The most burning question in the MCU is the small matter of when Marvel intends to add the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to its shared cinematic universe. Rumors about how these characters might join the blockbuster franchise have been in circulation since Disney’s big-money acquisition of Fox was confirmed, and now we may have the answer.
According to notable Marvel leaker Roger Wardell, the comic book giant is planning to introduce its First Family and Professor X’s mutant team in next year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The trusted tipster went on to claim that the MCU’s X-Men and Fantastic Four will be based on their Earth-1610 incarnations and even revealed that there are big name actors in talks for these parts.
MCU's Fantastic Four and X-Men will be primarily based on their Earth-1610 counterparts. John Krasinski and Giancarlo Esposito in talks to portray the leading roles. Ultimatum WILL NOT be adapted to the MCU.
— Roger Wardell (@WardellRoger) May 6, 2020
Apparently, John Krasinski is up for a leading role, most likely that of Mister Fantastic, if previous rumors are anything to go by. Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito, meanwhile, is also said to have entered negotiations with Marvel but Wardell didn’t reveal which part he’s circling. Perhaps he’s in line to play Doctor Doom though, given his track record for portraying cold, calculating villains.
The Krasinski rumor is obviously an old one doing the rounds again, but it’s one the fans have gotten behind in the past. If it turns out to be true, then it’s certainly possible Marvel will look to cast the actor’s real-life wife, Emily Blunt, as Reed Richards’ significant other, the Invisible Woman, as has also been reported on more than one occasion.
As for Wardell’s claims that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be the movie to bring the Fox characters under the MCU umbrella, this makes a lot of sense. No doubt the upcoming sequel will see the Sorcerer Supreme visiting multiple realities and the result of this could well be characters from other worlds being thrown into the mix together. One of the problems Marvel has to solve is explaining the whereabouts of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four during the events of the Infinity Saga, and being confined to another reality is as good an explanation as any.
Finally, Wardell seems convinced that Marvel won’t be adapting the Ultimatum limited series – the fan-favorite arc where Magneto attempts to destroy the world in response to the apparent deaths of his children – in the MCU. There’s no word on which storyline these characters will become entangled in on screen, but we’ll keep you posted as soon as that changes.
