Official tie-in merchandise for The Fantastic Four: First Steps spoils the first look at one of the most popular Marvel characters: Franklin Richards. Included in the first batch of First Steps Funko Pop! collectibles is a Sue Storm figure, and it comes packaged with little baby Franklin. Sue’s infant son is dressed in an outfit that’s the inverse of the Fantastic Four team, as his clothes are predominantly white with blue accents. The rest of the initial wave of Funkos consists of Reed Richards, the Human Torch, Silver Surfer, and two variations of the Thing. In one, Ben Grimm spots his classic Fantastic Four costume; in the other, he’s in his civilian trench coat and top hat.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps marketing has teased Franklin’s arrival to the MCU on multiple occasions. The film’s trailer confirms Sue is pregnant, while a still image features the family’s robot assistant HERBIE building a crib for Franklin. To this point, it was unknown if Franklin would be seen on screen, but the Funkos indicate he will be born during the movie.
Audiences are going to meet a lot of powerful characters in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, including the villain Galactus, but Franklin’s impending introduction to the MCU is perhaps one of the movie’s most exciting developments. In Marvel Comics, Franklin is one of the mightiest beings in the multiverse. He possesses telepathic and telekinetic abilities, and he can shoot energy blasts and create pocket dimensions. Franklin plays a significant role in the 2015 Secret Wars comic event.
[RELATED – Marvel Fan Finds Surprising Trend About MCU Movie Ratings (But Fantastic Four Might Break It)]
After making their debut in this summer’s First Steps, the Fantastic Four will appear in both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. While it’s been confirmed Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben are all returning, nothing has been said about whether or not Franklin will be featured in the Avengers films.
The Franklin Storm Funko Pop! could be a sign that there will be some sort of time jump in First Steps. When Johnny and Ben deduct Sue is pregnant in the trailer, she does not have a baby bump. It’s likely the family learns the news early on in the film before it skips ahead several months. Since this is the first time the Fantastic Four have been properly featured in the MCU, the movie’s first act could be fairly low-stakes, establishing the characters and how they fit in the 1960s retro-futuristic dimension, and then the Galactus crisis happens once the foundation has been laid. Easing viewers in and getting acclimated to a fresh set of characters and setting would be best.
If Franklin is born during First Steps, it’s reasonable to assume he’s on the spaceship with his parents and uncles in the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene. Whatever causes the Fantastic Four to arrive in Earth-616, they aren’t going to leave the baby behind. It’ll be interesting to see how Franklin fits into future MCU installments. Marvel Studios probably wouldn’t bring someone with his power set into the fold unless there was a plan in place to utilize the character in some way. Avengers: Doomsday already had a lot on its plate with 27 confirmed actors, and now there could be a super-powered baby in the mix. Perhaps the Avengers films will have a time jump of their own so they could portray Franklin at an older age.
The post Fantastic Four: First Steps Spoils First Look at One of Marvel’s Most Powerful Characters (& It’s Not Galactus) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
