Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger revealed the MCU's next "important franchise," as part of a recent interview. Iger has overseen many quote/unquote important franchises while working within the House of Mouse. Still, few have been as critical to the studio's success year-to-year as Marvel Studios' MCU. This super-powered brand has been driven by various anchors over the years, including the Iron Man movie, Avengers, and Black Panther.
In fact, there are few tentpole names under the Marvel umbrella that the MCU has yet to adapt, making those key franchises few and far between. But there are still some, and Iger has shared his thoughts on what on Marvel Studios' recent slate should be considered a cut above the rest.
As part of a new interview with Variety, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger revealed the next MCU franchise he sees as important to the brand. When talking about 2025's past, present, and future financial outlook for the Hollywood giant, Iger slipped in a mention of the recently released Fantastic Four: First Steps.
"[We've] successfully launched this important franchise," Iger posited, insinuating that the MCU's Fantastic Four are the next pillar for the comic book brand:
"[Marvel’s 'Fantastic Four' reboot] successfully launched this important franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
Considering the Fantastic Four's importance to Marvel Comics' history, it would make sense that Disney sees the superhero team as one of its tentpoles moving forward; however, hearing it come directly from someone like Iger is revealing.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps hit theaters on July 25 this year, finally introducing Marvel's First Family into the MCU and checking another major comic book box for Marvel Studios' interconnected on-screen universe. The film, directed by WandaVision's Matt Shakman, follows its titular team as they confront the potentially cataclysmic planet-eating threat, Galactus (played by Ralph Ineson).
The team is already confirmed to appear in the next two Avengers movies under the Marvel Studios banner, Doomsday and Secret Wars, and has been rumored to be a cornerstone for the MCU going forward, beyond its ongoing Multiverse Saga.
Fantastic Four & the Future of the MCU
The Fantastic Four joining the MCU marks a significant milestone for the franchise, and Bob Iger seems to know that. This superhero team was one of the few glaring pieces missing from the Marvel Studios equation.
They and the X-Men are the two most prominent names in Marvel lore that the MCU has not gotten to play with until now. But with Fantastic Four on the board, Marvel Studios can add another vital franchise to its ever-growing portfolio of powered-up players.
Iger will be happy to know that this is just the start for the Fantastic Four in the MCU. Sure, Fantastic Four: First Steps was only recently released in theaters, but its characters have already been confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
This could set the Fantastic Four as the foundation by which the next era of this ongoing cinematic brand will operate (similar to how Tony Stark/Iron Man was that for the early years of the MCU). Pair that with the emergence of the X-Men in the Marvel Studios universe, and a path quickly becomes clear for how the comic book movie brand will evolve in this next era beyond the Multiverse Saga.
In the same way that Phases 1-3 were built on the shoulders of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, it looks like Phase 7 and beyond will be carried by Marvel's First Family and whatever form the X-Men take when they arrive in the MCU.
