The Fantastic Four are finally making their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with them comes a rogues’ gallery that includes one of Marvel’s biggest threats — literally. Galactus, the devourer of worlds, is a cosmic force of nature, and stopping him requires more than just punching harder. Thankfully, Marvel’s First Family isn’t your average superhero team; they’re thinkers, explorers, and survivors.
Given the MCU’s knack for reinventing comic book lore while staying rooted in emotional storytelling, the arrival of Galactus could serve as the ultimate challenge, not just for Reed Richards and his team but for the very fabric of the MCU’s cosmic order. After all, Galactus isn’t evil in the traditional sense. He feeds to survive, giving Marvel the opportunity to explore a conflict that’s as philosophical as it is apocalyptic.
So, how could the Fantastic Four possibly stop a being with godlike power and a hunger for planets? Comics offer a few solutions over the decades, and some might just work on the big screen. There are at least five compelling, MCU-ready strategies the team could use to save Earth from doom.
How Marvel’s First Family Could Outsmart Galactus
Galactus wouldn't know what hit him if Reed Richards and the family deploy these cunning methods.
Wielding the Ultimate Nullifier
The Ultimate Nullifier is the ultimate trump card. It is a deceptively small device capable of erasing anything, or everything from existence. In Fantastic Four #50, Reed Richards, guided by Uatu the Watcher, used it to scare Galactus into retreating from Earth. The Nullifier, often stored on Galactus’ ship, Taa II, is so powerful that even Galactus fears it; it could wipe him out along with entire universes if mishandled.
In the MCU, Johnny Storm could zip to Taa II to retrieve the Nullifier, perhaps with the Silver Surfer’s reluctant help. Reed, with his genius intellect, would need to wield it with precision, as its power depends on the user’s mental focus.
The cinematic tension of Reed bluffing a cosmic entity with a weapon that could accidentally destroy reality would be a nail-biting spectacle. The Nullifier is comic-accurate and fits Shakman’s vision of a high-stakes cosmic battle.
Cutting a Deal With Galactus
Galactus isn’t out to destroy for fun; he’s hungry, like a cosmic bear rummaging through a campsite. He’s made deals before, like sparing Earth for the Nullifier’s return in Fantastic Four #50. The Fantastic Four could lean into diplomacy, offering something to keep Galactus’ stomach from growling without sacrificing Earth.
Reed could cook up a synthetic energy source in his retro-futuristic lab, with Sue’s calm diplomacy convincing Galactus to listen. The Silver Surfer could bridge the gap, torn between her master and her newfound empathy for Earth. It’s a high-risk plan that hinges on the team’s ability to sell a 14-billion-year-old being on a new menu.
This approach plays to the Fantastic Four’s knack for creative solutions over fisticuffs (read more about how First Steps will plant seeds for future MCU stories).
Luring Galactus to a Barren Planet
Galactus needs planets to survive, but he’s not fussy about whether they’re home to coffee shops or just rocks. In Fantastic Four #48–50, Uatu the Watcher hoped he’d pick a lifeless world over Earth. In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the team could trick Galactus into chowing down on an uninhabited planet, saving Earth without a fight.
In the MCU, Reed and Sue could whip up a device that mimics a planet’s life energy, luring Galactus to a barren rock in the cosmos. Johnny could deploy it, while Ben muscles any obstacles out of the way. The Silver Surfer’s knowledge of her master’s habits could also make a significant contribution.
Overloading Galactus
What happens when you give a planet-eater cosmic indigestion? In the past, Galactus has been floored by energy overloads, like when the Silver Surfer turned his own tech against him near Chandilar, forcing him to collapse into a star. The Fantastic Four could weaponize this, flooding Galactus with too much cosmic juice.
In First Steps, Reed could use the Elemental Converter, seen in the trailer as a massive energy-sucker, to pump unstable cosmic energy into Galactus.
The Human Torch’s flames could fuel the overload, Invisible Woman could stabilize the energy flow, and The Thing could maintain a crucial physical connection to the device. With guidance from the Silver Surfer, who knows Galactus’s tech inside and out, the converter becomes a makeshift energy damper.
Banishing Galactus to a Pocket Dimension
If you can’t beat a cosmic giant, send him somewhere else. In the comics, Galactus has been trapped in places like the Negative Zone or mystical realms, like when the Eternals used the God’s Whisper.
The Fantastic Four are no strangers to dimensional travel and could open a rift to stash Galactus in a pocket universe. Reed could engineer a specialized portal generator in the Baxter Lab calibrated to send Galactus into a lifeless pocket universe.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
