Fantastic Four MCU movie villain all but confirmed as Marvel teases key story details

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By Tom Power
published

The Planet Devourer will come forth, apparently

A screenshot of The Fantastic 4 poster showing the iconic Marvel superhero quartet and the actors playing them
Marvel's Fantastic Four movie has seemingly found its villain. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Marvel has all but confirmed that Galactus will be the primary villain of its forthcoming Fantastic Four movie.

Today (April 4), the comic book giant ostensibly revealed that the planet-devouring deity would be the big bad of The Fantastic 4, which is set to launch in theaters in July 2025. The apparent announcement was surprisingly shadow-dropped on Marvel's social media channels, where the Disney subsidiary revealed a brand-new poster depicting Johnny Storm/The Human Torch to celebrate 4-4 Day, aka April 4.

Okay, so how does this promotional art confirm that Galactus will feature in Marvel's Fantastic Four reboot? It doesn't, but the accompanying link to a page titled 'Future Foundation' does. Clicking on said link is supposed to take you to a Fantastic Four movie-based page but, at the time of writing at least, viewers have been greeted with a 404 page. However, if you click on the image of the supergroup's helpful android Herbie, you'll be redirected to the 'Future Foundation' page.

There, fans are welcomed as 'delegates' to the aforementioned webpage, which shows five key Fantastic Four-starring comic book issues that appear to be the biggest influences on the team's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut. Clicking on each comic book cover opens a new page where you can read said issues for free via Marvel Unlimited.

But I digress. The five issues in question – Fantastic Four #1 and #48 through #50 (all released in 1961) and Fantastic Four: Life Story #1 (published in May 2021) – suggest they'll not only serve as the introductory inspiration to the group's MCU arrival, but also that Galactus will by the film's primary antagonist. Indeed, Fantastic Four issues #48 to #50 make up a three-part arc where Galactus arrives with the aim of consuming Earth to sustain his life force. Standing in his way are the Fantastic Four, who – spoilers – locate a supremely powerful weapon that scares off Galactus and keeps Earth safe from harm.

A Herald of darkness – and a 1960s setting

A screenshot of the Fantastic Four looking shocked in a panel from a Marvel comic

It's increasingly likely that The Fantastic 4 will be set in the 1960s. (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Galactus' positioning as The Fantastic 4's villain-in-chief isn't a complete surprise. Yesterday (April 3), Deadline reported that a gender-swapped version of The Silver Surfer – one of Galactus' so-called Heralds (his servants, essentially) – will play a prominent role in the Marvel Phase 5 flick. 

Julia Garner, who some readers might know as Ruth Langmore from Netflix's Ozark TV show, will portray the character. They'll reportedly go by the name Shalla-Bal, an existing Marvel character with ties to the Silver Surfer in the comics. It seems, though, that Marvel will retool Shalla Bal as a multiversal iteration of Silver Surfer for the forthcoming movie. If this proves to be the case, it'll be further proof that The Fantastic 4 is an MCU film that's largely set in an alternate dimension – a storytelling device that fits into Marvel's wider multiverse-centric plan for Phases 4 through 6.

More evidence for this fan theory can be found in Marvel's tease concerning the influence that Fantastic Four: Life Story will have on the movie's plot. Indeed, #1 of this multi-comic story is set in the 1960s, which was already teased in The Fantastic 4's first MCU poster in mid-February. Considering the iconic quartet have been conspicuous by their absence in the MCU so far – there's been no mention of them up to this point in any Marvel project – it would make sense that they exist in another universe. My guess? The group's reality might be destroyed by Galactus and they'll seek refuge in the MCU, aka on Earth-616, save this world from Galactus (who might follow them through whatever dimensional portal they use to escape), and decide to stay in this realm.

With production finally ramping up on The Fantastic 4 after years of intense rumors, it's high time we learned more details – concrete or otherwise – about one of the most anticipated Marvel movies in years. Indeed, with Marvel finally confirming its Fantastic Four cast, release date, and new title (also in mid-February), as well as teasing what'll inspire the superhero film, fans of the beloved superteam are certainly eating well.

It'll be over a year before The Fantastic 4 is with us. In the meantime, you can watch the group's other big-screen adventures on Disney Plus.

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Tom Power
Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.