The Fantastic Four can break a sinister MCU trend involving Marvel’s First Family when they make their formal MCU debut in 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. For a long time, fans have been anticipating The Fantastic Four’s MCU debut. Although the group has already starred in three Fox Marvel films, the reviews for these productions have ranged from negative to positive, leaving fans expecting that Marvel will produce a fantastic film starring The Fantastic Four. The group’s arrival has been hinted to in phases 4 and 5, but not much more.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness included an appearance by John Krasinski as Reed Richards. While the actor isn’t playing the main Reed in the MCU timeline – instead embodying a variant of the hero – this still made a dream fan-casting a reality. Deadpool & Wolverine featured Chris Evans hilariously reprising his role as Johnny Storm, which he played in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Both cameos are nice nods to The Fantastic Four, but their appearances also established a surprisingly grim trend that the upcoming Marvel movie can break.