Marvel Confirms What We All Suspected About MCU Fantastic Four's Role In Avengers: Doomsday

Marvel's First Family, the Fantastic Four, will continue from their debut film straight into Avengers: Doomsday.

While The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in a different world in the Multiverse than most other MCU projects, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm are all confirmed to show up in both of the next Avengers movies. But to what extent do the famed imaginauts factor in?

Marvel Studios Hints at the Size of the Fantastic Four’s Avengers Role

In the text of an official press release from The Walt Disney Company celebrating the viewership of Wednesday, March 26's Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement livestream, Marvel Studios dropped another intriguing nugget of info.

According to the Marvel release, the primary cast of this summer's The Fantastic Four: First Steps will "play key roles" in Avengers: Doomsday:

"Cast members from Marvel Studios' next two films — 'Thunderbolts*', which kicks off the summer May 2, and 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' on July 25 — will play key roles in 'Avengers: Doomsday.'"

It is worth noting that Yelena Belova and her new buddies, the Thunderbolts, are also advertised for "key roles."

Although it has been known since July 2024 that the Fantastic Four will appear in Doomsday (plus the following May's Avengers: Secret Wars), it is still encouraging to know that the team's role will amount to much more than a cameo.

What Could The Fantastic Four Be up to in Avengers: Doomsday?

Again, while its official Multiversal designation is unknown, the Fantastic Four will begin their journey in a universe outside the Sacred Timeline. 

This is an Earth where Reed Richards' unparalleled brilliance seemingly influenced technology for the better (as implied by the retro-futuristic aesthetic from First Steps' marketing). On top of that, the movie is also confirmed to take place in the 1960s, very likely in '63.

So, how and why do the Fantastic Four team up with the Avengers of Earth-616?

For starters, the teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps dropped a clue explaining how the titular foursome breaks through to the other side and finds themselves in the Sacred Timeline.

If Reed was researching the Multiverse, it's not too much of a stretch (Get it?) for the smartest man on the planet to crack the code of travel between parallel Earths. And with the threat of Galactus looming, perhaps the team must evacuate their home and flee to another world in another universe.

This could land them squarely on Earth-616, leading to them joining forces with Earth's Mightiest Heroes against Robert Downey Jr.'s nefarious Doctor Doom. Surely, Sam Wilson and his newly-formed team will need some help going toe-to-toe with Ol' Vic.

And with Reed and Sue's unfathomably powerful son Franklin potentially in the mix as well, the Sacred Timeline might need the Fantastic Four more than ever.

Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps lands in theaters on July 25. Avengers: Doomsday hits the following year on May 1.