Way back in 2019 at the San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced that a new Fantastic Four movie was finally in the works.
It's since been through a couple of directors, with Matt Shakman now at the helm of a reboot which is still trying to assemble its cast. It's hard not to wonder how this iteration of the team will differ from what we saw in 2005, 2007, and 2015, and the reboot's success may hinge on the villain they face.
In this feature, we're taking a look at 8 bad guys who could and should be a vital part of this franchise both in the 2025 movie and beyond. Some of them you'll probably expect, while others might surprise you; however, many of these characters could change the very MCu as we know it!
To find out who we've singled out, all you need to do is click on the "Next" button below.
8. Hyperstorm
We're kicking this feature off by getting weird. Now time travel and alternate timelines are a big part of the MCU, why not bring the future son of Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers to the big screen?
While we don't anticipate either of those mutants making their presence felt for a while yet, this insanely powerful character arriving in the present day from his post-apocalyptic future has a great deal of potential, particularly when it comes to establishing how important this team is to the wider MCU.
It would allow Marvel Studios to tie the Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises together, while also teasing what's to become of Earth if the Sentinels' mission to wipe out mutants is allowed to play out.
7. Molecule Man
He may have served as an ally to Marvel's First Family in recent years, but Molecule Man started off as a villain and he's someone who has nearly ended the team - and reality as we know it - on more than one occasion.
His power levels are off the charts and he has the ability to control all matter and energy, something which would tie in nicely to Marvel's potential plans to adapt the newer version of Secret Wars.
Initially, it's easy to imagine many fans being disappointed about Molecule Man taking centre stage in Fantastic Four, but similar to how Marvel Studios has reinvented a whole host of B and C list villains over the years, there's no reason why they couldn't take this unhinged powerhouse and make him an A-Lister.
6. Kang The Conqueror
There's a certain level of Multiverse fatigue among MCU fans, but like it or not, Kang the Conqueror makes sense as a Fantastic Four villain. He's clashed with Marvel's First Family almost as often as The Avengers and is widely suspected to be Reed Richards' descendant.
It was actually during one of the team's earliest adventures that they encountered Rama-Tut, a Kang Variant who ended up freeing himself from Ancient Egypt by tricking the team into travelling back in time.
There's a lot you could do with a clash like this, with Fantastic Four setting the stage for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, we'd argue this would have been a better premise for a sequel rather than the team's introduction, though there's no longer time for that!
5. Annihilus
Annihilus is one of the Marvel Universe's most deadly villains and controls the inhabitants of the Negative Zone with his powerful Cosmic Control Rod. After the Fantastic Four travelled to his home, they became instant enemies and clashed numerous times over the years.
The previous Fantastic Four movies really didn't take advantage of the Negative Zone, and Marvel Studios can now do so by building on what's been established with the Quantum Realm. Throw in the fact Annihilus later takes control of the universe threatening Annihilation Wave, and the stage could be set for some huge stories.
Even beyond this franchise, he'd serve as an effective big bad for the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
4. Blastaar
If Marvel Studios wants to they want to take a slow-burn approach to exploring the Negative Zone, then kicking things off with Blastaar might be a smart move.
One of Annihilus' many enemies, Blastaar has spent a long time competing for control of this dimension and that's led to a lot of clashes with the heroic team. Marvel Studios would have to do a lot to ensure that Blastaar doesn't come across as another generic CGI villain, but he has the potential to be a strong secondary villain.
Fans often forget how powerful each member of the Fantastic Four is, so it's essential they're pitted against a foe who we can believe stands a chance of defeating them. Plus, it would be pretty freaking cool to see The Thing battling this guy!
3. Galactus
Remember when Galactus was a cloud? Marvel Studios now has the chance to make that right, and this is a character who can first make his presence felt in Fantastic Four before returning down the line to pose a greater threat to the entire MCU.
An adaptation of Galactus' first appearance in the Fantastic Four comic books would be pretty much perfect, and we know that Kevin Feige is a big fan of both the villain and the Silver Surfer. Once upon a time, he offered Fox the chance to keep Daredevil in exchange for those two!
Rumours currently point to the World-Eater taking centre stage, so we can now only hope there's some truth to them.
2. Mole Man
You may be wondering why we've included one of the Fantastic Four's "lamest" villains here, but there's actually more to Harvey Rupert Elder than meets the eye. After being rejected by "surface-dwellers" for his hideous appearance, he went underground and discovered a hidden subterranean world.
Now the leader of the monstrous Moloids, Mole Man established himself as a serious threat in the pages of Fantastic Four #1. Needless to say, the sight of Marvel's First Family battling the villain's army of monsters would be a true delight to bear witness to on screen.
Honestly, going back to basics by pitting the team against one of their classic foes, even if it's just in an opening sequence, feels right for this reboot.
1. Doctor Doom
This has to happen. Eventually. If Victor Von Doom does return in the first Fantastic Four movie, however, he absolutely should not gain his "powers" at the same time as Marvel's First Family because that's a lazy storytelling device we've seen far too many times now.
Instead, the villain needs to have a shared history with Reed Richards from when they were in college, later becoming the ruler of Latveria.
His abilities need to be rooted in magic (there's precedent for that now we've spent time with characters like Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch), and while Doom has to eventually be part of this franchise, he also has the potential to be a foe to the entire MCU.