can’t help but think that under all that fame is a big secret being hidden by the MCU’s new Fantastic Four (and I do have some good guesses as to what it might be).
I’m Pretty Confident The MCU’s Fantastic Four Is Hiding A Big Secret
Is Marvel’s First Family Hiding Something?
Right off the bat, the trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps references and shows shots from the First Family’s origins, having been launched into space where they received their unique powers. In the comics, this was the result of cosmic radiation. However, the trailer also confirms that the FF is planning a second space launch in the present, though for what purpose remains unclear.
Interestingly enough, there is a shot in the new MCU trailer of Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic writing various calculations on a very long chalkboard (don’t worry, he can easily reach both ends). One of these equations looks to be a rendering of a tunnel or wormhole, supporting the longstanding theory that The Fantastic Four did not originate from this retro-futuristic 1960s but may instead come from the Sacred Timeline aka Earth-616 (the main MCU continuity). However, I believe this may only be a piece of the puzzle and that the First Family may be hiding even bigger secrets from the public.
Theory: The Fantastic Four Will Have A Dark History With Galactus
BEFORE First Steps
I’m of the opinion that Galactus is going to play a key role regarding The Fantastic Four’s potential secrets, and that they may very well have a history with the cosmic World Devourer before he arrives to consume the Earth as seen in the new trailer. After all, the movie’s synopsis does claim that the coming of Galactus will “suddenly get very personal” for Marvel’s First Steps. Combined with the First Steps subtitle, I’m inclined to believe the theory that Reed and Sue’s son Franklin will be featured in the movie, whose incredible power will be greatly coveted by Galactus himself (making things personal).
However, I also think The Fantastic Four’s dark secret may be that they’ve constantly been jumping realities to save themselves and/or specifically Franklin, evading Galactus while also dooming said realities for consumption. They may even be hiding Franklin from the public, especially if the young boy isn’t yet able to control his ability in the comics to reshape and manipulate reality itself. This would also mean that The Fantastic Four might even know about the coming of Galactus ahead of time and that the end of this current 1960s Earth is likely.
Whatever the specific case may be, I’m quite confident that Galactus won’t be a surprise to the MCU’s Fantastic Four when he arrives on Earth…
It’s also possible that Galactus himself might even be responsible for The Fantastic Four’s abilities with the Power Cosmic, the same power he grants to his heralds like The Silver Surfer. It would certainly create some strong ties between the major villain and the First Family’s origins in the MCU, rather than random cosmic rays (which were eventually retconned in the comics to be intentionally targeted at the explorers). Whatever the specific case may be, I’m quite confident that Galactus won’t be a surprise to the MCU’s Fantastic Four when he arrives on Earth.
First Steps Will Be The Fantastic Four’s Chance To Become True Heroes
Finally Fighting Galactus
If the FF da oes have history with Galactus, it would be truly epic if First Steps is finally the moment where the team chooses to stay and fight the World Devourer. Even if they fail and have to evacuate as many people from this Earth as they can to some other reality, there would be some great dynamics at play if The Fantastic Four rise to become heroes like they’ve never been before, perhaps being more deserving of the public’s praise as well. Though these theories about Galactus are purely conjecture, I’m certain hidden truths and secrets will play a key role in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps releases in theaters on July 25th.
