The Fantastic Four: First Steps is roaring into theaters as critics have released some glowing praise for the arrival of Marvel’s first family in the MCU. With the movie having plenty of surprises for the likes of Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben, the biggest surprises might just take place in the movie’s two post-credits scenes. Even with the fight against Galactus and Siler Surfer threatening their world, the comic book family once again hitting the silver screen have some other problems on their hands. Luckily, we had the chance to catch Marvel’s latest movie and can break down the post-credits scenes and what they mean.
Warning. If you want to avoid spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, be forewarned that we’ll be exploring massive spoiler territory. To begin, the first post-credits scene of two takes place four years following the team defeating Galactus by jettisoning both him, and the Silver Surfer, millions of miles from the Earth. Franklin is now a toddler, and Sue is playing mother by reading him books to pass the time. In wanting to find a new book for Frank to read, Herbie suggests one of his favorites, “Charles Darwin’s Origin of The Species.” Needless to say, this fact means that Franklin is closer to his father than we think, to say nothing of the new character who arrives in this post-credits scene.
Dr. Doom Arrives
When Sue Storm returns to her son, she is astonished to see that Franklin is not alone. A man with a green cloak, holding his mask in his left hand, is letting Franklin touch his face as the scene ends. Viewers aren’t able to see Doom’s face, leaving Marvel fans to wonder what Robert Downey Jr’s unmasked visage will look like, but rest assured, the mask itself and the cloak are dead ringers for Victor’s comic book origins. Throughout the movie, Latveria is references, specifically at the United Nations, but Doom is never addressed by name, leaving quite a few questions in the air.
For comic book readers, you might have a general idea of what Dr. Doom might be up to. In Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars, Victor Von Doom finds himself becoming a god, recreating reality to slam together all parts of the multiverse into one wild planet known as Battleworld. Since elements such as the Beyonders and the Builders have yet to be introduced to the MCU, the best workaround might be via Franklin Richards and his reality warping powers. Thanks to the time skip, Franklin is sure to have at least a somewhat better understanding of his abilities than when he was a baby, meaning Doom could take advantage of Reed and Sue’s offspring.
A Jokey Second Post-Credits Scene
The second post-credits scene that wraps the film doesn’t lead into Avengers: Doomsday or give viewers a better look at Victor Von Doom, but it does further examine a hilarious part of the Fantastic Four’s world. The final moments highlight the in-world animated series that sees Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing fighting some classic villains from the comics. While they have a battle with the “Super Apes” viewers get to see what John Malkovich’s Red Ghost would have looked like had he made the cut. This scene also includes the Fantastic Four fighting against foes who were neither mentioned nor shown during the movie’s runtime, including the monstrous Dragon Man.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters on July 25, 2025.
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