Franklin Richards, known as Reed Richards and Sue Storm's ultra-powerful son, was shown for the first time in baby form via new merchandise for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Regarded as one of the most powerful characters in Marvel history, Franklin has been teased on numerous occasions in The Fantastic Four's marketing, but a full look at the infant is still being kept a secret.
New Funko Pops! for The Fantastic Four: First Steps revealed the first look at the MCU's depiction of Franklin Richards. While Sue Storm was confirmed to be pregnant with her and Reed's first child in trailers and other promotional material for the MCU's summer blockbuster, Marvel remained tight-lipped on Franklin's inclusion in the story until now.
As shared by Instagram user @dis.trackers, a new batch of Funko Pops! inspired by The Fantastic Four's main cast will be available for pre-orders starting on Friday, May 16. This includes figurines of the main four team members from Marvel's First Family (including two versions of Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Thing) and another depicting Julia Garner's Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal).
As shown in more detail by @wandasattorney on X, Sue Storm's Funko also includes a smaller figure depicting her and Reed's son, Franklin Richards. The Pop! has him in a white outfit with blue trimming on his sleeves, taking inspiration from the outfits his parents' team wears.
The confirmation of Sue Storm's pregnancy in The Fantastic Four came weeks before this news, teasing Franklin Richards' imminent arrival in the MCU. While it is still unclear how fast he will grow, the character is an extremely powerful mutant known for his psionic abilities, which allow him to reshape reality on a whim.
The Richards family will be a core part of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will introduce the titular quartet into the MCU in their first Marvel Studios solo film. Being released on July 25, Reed and Sue (along with Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm) will be tasked with fighting Galactus and the Silver Surfer as the two antagonists threaten the safety of this new dimension.
How Will Franklin Richards Be Used in the MCU?
While Marvel Studios often edited out Sue's pregnancy in the early stages of marketing for The Fantastic Four, this plot point will be vital to follow when the movie debuts. Looking ahead, the biggest mystery will be how fast the young Franklin Richards moves past his infant stage and becomes an universe-altering force.
At the very least, Sue Storm is expected to be pregnant in the early stages of The Fantastic Four before giving birth to Franklin, whose room and crib are seen in the movie's second trailer. More than likely, his birth will be a key turning point in the story, all while the Fantastic Four have to deal with the threat of their world being "marked for death," as noted by the Silver Surfer.
In the comics, Franklin is often a target of Galactus (The Fantastic Four's main villain) due to his extraordinary powers, which make him a threat to everything the world-destroyer hopes to achieve. Considering he will likely be born before this film comes to an end, Galactus could conceivably be looking for Franklin as he comes to this universe's Earth with the intent of destroying it.
Most expect the Fantastic Four's world to be a casualty of Galactus' rampage by this movie's conclusion. The question is how Franklin Richards will be able to avenge this loss and grow into the hero he proves to be in the comics.
