Thanks to Ms. Marvel’s ending, the best idea for the Fantastic Four’s origin story is already MCU canon. In 2024, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing will all exist in the MCU. But exactly how they’ll develop their iconic powers from the comic books remains a well-guarded secret.
In Marvel Comics, the four superheroes got their powers from exposure to cosmic rays while traveling in space. For the MCU’s take on these iconic characters, Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie could ultimately move in the same direction. Or, it could opt toward something that’s completely different from what’s already been done. After all, Marvel’s First Family has had two versions of their origin story told on the big screen within the last 20 years. So in the interest of offering something unique, Phase 5’s Fantastic Four may come up with a new explanation for their abilities.
Arguably the best way to give the team their comic powers is the Negative Zone, which was set up by Ms. Marvel’s post-credits scene. In the comics, the Negative Zone is a mysterious dimension made up of anti-matter. Since it was one of the biggest discoveries in Reed Richards’ career as a scientist and the setting of so many Fantastic Four stories, it would make perfect sense for the movie to link their origin to the Negative Zone. And interestingly, it looks like the concept will be fully integrated into the MCU ahead of their Phase 5 movie. The moment when Ms. Marvel’s bracelet caused her to swap places with Captain Marvel is reminiscent of the comic story where the Nega-Bands bound Captain Mar-Vell to the Negative Zone and forced him to share the same physical space with Rick Jones, the teenage sidekick of the Hulk.
How The Negative Zone Can Be Used For Fantastic Four's MCU Origin Story
Ms. Marvel’s Nega-Bands tease and the setup for The Marvels heavily imply that Kamala is now in the Negative Zone, which would mean that the dimension will likely be on hand when Marvel tells its first Fantastic Four story in the MCU. Through the Negative Zone, Marvel has an easy way of giving the four characters their powers. That’s because it’s a place where everything is composed of anti-matter. Too much exposure to the anti-matter of the Negative Zone could be what causes them to develop their superhuman abilities. Originally, this place would have been where the team would have gotten their powers in the 2015 reboot, but the Negative Zone didn’t make it into it the final draft. It could, however, be the catalyst for their MCU origin.
Given that it’s always been a huge cornerstone of their comics, using the Negative Zone in the place of their expedition into outer space just makes so much sense for Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four adaptation. In addition to making this version of their origin stand out from the others, this would provide a meaningful connection between the team’s story and existing MCU canon. Plus, the movie can easily link their origin to their first big threat, especially since the Negative Zone is the home of some powerful Fantastic Four villains, specifically Blastaar and Annihilus.
