Marvel's newly revealed breakdown of which Incredibles hero best aligns with each member of the Fantastic Four offers a fresh spin on one of pop culture's longest-running comparisons. Ever since Pixar released The Incredibles in 2004, fans have noted the striking resemblance between the Parr family and Marvel's First Family, a connection rooted in classic 1960s comic book influences and openly acknowledged in fan discussions for years. From the team's power sets to the film's Mole Man-inspired villain, the parallels have long been unmistakable.
Marvel Studios and Disney+ Canada addressed a long-running fan topic this week by posting side-by-side comparisons of Pixar's Parr family and Marvel's First Family, as part of an Instagram promo highlighting that The Incredibles and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are streaming on Disney+.
While the posts framed the matchups as fun power parallels, the pairings also underscored how both franchises use family dynamics to tell super stories, even if the characters aren't meant to be perfect one-to-one analogues.
The first comparison between The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) makes immediate sense: both are the heavy hitters on their teams, defined by raw strength and an imposing physical presence.
The difference is that Ben Grimm is a transformed, rocky "uncle" figure rather than a suburban dad, making their place within the families radically different.
Meanwhile, Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) offer the cleanest power match, with both heroes using stretching abilities as parental leaders.
Reed's genius-level intellect sets him apart, but the promo rightly highlights their overlapping roles as the stretchy, steady anchors of their families.
The Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) and Violet (Sarah Vowell) comparison is one of the closest mechanically, since both wield invisibility and force fields.
Still, Sue functions as a maternal protector in First Steps, while Violet is a teenage daughter navigating self-confidence with the same powers but deployed through different emotional lenses.
The Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Dash (Spencer Fox) pairing is clearly the loosest connection; while both occupy the energetic younger-brother role, Johnny's combustible flight powers have little in common with Dash's pure speed.
It's a personality comparison more than a power-based one, playing on their youthful bravado and playing a similar role within their respective families.
The most compelling matchup is Franklin Richards and Jack-Jack. Both are super-powered babies whose abilities appear unpredictable and volatile, transforming them into wildcards within their families.
Franklin's comic-book power level is far beyond Jack-Jack's, but narratively, they fill the same role: the mysterious new-generation hero whose presence forces their families to adapt.
Altogether, the promo works because it taps into what fans have observed for two decades: that The Incredibles and the Fantastic Four are spiritual cousins, with many calling the Pixar film the best iteration of what could be a Fantastic Four film.
As for the next time audiences will see these beloved characters, Pixar is planning an Incredibles 3, but this time without director Brad Bird. On the Marvel side, the new Fantastic Four are a significant part of its plans, including substantial roles for all five family members in Avengers: Doomsday, releasing on December 18, 2026.
The Fantastic Four's MCU Future
Marvel Studios' comparisons between the Parrs and the Richards family arrived just as the studio seems to have finally delivered a Fantastic Four that audiences can genuinely connect with. The Fantastic Four: First Steps embraced many of the same strengths that helped The Incredibles succeed.
Those lessons appear to be paying off, and the team is now positioned to become a major part of Marvel's future storytelling.
That future begins with Avengers: Doomsday, where Pascal's Reed is rumored to have a significant role opposite Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Their long-standing rivalry from the comics is expected to take center stage, especially now that both characters are confirmed to originate from the same universe.
With Doom seeking to exploit Franklin's immense power, the Fantastic Four are poised to play vital roles in both Doomsday and its follow-up, Secret Wars.
