With the Fox-Disney merger going ahead, the conglomerate behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe will soon have access to a whole new set of copyrighted characters to play with, leading fans to speculate on how exactly Kevin Feige and his associates plan to integrate their new acquisitions into their own pre-established franchise.
Naturally, two points of focus are the Fantastic Four – a property that film studios can’t seem to get right – and the X-Men – a franchise that was drawing crowds in long before your average moviegoer knew who Iron Man was. While any theories at this point on what Marvel will do with these characters will inevitably be almost pure conjecture, one Redditor does have a few interesting ideas on how this could all work.
For starters, user NealKenneth tackles the inclusion of Marvel’s first family and two of their most famed adversaries.
The Fantastic Four
In a reverse-homage to the comics, The Fantastic Four will be introduced in a Black Panther film. They will not have a traditional origin film, similar to how Spider-Man was handled. Instead, their first ‘solo’ film will take place in the 1960s when they already have their powers.
Doctor Doom
From the ashes of Sokovia, one man builds a new nation. Using arcane magic and material from the fallen Ultron bots, he creates artificial limbs and enhancements for Sokovians that were injured during the battle. In return for his help, they must only pledge allegiance to him. Their lives renewed, but subject to his will – he is Doctor Doom!
Galactus
How was Titan destroyed? And where did Thanos find a herald so fearsome as Ebony Maw? Hmm…I sense a prequel, and a Silver Surfer origin film?”
But while the big screen experience of the Fantastic Four and their foes hasn’t extended beyond a few less-than-beloved flicks that most fans would take no issue with seeing scrubbed from the record, the X-Men films have had far more success in establishing a universe of their own. NealKenneth seems to take this into account, as he suggests that these characters will be relegated to their own separate timeline.
The X-Men
With such a stuffed film schedule and limited crossover appeal, the X-Men will become the premiere fixture of Disney’s upcoming streaming service instead. After a single mega-event crossover film (so we can see Hulk vs Wolverine and Magneto dismantle the Avengers), they will be sent back to their own reality, an alternate version of the 1970s.”
So, is there any credence to these theories? Though it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that there are a few grains of truth to these ideas, only time will truly tell. One thing we do know, however, is that Marvel’s Phase 4 won’t be quite like any other that’s come before, and we can hardly wait to see what’s in store.