All it takes is the Council of Reeds.
While it is still a year away, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of the most eagerly anticipated upcoming films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe largely because the film will deliver unto fans something that they’ve wanted for a long time: Marvel’s First Family arriving as part of the MCU. Anticipation for the film keeps rising, too, with production underway and fans starting to get more glimpses of the film — this week, set photos got fans excited for the possibility of the most comic-accurate take on The Thing to date. But fans are also excited for how the Fantastic Four will fit into the larger MCU, especially with some major movies coming after it, specifically Avengers: Secret Wars. While we don’t know much about The Fantastic Four: First Steps — or even really about how the MCU will approach Secret Wars — we do know that the Fantastic Four will be a part of both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars and the Fantastic Four film could very easily set up for Secret Wars with just two actors: Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller.
One of the things we do already know about The Fantastic Four: First Steps is that it takes place in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s in a different world than what most of the rest of the MCU inhabits. Since the MCU has already established its Multiverse, the opportunity is there to have previous incarnations of Reed Richards appear as part of the Council of Reeds — Gruffudd played Reed in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer while Teller played Reed in 2015’s Fantastic Four — and it wouldn’t necessarily have to be something that would have a major direct impact on the actual plot of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
All The Fantastic Four: First Steps would really need to do is do what the MCU often does and that’s utilize its post-credits scenes to lay the groundwork for future installments of the overall franchise. All the film would need to do is use one of those post-credits scenes to introduce the idea of the Council of Reeds with Pedro Pascal’s Reed meeting Gruffudd and Tellers’ versions in the scene. In comics, the Interdimensional Council of Reeds is a group that is composed of various versions of Reed Richards from across the multiverse who, have come together to “solve everything” — including dealing with major threats such as Galactus and Doctor Doom.
Could Robert Downey Jr. Appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
Of course, Avengers: Secret War isn’t the only future Marvel film that The Fantastic Four: First Steps could set up for in a post-credits scene. The film could also introduce Downey’s Doctor Doom. Victor Von Doom just so happens to be a major enemy of Marvel’s First Family so an appearance in their film would make a lot of sense, but it would also help set the stage for the film before Avengers: Secret Wars. With the Fantastic Four set to appear in both upcoming Avengers films, using those post-credits scenes to lead into the future films seems almost like a no-brainer in terms of using the Fantastic Four to bring the whole Multiverse Saga together.
About The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025. The film is directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman and stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The cast also includes Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer. Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich also appear.
