The Fantastic Four: First Steps hasn't been a huge box office success, but the movie has performed well enough and seemingly earned the approval of Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Earlier this week, we learned that Marvel Studios is supposedly planning to bring filmmaker Matt Shakman back for a sequel. It seems the hope is that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will further increase interest in the team, helping to make any follow-up a much bigger hit.
Marvel's First Family has successfully taken down Galactus and the Silver Surfer on Earth 828, and regardless of whether this sequel takes place there or on Earth 616, there are still plenty of iconic foes for this team to go up against.
Find out who we think they should do battle with in The Fantastic Four 2 by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
8. Namor the Sub-Mariner
In the comics, Namor has flip-flopped between his hero and villain status many times over the years. His frequent attacks on the surface world led to him clashing with the Fantastic Four, while his affections for Sue Storm also led to him kidnapping her at one point.
Even if Marvel Studios decides not to go down the love triangle route, seeing the Fantastic Four enter the MCU's Talokan—first glimpsed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever—would be a blast. We'd bet on the team first encountering Namor in the upcoming Avengers movies, meaning the groundwork will have been laid to further explore their dynamic in their next movie.
The
Black Panther sequel established that Namor has what it takes to be a big bad, and while we'd give him some backup for a clash with Marvel's First Family, his and Sue's "romance" alone makes this worth exploring.
7. 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 have clashed numerous times over the years (Annihilus was even responsible for the Human Torch's apparent death during one of their battles).
The previous Fantastic Four movies failed to take advantage of the Negative Zone, but now that we've visited the Quantum Realm, it wouldn't be difficult to tie the two locations together. Throw in the fact that Annihilus later takes control of the universe-threatening Annihilation Wave, and this movie could set the stage for future stories, too.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was at its best when it went cosmic, and provided the Negative Zone isn't as soulless as the Quantum Realm, we could be in for a treat with a follow-up that heads in this direction.
6. The Frightful Four
Another compelling idea could be to pit the Fantastic Four against a team of villains. Many bad guys have been part of the Frightful Four over the years, and filmmaker Matt Shakman could take his pick when it comes to who he includes.
The Wizard should be the leader, though, as he's been a constant throughout the team's history and his intelligence very nearly matches Reed Richards (he was also mentioned in First Steps).
Trapster could also be fun, while the likes of Thundra and Titania are ready for their respective big-screen debuts. Marvel could even reinvent some of the Fantastic Four's more obscure bad guys (Dragon Man, for example) for this group, hopefully with more nods to the iconic work of Jack Kirby.
5. 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 is someone who has nearly ended this team on more than one occasion. His power levels are off the charts thanks to an ability to control all matter and energy.
We're expecting Franklin Richards or Loki to take his place in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars, meaning the door is open to establishing Molecule Man as a Fantastic Four villain in the team's sequel.
Marvel Studios has reinvented a whole host of B and C-list villains over the years, and there's no reason why they couldn't take this unhinged powerhouse and make him an A-Lister with a story that establishes Owen Reece as a truly terrifying threat.
4. Super-Skrull
The Skrulls first made their MCU debut in Captain Marvel, but there was no sign of the Super-Skrull. That's because Fox previously held the rights to that character, and he she was eventually introduced in Secret Invasion; understandably, the response to that debut was incredibly mixed.
While G'iah utilised pretty much every superpower in the MCU, the comic book version of the Super-Skrull was Kl'rt, and he primarily used the powers of the Fantastic Four. In a post-Avengers: Secret Wars version of this franchise, the character could be reimagined, even if it's just for an action-packed opening scene.
Of all the bad guys listed here, the Super-Skrull probably isn't a priority for Marvel Studios, and the moment for an adaptation of the Kree/Skrull War has likely passed after how poorly Marvel Studios has handled the shape-shifters.
3. Blastaar
Annihilus is unquestionably a villain Marvel Studios should consider using in The Fantastic Four sequel, but if Matt Shakman wants 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, leading to many clashes with Marvel's First Family. Some changes might be needed to make sure he doesn't just feel like Thanos 2.0, but if the idea is to build to an Annihilation adaptation, then this could be the smartest way to do it.
Talking of the Mad Titan, if the team battles and defeats Blastaar, then Annihilus could be introduced as the one pulling the strings in a post-credits scene that sets him up as the MCU's next big threat.
2. Hyperstorm
Here's where things get a little weird. Hyperstorm is the son of Franklin Richards and Rachel Summers from one of many possible futures. While the latter mutant is unlikely to make their presence felt in the MCU for a while, this insanely powerful character arriving in the present day from his post-apocalyptic timeline has a great deal of potential.
It would allow Marvel Studios to tie The Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises together (perhaps for a crossover that establishes Franklin as a mutant), while also teasing what's to become of Earth if the Sentinels' mission to wipe out mutants is allowed to play out.
There's no denying that Hyperstorm's introduction would be tough to pull off, but providing it's handled carefully, this choice of villain could allow Matt Shakman to further explore what may or may not eventually become of the Power Cosmic-infused Franklin in the MCU.
1. Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom will take centre stage in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While we have good reason to believe he hails from Earth 828, we still don't know whether this version of the team has a history with Victor Von Doom.
Either way, Doom deserves to be more than just a one-off villain in the next Avengers movies. We'd like to think Downey will continue playing the character, but if needs be, another actor taking over the role really wouldn't be the end of the world.
There are so many great stories left to explore with the team and this character, whether it's One World Under Doom, their clash during Mark Waid's incredible run (which saw Reed Richards forced to master magic), or any of the countless classic tales from past decades. Plus, Doom needs to be responsible for naming Valeria...