This article contains spoilers for “Episode 4" of WandaVision .
WandaVision is slowly introducing a brand new chapter of the MCU in an unusual way. The inaugural project of Marvel Studios under the Disney+ banner is leaving fans with a stockpile of questions every week, forcing everyone to do a deep dive into what's really happening with Wanda and Vision's newfound life in Westview.
While the first three episodes of WandaVision established the premise that not everything is what it seems in their quaint little town, “Episode 4” kicked things into high gear by actually showing the real-world ramifications of Wanda's fabricated reality.
It was revealed during the latest chapter that a new organization called S.W.O.R.D. was tasked to investigate this anomaly, bringing MCU veterans Jimmy Woo and Darcy Lewis back into the fray while also cementing the debut of Monica Rambeau in the monumental franchise.
Now, fans have begun to theorize that the agency's introduction might've already given fans a preview of numerous story arcs (and characters) that the MCU will tackle down the line, starting with Marvel's First Family.
A FANTASTIC FOUR CONNECTION
Marvel fans have taken note of an interesting tidbit from “Episode 4" of WandaVision that could have major MCU implications. During Monica Rambeau's conversation with Director Tyler Hayward in the hallways of S.W.O.R.D. headquarters, Hayward references an astronaut program and reveals that they “lost half of their [training] personnel in The Blip.”
This line could imply that those who returned from The Blip might still be out there in space, with their ship being sent off course. Fans are theorizing that some crew members that are missing could end up being Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm, or better known as The Fantastic Four, due to the superhero team's extraterrestrial origins in the comics.
REED RICHARDS, AGENT OF S.W.O.R.D.?
It's important to note that this is pure theory, but it's hard to ignore the solid clues that could serve as the major set-up for the MCU's Fantastic Four.
Cracking The Fantastic Four formula has been a challenge in a live-action setting, and fans have been hoping that Marvel Studios will finally deliver a compelling adventure for Marvel's First Family this time around. As expected, they got their wish during Disney Investor Day when it was officially announced that a Fantastic Four film will be set in the MCU and will be directed by Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts.
At this stage, not much is known about how the famous superhero group will be integrated into the MCU, but this latest evidence from WandaVision could be the first big hint of their arrival. Given the under-the-radar status of S.W.O.R.D., it makes sense that the same could be true for Reed Richards and the rest of his team, and they could even be off-planet most of the time to explain their absence in significant MCU events.
In Marvel Comics, The Fantastic Four was originally a group of astronauts who gained superpowers after exposure to cosmic rays in a scientific space mission gone wrong. By connecting the dots, it makes narrative sense for the MCU's version of the team to either originate from S.W.O.R.D. or having been recruited by the organization to monitor a potential anomaly in the cosmos.
It's possible that Richards' crew was in this deep-cover mission in space while The Blip happened. Upon returning, the team's ship could've been trapped in an unknown system or even on another planet, and this could potentially serve as the main reason behind their powers.
Of course, there are a lot of story possibilities that Marvel Studios can choose for the origins of The Fantastic Four. Still, this potential Easter egg could be a game-changer, and it should serve as a prime example of how the interconnected storytelling of the MCU will ultimately pay off down the line.
