WARNING: This article contains spoilers to Marvel’s The Fantastic Four First Steps and Avengers Doomsday.
Everyone at Marvel Studios, including the top executives, writers, actors, and the person who brings Robert Downey Jr his coffee, currently has their backup. Even though they have had a lot of troubles since Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has been on a path towards Avengers: Doomsday for a long time, and with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, they will soon be standing just one movie away from Dr Doom. But it seems that someone is definitely getting fired because the post-credits scene of First Steps has just been leaked online, and it is huge, to say the least.
Now from the trailer, leaks in the past, and several fan theories, we know that the Fantastic Four family will have something to do with Doomsday. Now the post-credits scene of the film confirms their involvement in Doomsday, and more than that, it brings the family face to face with their biggest foe, Dr Doom. In the first post-credit scene, we see Sue Storm reading a book to her infant son, Franklin Richards. She asks H.E.R.B.I.E. to pass her the book Franklin likes. After choosing the right book, she turns to Franklin, and there she sees a figure sitting on the sofa beside her son. The figure is wearing a green cape and is holding Franklin in his arms. Sue tries to use her powers but fails to do so, and Franklin can be seen holding Doom’s mask. The scene ends as the words “The Fantastic Four will return in Avengers Doomsday” flash on the screen.
There is some prior information available about this scene, which now makes even more sense, as director Matt Shakman revealed to ComicBook that the post-credits scene has been directed by the Russo brothers and not him. It is understandable why the Russo brothers would take on this role, as they are the ones directing Doomsday, and their vision regarding Doom’s entrance would be more in tune with the actual film. Shakman said, “I often think of working at Marvel as like running a relay race. You pass the baton, you run as hard and fast as you can with it for that section of the race that belongs to you, and then you pass that baton. I passed it on to Joe and Anthony, and they’re off and running, and that’s great.”
Now we know that The Fantastic Four will be involved in Doomsday, but it also raises some questions about Sue and Reed Richard’s son, Franklin. In the comics, Franklin is an omega-level mutant (strongest category), and at one point he made the world eater Galactus his own herald. Narratives between the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and Dr Doom have gone down a million different ways in the past, and all we need to do is wait and see what path Marvel chooses. Featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn, the film releases July 25.
