The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a fantastic job of building up its events through various means, such as movies and shows. Before the start of Phase Four, the big film was Avengers: Endgame, which culminated in ten years of storytelling that closed off multiple story threads from various films. It was a Herculean feat that seemed nearly impossible to accomplish. However, with the success of Endgame, it was clear that the next big MCU movie had to be impactful rather than bombastic. As a result, it's clear that the biggest movie the company will produce will likely be Fantastic Four, with most of its setup getting shown through the majority of the MCU's most recent projects.
The Fantastic Four was the first superhero comic to kickstart the silver age of Marvel Comics. But while the franchise's value has always been significant, its film outings have failed to live up to expectations. But when it got announced that the MCU would finally tackle the property, it has since been met with massive anticipation. In fact, when the first announced director, Jon Watts, left the project, the speculation over who would replace him has reached a fever pitch. The inadvertent publicity that the news provided has helped lay a foundation that this film will be something massive for the MCU and potentially film as a whole.
The slow buildup to the Fantastic Four initially came with the appearance of Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. John Krasinski's version was from another reality, but there was still some excitement at the prospect of his character interacting with others in the MCU. However, that cameo came long after the building blocks of what has made the Fantastic Four so beloved got set.
While they're adventures and a family at heart, they're also the link between Earthbound heroes and more cosmic occurrences. So, rather than introduce the heroes first, Marvel Studios introduced the Multiverse and Kang with He Who Remains in Loki. They also debuted the larger cosmic threats brewing, such as Celestials and the Skrull invasion, which would be right up the Fantastic Four's alley to explore. There's also time travel in the MCU, another concept the Fantastic Four has dabbled in.
These events all occurred at different points in the MCU and have given audiences enough time to digest and understand them without fully explaining their importance or how they could change everything in the universe. With the Fantastic Four introduced, they could simultaneously explore these new "worlds" and explain them in a way that demystifies their presence. That would also give the team a myriad of tasks to accomplish once they arrive and help set up future events, like a potential Secret Wars event. In truth, their arrival would also prove that Phase Four got put together for the Fantastic Four.
Avengers: Endgame's importance got based on how it tied up loose ends and showed the impact the universe has made in ten short years. But what would make the Fantastic Four an even bigger standout isn't how it will bring things together. Instead, it will be a fixed point in the franchise where everything will change forever. The universe would now expand to more avenues, and at the core of it will be the Fantastic Four, guiding audiences to these strange new worlds. Furthermore, the threats they'll face could tease even larger events and enemies and feed more stories for the MCU for decades to come. Like the team, Fantastic Four represents more than new heroes -- it's a promise to push the envelope further and never look back.
