Marvel Phase 4 leak reveals how Loki could set up the Fantastic Four
What does Loki have to do with the Fantastic Four?
Back in February, the Super Bowl TV spot for Loki revealed the god of mischief might be caught by the Time Variance Authority, an organization tasked with monitoring any changes to the timeline. Most of what we know about the upcoming Disney+ show so far is that the God of Mischief will get into hot water for trifling with the natural flow of events. While Disney+ has temporarily halted production on Loki due to coronavirus fears, an intriguing new leak suggests a curious Fantastic Four connection that may mark the superhero squad's long-awaited MCU debut.
Warning! Speculative spoilers ahead for the Disney+ series Loki.
A leak from Murphy’s Multiverse claims the Minutemen will make an appearance in the Disney+ series. In the comics, they are an armored group of cyborgs, robots, and clones who assist the Time Variance Authority in bringing criminals to justice.
The Minutemen on duty.
As the henchman of the TVA, they have equipment that allows them to traverse the timeline to apprehend suspects. They’re also known to work alongside Justice Peace, an agent of the TVA. The leak comes on the heels of an IMDb credit — that Murphy claims to have corroborated — revealing Marvel Studios stuntman Chris Brewster will play one of the Minutemen. Per the leak, Brewster and stuntwoman Isabelle Fretheim are set to appear in episode 2 of Loki.
It’s possible the Minutemen are called upon to find and apprehend Loki as he travels through various points in history. The brief teaser implied Loki was being held prisoner by the TVA, but recent set photos suggest he works alongside them at some point. However, the Minutemen are only credited for one episode, so their time on the show seems short-lived so far.
Could we finally see the Fantastic Four in the MCU?
The Minutemen first appeared in Fantastic Four #352, showing up with Justice Peace to arrest the Fantastic Four following their time teleporting fight with Doctor Doom. While it might be a stretch to think the Fantastic Four will appear in Loki, the show’s introduction of the Minutemen creates another opportunity for the superhero family to show up in the MCU. Perhaps the Fantastic Four will appear in another timeline or multiverse.
Marvel has been known to draw from a variety of stories, and the Minutemen’s inclusion might not lead to anything Fantastic Four-related. That said, the connections are already in place. Now that Disney has acquired 20th Century Fox, there's nothing stopping Marvel from moving forward any longer.
Loki begins streaming on Disney+ in spring 2021.
