Fantastic Four Theory Reveals Marvel Is Sneakily Setting Up An X-Men Movie
Those first steps may not be what you thought.
Plans for the Fantastic Four to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been in the works for a long time, and with The Fantastic Four: First Steps slated for release in July, that journey is almost at an end. However, this version of Marvel’s First Family is a bit different; they inhabit a retro-futuristic Space Age world, not the glitzy near-future of the main MCU timeline.
Meanwhile, a smart fan theory claims this may not be the only way The Fantastic Four will show a different version of the supersquad. In fact, there may be a huge plot point — and mutant — hiding in plain sight. If true, it not only changes what we know about the movie, but everything we know about the MCU’s future... and its plans to introduce the X-Men.
This theory begins with a leak from all the way back in April 2024, which claimed that Vanessa Kirby’s version of Sue Storm will be pregnant in First Steps and give birth in space. Sue and Reed Richards having a child isn’t a shock — their first, Franklin, made his comic book debut in the 1960s — but introducing him alongside his parents is, as that doesn’t give much time for the audience to get to know the characters before adding a baby.
This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot from the The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer does make it seem like Sue is in labor.
Like most wild Marvel leaks, that claim was taken with a grain of salt. But then the trailer came out, and when Marvel fans immediately began picking it apart frame by frame, they noticed a scene of what looks like Sue in labor in space, as well as a shot of her in a tunic-like shirt that would hide a baby bump.
There’s also a huge clue about Franklin’s introduction in the title itself. When the movie was titled Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans assumed it referenced space travel. But it could also allude to the first steps of a young Franklin, whose involvement promises big things for the MCU’s future.
In the comics, Franklin Richards is born a mutant thanks to both his parents being exposed to radiation. Instead of inheriting their flexibility or invisibility, he developed incredibly powerful reality-warping powers. As a child, he was cared for by Agatha Harkness (in her comic book debut, no less), but he soon learned how to manipulate reality to age himself up and down.
Franklin Richards’ powerful reality-warping powers on display in Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #574.
Over the decades, Franklin joined multiple superhero teams, including the pre-teen squad Power Pack and the X-Men spinoff Generation X, while also juggling family business with The Fantastic Four. His powers made him very useful, especially during the Secret Wars event. Franklin pushed his powers to their limit to help his family reform the universe after Doctor Doom destroyed it, and while they were successful, his abilities were depleted in the process.
Franklin’s powers eventually came back, but by that point, he’d realized the importance of having a normal childhood. He installed psychic blocks to make himself — and everyone else — forget about his powers except on one day a year.
If Franklin Richards is born in First Steps, he’ll give the MCU a lot of flexibility. Because his powers allow him to manipulate his age, he could be a baby, a member of the Young Avengers, a full-fledged adult superhero, or all three in different stories. He’s a blank slate with incredible abilities, and First Steps may be the perfect way to introduce him before those powers make or break the Avengers’ showdown with Doctor Doom... or set the stage for the X-Men to finally, truly enter the MCU with their own film.
