The Fantastic Four needs to explain where the team has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a theory presents how that might happen by linking the upcoming MCU film to Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame. After several rumors, Marvel has finally announced the cast for The Fantastic Four. Pedro Pascal stars as Reed Richards, with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The announcement of the movie’s cast was made through the reveal of official art for the film, which teased a 1960s setting for The Fantastic Four.
While the movie’s cast and director — WandaVision’s Matt Shakman — have been revealed, there are few updates about The Fantastic Four’s plot. The inclusion of the robot companion known as H.E.R.B.I.E. and the possible 1960s setting teases from the official art for the movie are the only aspects that are out there about the film’s story. However, The Fantastic Four will have the job of presenting a reasonable explanation for why the team has not been part of the MCU so far, similar to what Eternals did for its characters. And the answer to that could be found in Avengers: Endgame.
A new theory about The Fantastic Four’s story shared by @4FantasticoBRA/Twitter ties the team’s MCU absence to the events that led to Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame’s ending. To defeat Thanos, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark had to take the Infinity Stones and snap his fingers, successfully turning the Mad Titan and his army to dust, though Iron Man died as a result. According to the MCU theory, Iron Man’s snap would have opened a rift to the Negative Zone — a Marvel Comics location that serves as an anti-matter parallel dimension that is essentially its own universe.
The theory proposes that the rift to the Negative Zone would have been closed since the 1960s when the Fantastic Four got trapped there. That event could have happened to stop Annihilus, a Marvel Comics villain and conqueror from the Negative Zone, from coming to the Earth after Reed Richards and the rest of the Fantastic Four found the villain there during a research expedition. Galactus would then come to the Earth after being warned by his herald — presumably, the Silver Surfer — who notices the energy spike from the rift, and the movie would take on from there.
The Fantastic Four theory not only links the upcoming MCU movie to Avengers: Endgame, but also touches on the villain that is rumored to be the main antagonist of the team’s MCU debut: Galactus. So far, Doctor Doom has appeared in all of the Fantastic Four movies, and while that could still remain true under Marvel Studios, the character is rumored to only be playing a supporting role or appearing as a cameo in the film. Galactus would take the antagonist role instead, with there even being a frontrunner for the role according to the rumor mill.
Before the stars of The Fantastic Four were announced, rumors ran wild about who would be playing Reed Richards and the rest of the team. Before Marvel’s official cast announcement, all actors confirmed for The Fantastic Four were rumored for the movie. Around that time, a rumor related to who would play the movie’s villain began gaining strength, with Javier Bardem said to be eyed for The Fantastic Four’s Galactus. Heralds like Terrax and the Silver Surfer have also had their names linked to the film, though no official word on casting for the roles has come out so far.
The Negative Zone is far from the only option the MCU could have to explain the Fantastic Four’s absence. The Quantum Realm could serve in a similar role, allowing Marvel Studios to tie the MCU’s Fantastic Four to Kang the Conqueror that way. Like what happened to Janet van Dyne, Marvel’s First Family could have been trapped for years in the Quantum Realm, with the team coming into contact with Kang the Conqueror during the time he stayed there before escaping to the present-day MCU.
The Fantastic Four could also repeat an Avengers: Endgame plot point, bringing back time travel. Reed Richards is one of the most intelligent Marvel characters, which means Pedro Pascal’s MCU hero could have easily discovered time travel in the past and, due to an accident, sent himself and the rest of the Fantastic Four to the future. As part of the Multiverse Saga, The Fantastic Four could also just explain the team’s absence without any connections to Avengers: Endgame or other movies, revealing that the team comes from another universe.
