In anticipation of the Fantastic Four's arrival to the MCU, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige made one massive promise about the team's involvement in the franchise.
Fantastic Four, while still two years away, has quickly become one of the most anticipated Marvel projects in history.
Whether it is casting rumors or the movie's director, Matt Shakman, speaking about the film's focus on "optimism and looking to the stars," fans have an insatiable hunger for the info on the movie.
Marvel's First Family has been longtime coming to the MCU, and their first big-screen adventure will hopefully only be the beginning for the super-powered team in the franchise.
Kevin Feige's Big Fantastic Four Promise
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, made a big promise to fans for the Fantastic Four in the MCU.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Feige talked about what projects he is excited about going forward, comparing the superhero team's introduction into the franchise to the world of Marvel Comics:
Well, we talked a little bit about Secret Wars. We talked about Kang Dynasty as related to Quantumania. The only other one in terms of me personally and my 23-year history is the Fantastic Four. We sort of talked about mutants and that whole aspect to the Marvel world, but Fantastic Four is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics.
Feige then promised that Marvel's First Family will be "a big pillar of the MCU going forward:"
"There’s certainly been versions of it [on screen], but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU. And that’s something that is really exciting for us. People will start to hear more about that soon. We plan on that being a big pillar of the MCU going forward, just the way they’ve been in the comics for 50 or 60 years."
This is not the first time Feige has commented on the upcoming film, revealing back in July that the movie would not be an origin story. He remarked that "a lot of people know this origin story," so making the well-worn territory interesting would be difficult:
“A lot of people know this origin story. A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before? We’ve set a very high bar for ourselves with bringing that to the screen.”
How Important is the MCU's Fantastic Four?
In the same way that the first Avengers film set the foundation for the entire Infinity Saga, Fantastic Four seemingly hold the same level of importance for the future of Marvel Studios beyond the Multiverse Saga.
This is the introduction of an iconic team of heroes that has a level of mass appeal that is maybe only rivaled by Spider-Man. The Fantastic Four are so important to Marvel, and as Feige said, they are "the foundation for everything that came after."
Marvel Studios knows the importance of these characters and getting them right. This will be a collection of people that will - hopefully - be around for the next decade of MCU storytelling, in the same way Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man was for its first decade.
Plus, it is not just the heroes that serve a narrative importance to the franchise. The eventual introduction of Doctor Doom, Silver Surfer, and (potentially) Galactus are surely going to be key players in whatever comes after Phase 6.
For a long time, fans have known just how important getting the Fantastic Four right will be for Marvel Studios, but it is nice to hear that Kevin Feige feels the same way about the super-powered team.
Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on February 14, 2025.
