Kevin Feige talks about the importance of the Fantastic Four in Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the most iconic teams in the Marvel Universe is finally getting their MCU due. After Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the Fantastic Four movie rights finally reverted back to Marvel Studios. With the rights back under their roof, the MCU are committing to finally bringing Marvel's First Family into the ever-growing Avengers universe. A Fantastic Four solo movie is currently in the works and slated to be part of Phase 6, with WandaVision's Matt Shakman tapped to direct.

Filming is expected to start in early 2024 to hit their targeted 2025 release date. As Fantastic Four rumors have continued to surface, Feige confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that there will be news coming out soon. According to the Marvel Studios president, the Fantastic Four will be integral to the MCU going forward. As they move on from other characters, the beloved Marvel team will be "a big pillar of the MCU," with Feige stating the following:

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. 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.

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How The MCU Is Setting Up The Fantastic Four

Split Image: Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in Quantumania; John Krasinski as Reed Richards in Multiverse of Madness

While this will be the third big-screen incarnation of the Fantastic Four, the MCU is setting up the team differently from past iterations. Even though the MCU has yet to feature them properly, Feige has confirmed the Fantastic Four movie won't be an origin story. This means that when the heroes make their MCU introduction, they will already have their powers. How long they have been operating remains to be seen.

Even though they are not making an appearance in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, a major Fantastic Four villain will be part of that film. After a variant made his debut in Loki season 1, the Ant-Man sequel will put a bigger focus on Kang the Conqueror. Not only is he a Fantastic Four foe, but in the comics Nathaniel Richards is actually a descendant of Reed Richards. This will obviously set up a later conflict in the MCU as the Fantastic Four are likely meant to factor into Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Despite how long the wait has been for their MCU debut, it will ultimately be worth it. Given the major significance of the Fantastic Four in the Marvel lore, it's understandable that Feige and his team have been taking the proper time to finalize their plans for the team. As 2023 progresses forward, Marvel Studios will hopefully reveal the full cast sooner rather than later for the Fantastic Four reboot.

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Source: Entertainment Weekly

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