Chances are you've seen the online speculation about a mysterious actor being spotted on the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
It started with a social media post of an actor being hidden from view and was followed by a photo posted by Pedro Pascal hiding the face of who he was with while celebrating the movie wrapping production. Are they the same person and, if so, who is being hidden from us?
In this feature, we're attempting to figure out who this actor could be and what character they might be playing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. There's a good chance the whole thing has been blown out of proportion, of course, but we also can't discount the possibility that the MCU is about to introduce a major new character in this reboot.
You can check out who we think are the most likely possibilities by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. (Another) Mister Fantastic
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will have a Multiversal element to it, and we'd be shocked if Marvel Studios doesn't plan to introduce the Council of Reeds either in this movie or Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
With that in mind, this mysterious actor could be Ioan Gruffudd, Miles Teller, or even a returning John Krasinski.
One very cool twist Marvel Studios possibly being kept under wraps is that The Maker is working alongside Doctor Doom. If so, that villainous Mister Fantastic Variant (the Ultimate Reed Richards on the page) making a surprise appearance here would be a great way to set up what comes next for this team and the Multiverse Saga.
4. The Silver Surfer
This movie already has a Silver Surfer; the Shalla-Bal version played by Wolf Man star Julia Garner. As of now, we expect her to be a one-and-done as the Surfer of this likely doomed reality, with Earth-616 making use of Norin Radd.
Assuming Marvel's First Family finds an ally in the Surfer here, having them blast into a new reality where they're greeted by a male version of the character has the makings of an epic twist. Not only does it open the Fantastic Four's eyes to the possibilities of the Multiverse but fans would appreciate knowing there are plans for the main Surfer.
Who might play Norin in the MCU? Your guess is as good as ours, though we'd imagine Marvel Studios targeting an A-Lister.
3. Doctor Doom
Arguably the most likely possibility on this list, Robert Downey Jr. at some point reporting to the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Doctor Doom is surely inevitable.
It's previously been reported that the reboot's post-credits scene will feature Doom and set the stage for Avengers: Doomsday. Assuming for a moment that he's the Victor Von Doom of this reality, then the villain may also appear in the widely rumoured montage showing this team's past battles against their most iconic foes.
It would be a good idea for Marvel Studios to do something that establishes Doom in this movie and an appearance from Downey to lead directly into the next Avengers movie makes perfect sense.
2. Franklin Richards
The immensely powerful son of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Franklin Richards reportedly plays a key role in both this movie (as Galactus' target, supposedly) and Avengers: Doomsday.
While we expect him to be portrayed as a young child, the comic book fans among you will know that Franklin is no stranger to time travel; that means an adult version of the character could show up to take his parents to safety as their reality begins falling apart.
Marvel Studios enlisting an actor to play an older Franklin is something we'd imagine them desperately wanting to keep a secret. With that in mind, we may now know why that mysterious actor's face has been kept hidden.
1. A Familiar Face From The MCU
We're making a lot of assumptions here because, let's face it, there's every chance the actor being hidden was just Pascal arriving on set and the guy he was partying with was just a friend who didn't want to be shown off to millions on social media.
However, going back to the theory that the team's world will be destroyed at the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, perhaps the heroes will be greeted on Earth-616 by one of The Avengers? Tom Holland's Spider-Man would be our pick but we also don't want to set expectations too high.
It's still an idea that adds up, though, and Marvel Studios could even bring a familiar face into the fold to play a Variant of their Earth-616 character. That would make things even more interesting in Avengers: Doomsday.