A promotional material surrounding Marvel Studios’ Phase 6 and the MCU's fifth Avengers film has crystallized into a definitive narrative directive, thanks to an interesting caption shared by Marvel Studios’ official Japanese X account. This further confirms that the events and characters introduced in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (released July 25, 2025) are not standalone, but rather the direct catalyst for the saga’s massive culmination, Avengers: Doomsday.
The translated excerpt from the caption, tied to promotional art featuring the First Family alongside their loyal robotic companion, H.E.R.B.I.E., read:
"Connecting to 'Avengers: Doomsday,' the dawn of a new era of heroes."
This declaration is significant because it explicitly mandates the thematic and plot importance of Marvel's First Family in the impending cosmic confrontation slated for December 18, 2026.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduced Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) in an alternate reality, Earth-828, a vibrant, retro-futuristic world heavily inspired by the 1960s. Their conflict there primarily involved the World Devourer, Galactus, and his herald, the Silver Surfer, with their story concluding in a dramatic fashion that directly teases their future crossover.
The mid-credits scene, reportedly filmed concurrently with Avengers: Doomsday production and directed by the Russo Brothers, jumps four years into the future on Earth-828. This scene establishes two important threads: The growing, nearly infinite power of Reed and Sue’s son, Franklin Richards, and secondly, the appearance of Doctor Doom, famously portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., explicitly sets up the villain’s agenda, which centers on acquiring Franklin’s reality-warping abilities.
The phrase "the dawn of a new era of heroes" elevates the Fantastic Four beyond being simply new additions to the roster. It frames them as the new vanguard needed to combat the Multiverse Saga’s ultimate villain, Doctor Doom.
Reed Richards carries the mantle of the world’s greatest scientific mind, a direct thematic counterpoint to the absent Iron Man, preparing the remaining heroes for a threat that will likely involve reality manipulation and advanced cosmic science.
The core strength of the Fantastic Four is their unwavering family bond, suggesting that this concept, loyalty, and unity under duress, will be central to rallying the fractured heroes of the MCU for Doomsday.
Since Doom is set up in the First Steps mid-credits scene as the primary antagonist driving the plot toward Doomsday, the Fantastic Four are established as the heroes with the intrinsic, personal stakes required to confront him effectively. Their entire story from this point forward is inextricably linked to the events of the final battle.
Avengers: Doomsday and How the Fantastic Four Could Be Key
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be the most ambitious cinematic undertaking in Marvel history, designed to pay off the sprawling narrative threads of the entire Multiverse Saga. Early reports and cast confirmations signal a project whose scale and character integration far surpass even Avengers: Endgame. The driving force behind this necessary escalation is the singular threat of Doctor Doom.
The film is being framed as the moment where the boundaries between the emerging cinematic factions completely dissolve, forcing a true unification to combat a villain poised to master reality itself.
To confront Doctor Doom, a foe combining scientific genius, mystical power, and monarchical authority, the film has amassed a roster that pulls from nearly every corner of Marvel’s developing universe.
Aside from the Fantastic Four, the film will feature returning heavyweights like Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who will lead the charge. They will be joined by the hardened operatives of the Thunderbolts, including Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and their most powerful member, Sentry (Lewis Pullman).
Excitingly, Doomsday will also officially usher in the X-Men by integrating legacy actors from previous iterations, except for one actress. Confirmed to appear are Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Beast (Kelsey Grammer), Cyclops (James Marsden), and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), providing immense new powers to counter Doom.
Heroes with unique cosmological or martial arts expertise will also play key roles, including Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), and the leaders of the newly aligned major powers like Shuri/Black Panther (Letitia Wright) and Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía).
The Fantastic Four will be central not just as allies, but as the only heroes with a genuine, decades-long history with the villain. In the comics, Doctor Doom is historically the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four. Their deep, personal understanding of Doom's genius, ego, and specific vulnerabilities, be they scientific, magical, or psychological, will be an invaluable resource for the rest of the ensemble as they struggle to formulate a strategy against the Latverian dictator.
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.
