The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be on hold right now thanks to COVID-19, but once things start up again, this shared world will go through some significant changes. A big part of that is thanks to the planned introduction of the X-Men and Fantastic Four, as the characters - acquired by Marvel Studios in the Disney/Fox merger - have the potential to be true game-changers.
After taking a look at the world of the X-Men yesterday, we're now delving into the Fantastic Four (and no, four of the entries aren't just the members of Marvel's First Family themselves).
The team have so far appeared in three movies (and one which was never released), but Fox was never able to get the team right. Now, it's down to Kevin Feige to make up for that, and while we have full confidence in his abilities, these are the heroes and villains he should make a priority.
So, to find out who made the cut, all you guys need to do is click the "Next" button down below!
10. Annihilus
The Quantum Realm remains something of a mystery to us, with Ant-Man and The Wasp failing to provide much in the way of answers. Peyton Reed's Ant-Man 3 is likely to change that, though, and it could very easily tie into the eventual Fantastic Four reboot in the MCU.
The question is, why can't the Quantum Realm and Negative Zone be one and the same? If the next Ant-Man movie introduces Annihilus, the stage could be set for Marvel's First Family to face him somewhere down the line, and Janet Van Dyne could have even clash with him while there (she must have been getting up to something that that badass spear she returned with).
Annihilus is a great villain, and someone who could even serve as a big bad of sorts once he heads into outer space with his Annihilation Wave at his side in an effort to rule, well, everything.
9. Super-Skrull
The Skrulls appeared in Captain Marvel, but they were portrayed in a heroic light and not what fans expected. Rumour has it that we'll get a Secret Invasion adaptation in the upcoming sequel, and while Marvel Studios could introduce the Super-Skrull there (they were previously unable to do so because Fox owned the rights), we'd rather they wait for this Fantastic Four reboot.
After all, the villain has the combined powers of Marvel's First Family, and it would be a tad underwhelming not to see him utilising those abilities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We're sure the team could cross paths with the Super-Skrull at some point, as it seems doubtful Carol Danvers will effortlessly foil their invasion the first time she takes them on. Heck, we could even be building to a second Kree/Skrull War with this team stuck right in the middle.
8. The Thing
Special effects have advanced a great deal since the first two Fantastic Four movies, and were good enough by 2015 to mean we finally got to see a CGI version of The Thing. He looked...fine.
There was nothing wrong with the visual effects (they were actually pretty impressive), but a grounded approach to Ben Grimm's appearance robbed him of much of his personality. Marvel Studios has perfected CGI characters - just look at The Hulk and Thanos - but that's not what we're concerned about; we just want a completely comic accurate take on The Thing in this reboot!
Given how the likes of The Hulk and Thanos have been portrayed on screen, there's no reason to suspect that won't happen. Plus, with The Thing once having served as a member of The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, his presence can be felt across multiple franchises (we definitely need to see him playing cards with heroes like Wolverine and Spider-Man as well).
7. Silver Surfer
Way back when Fox lost the rights to Daredevil, Kevin Feige offered them the chance to keep the Man Without Fear in exchange for being allowed to use Galactus and the Silver Surfer. They said no.
With that in mind, it's pretty obvious that these two will pop up before too long but it would be no bad thing for us to initially spend more time with Silver Surfer, only for Galactus to be teased over a number of movies. Norin Radd could even get his own solo movie before the Eater of Worlds appears to flesh out his origin story and to explain how he become Galactus' Herald.
It's shocking that Fox never made a Silver Surfer movie but that leaves the door open to Marvel Studios properly introducing the character because the version we met in 2007 has been mostly forgotten by now (despite possibly being the best part of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer).
6. Kang The Conqueror
Marvel Studios has introduced the majority of The Avengers' biggest villains, but we've yet to see Kang the Conqueror grace the big screen. The time-travelling villain is closely tied to the Fantastic Four so he's probably been owned by Fox up until this point, but that's about to change.
Kang could unite the Avengers and Fantastic Four, while also serving as a big bad every bit as terrifying and powerful as Thanos. There are already hints he'll be part of the Loki series coming to Disney+, so it's likely Kevin Feige is already laying the groundwork for his debut.
The way he plays with the timeline would be fun to explore, as would adapting any number of the story arcs which have seen him best Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Kang is an amazing villain who deserves to have his story play out on the largest stage possible, so he needs to be a priority.
5. Invisible Woman
The entire Fantastic Four should obviously be a priority for Marvel Studios, but at this point, it's about damn time Sue Storm gets the spotlight and showcase how great she is.
The most powerful member of the Fantastic Four, we've seen a "bimbo" version and an entirely forgettable "scientist" version, but a comic accurate Sue who is the matriarch of this family and also every bit the leader Reed is has to be a must for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, if that A-Force movie really does end up happening, she would need to play a key role there.
The Invisible Woman is an incredible character and someone who could be vitally important in what's still a mostly male-dominated shared universe. Captain Marvel is opening the door for characters like Sue so Kevin Feige and company now need to take advantage of that.
4. Mole Man
Mole Man was the first villain the Fantastic Four ever faced, and outside of the scientist Tim Blake Nelson portrayed in 2015's reboot, we've yet to see that character grace the big screen.
That's actually pretty unbelievable when you stop and think about it, and while you might not think Mole Man is "worthy" of being the lead villain in a Fantastic Four reboot, imagine how much fun it would be to see this team battling gigantic monsters which erupt from the ground in the middle of Manhattan!
Just like Marvel Studios put a fresh spin on the likes of The Vulture, Ego, and Killmonger, the same could be the case for Mole Man, and he might fit what we're assuming is a comedic tone for this reboot perfectly. He's also a character who could be taken down an extremely dark path with the direct direction.
3. Franklin Storm
One of the biggest questions fans have about the Fantastic Four's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how they could possibly be introduced. Will they be teenagers (we hope not) or could it be that they travelled to another dimension after being bombarded with cosmic rays?
If so, it's perfectly feasible that they'd return to Earth with a child in tow and there's an awful lot Marvel Studios could do with Franklin. An Omega-level mutant, the youngster is one of the most powerful characters in the entire Marvel Universe and if Kevin Feige is going to start playing with alternate worlds, then having someone who can create them might come in handy.
If you know anything about the Fantastic Four's adventures, you'll be all too familiar with what could be done with Franklin, and he could even be used to reboot franchises and launch that Secret Wars movie we've heard so much about if The Beyonder isn't on the table.
2. Wyatt Wingfoot
We've now seen a couple of iterations of the Fantastic Four on screen, and something needs to be done to freshen the team up. There are a lot of ways that could be achieved, but given them a cool new supporting character would be no bad thing. With that in mind, why not the heroic Wyatt Wingfoot?
An ally to the Fantastic Four, Wyatt has saved the team on several occasions and shared many adventures with them, and there are countless ways he could be rebooted for this shared world.
Perhaps he could be a government agent tasked with keeping an eye on the Fantastic Four, only to get caught up in their adventures? He could provide a fun, "human" insight into the team, while creating a bond with characters like Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm along the way.
1. Doctor Doom
Victor Von Doom has appeared in three Fantastic Four movies as the primary antagonist and for that reason alone, it seems unlikely Marvel Studios will be quick to use him in the reboot.
Kevin Feige is no fool, though, and he surely realises that Doctor Doom has the potential to be a foe for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and not just Marvel's First Family. It's vital that there's some sort of connection between Doom and Reed Richards, but there are ways around that if the heroes are going to be left on the bench for at least a little while.
Doom is an incredible villain who hasn't even come close to being done justice on the big screen, so in many ways, he should be an even bigger priority than Galactus and the Silver Surfer. After all, Doom could even show up for the first time as a villain in Ryan Coogler's Black Panther II.