The Marvel Cinematic Universe is inching closer and closer to its very own full-fledged version of the Fantastic Four. After the introduction of a parallel-earth version of Mister Fantastic in Multiverse of Madness played by John Krasinski, it won't be long before the rest of the team shows up.
Though the team is slated to receive its very own solo film in the MCU's Phase 4, there are still several projects before its release wherein the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing could make their first appearance.
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the very next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe slated for release. The Disney+ series will follow New Jersey high schooler Kamala Khan as she learns to use her new powers to become a brand new superhero, following in the footsteps of her idol, Captain Marvel.
Despite being only days from its release, there is still remarkably little known about the contents of Ms. Marvel, leading many fans to believe that there is more to the show than meets the eye. The newest MCU superhero resides just across the bay from New York City, the home of the Fantastic Four. Perhaps a trip to Manhattan could introduce Kamala to Marvel's First Family for the first time on Earth-616.
She-Hulk
The internet is abuzz with a brand-new trailer that leaves fans with several new burning questions about the She-Hulk series. Set for release this August, the show will take the form of a legal procedural as attorney Jennifer Walters balances her professional life with her burgeoning responsibilities as a hero.
Given the "case of the week" nature of She-Hulk, it appears that the various episodes of the series will be quite diverse in terms of cast. It would not be entirely outside the realm of possibility for an episode of the series to focus on a member of the Fantastic Four, perhaps caught up in legal trouble after an incident involving their superpowers.
The Marvels
The Marvels is the highly-anticipated sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, which will unite the titular superhero with Maria Rambeau and Kamala Khan in a team-up that will go down in MCU legend. The film is scheduled for release in July of 2023, having recently been delayed from its previous February release date.
Very little is yet known about this upcoming film, but many expect it to be a paradigm-shattering entry to the franchise, taking place mostly away from Earth. If this is the case, fans should remember that some renditions of the Fantastic Four attain their powers during a space walk, signifying that the team's first appearance could point to one of the nearest space-faring films in the franchise.
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania promises to be a far different film than either of its two predecessors, featuring the next confirmed appearance of Kang the Conqueror. The film is expected to kick off an explosive 2023 for Marvel, premiering in February.
If Ant-Man and the Wasp are expected to take on Kang the Conqueror in the Quantum Realm, they will need all the help they can get. A prominent fan theory has put forth that the Fantastic Four itself may be trapped within the Quantum Realm, perhaps as prisoners of Kang himself, requiring the help of Marvel's two smallest heroes to free them from their prison.
Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion is an upcoming Disney+ series starring Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury as he investigates a clandestine alien infestation of human civilization. The series is expected to rewrite the MCU as we know it, as it reveals several key MCU characters, perhaps even Nick Fury himself, to be Skrull imposters.
If Secret Invasion proves to be as wide-ranging and impactful as its comic book source material, it will undoubtedly affect every corner of the MCU. There would be no better time to include a cameo from Sue Storm or one of the other members of her family, depicting how the Fantastic Four plans to deal with the emerging Skrull invasion.
What If...? Season 2
Marvel's animated anthology spinoff What If...? surprised fans with its imaginative explorations of what the MCU might have looked like had certain events occurred differently. The series was a hit, garnering a second season, which is presumed to release sometime before the end of 2022.
There are many scenarios fans hope What If? will explore in future seasons, but perhaps the most compelling of these alternate universes would be those that explore what the MCU might have looked like had the Fantastic Four been present during some of its most formative moments. Fans should expect some nod to the super-team at some point in the show's next batch of episodes.
Armor Wars
At long last, Don Cheadle's Rhodey is receiving his own spinoff set within the MCU. Armor Wars will tell the story of Tony Stark's high-tech weaponry falling into the wrong hands, forcing his best friend to clean up the chaos left in Tony's wake. There is not yet any word on when this exciting Disney+ series will be released.
With highly dangerous weaponry in use by some of the MCU's worst villains, it seems unfathomable that Marvel's newest superteam would sit out an operation to eliminate this threat. This could be the perfect time to introduce a pre-Thing Ben Grimm, perhaps as an old army buddy of Rhodey's that offers to help him with his problem.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The highly-anticipated and supremely emotional sequel to 2018's hit film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, will release in November of this year, presumably answering the question of who will serve as Black Panther after Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing. After months of troubled production and release delays, the film has finally finished shooting and is expected to meet its current release date.
Already set to introduce Riri Williams, the future Ironheart, to the MCU, Wakanda Forever may rely on more cameos to fill the void of Boseman's passing. With numerous rumors regarding the film's inclusion of major comic characters like Namor the Sub-Mariner, Doctor Doom, and Kraven the Hunter, the Fantastic Four itself may also be included in what could become a who's who of Marvel's future leaders and villains.
Loki Season 2
Loki quickly became the most popular of Marvel's Disney+ series, following one of the greatest former villains of the MCU throughout time and space, all building up to the epic reveal of Kang the Conqueror as the next Big Bad of the franchise. The series' mind-blowing last episode finally confirmed the long-held fan rumor that this would be the first of Marvel's series to receive a second season.
The second season of Loki is certain to up the ante when it comes to interdimensional travel, meaning that the god of mischief could easily find himself on a world where the Fantastic Four is alive and active. It may even be the case that Loki visits Earth-838, where Reed Richards has left behind a mourning wife and fatherless children after Wanda murdered the genius superhero.
Multiverse Of Madness Deleted Scenes
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the latest MCU film to hit theaters, introducing fans to a variant of Mister Fantastic, played by John Krasinski. While this film is certainly jam-packed from start to finish, there still might be bits of the movie that audiences have not yet seen, nor will see until the film's release on Disney+, when its special features will finally be available.
It seems odd that in Reed Richards's first MCU appearance, he would not be accompanied by the other three members of the Fantastic Four. While the film makes an unnamed reference to Susan Storm, it is possible that the character was initially intended to appear as well. Sam Raimi has been candid about cutting large portions out of the original draft of the film, which perhaps even included cameos from Susan Storm and her children. Fans will have to wait until the deleted scenes of the film are finally released in order to find out the truth about Earth-838's remaining members of the Richards family.