Fox’s Fantastic 4 Avoided A Story That Can Make MCU’s Movie Into A Horror

After two divisive attempts to bring Marvel’s First Family to the screen over at Fox, Marvel Studios could now debut a darker version of the team in the MCU’s Fantastic Four. The much-anticipated arrival of The Fantastic Four in the MCU has been brewing since the finalization of Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2019, with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige quickly announcing that the team would soon be making their way to the MCU. Fantastic Four has been confirmed to be releasing in 2025 as part of the MCU’s Phase 6, and Marvel Studios can set the new adaptation apart from previous projects by exploring one important Fantastic Four storyline.

The Fantastic Four have been a staple of Marvel Comics since their debut in 1961’s The Fantastic Four #1. The team, including Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm, gained their incredible abilities after being exposed to cosmic radiation during a mission into space. While this storyline has been adapted in Fox’s previous films, 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2015’s Fantastic Four (Fant4stic), one key element of the team’s personality has rarely been touched on. This can be rectified when Marvel Studios debut the superhero team in the MCU, which could put a different spin on the iconic characters.

Previous Fantastic Four Movies Have Ignored The Team’s Body Horror

Perhaps the most important aspect of the Fantastic Four’s storyline is the balance between heroism and monstrosity, something which the Fox films failed to adapt in any significant way. When the team gain their abilities, their bodies are changed dramatically, and irreversibly, and they don’t always view these changes in a positive light. In fact, for the most part, the Fantastic Four view their new abilities as a burden, particularly Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, who transforms permanently into a looming creature made of stone, and Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, who often worries whether the next time he “flames up” will be the time he burns himself to death.

These characteristics were touched on briefly in Fox’s previous Fantastic Four projects, but the team seemed to quickly come to terms with their inflictions and take up the role of heroes easily. While this might have worked thematically, the team lost a lot of their personality in these stories, simply being seen as super-powered heroes, and rarely as just human beings who are trying to deal with their new lives. Body horror is an important part of The Fantastic Four’s storylines in the comics, so it’s a shame that this was lost on the big screen, but Marvel Studios can bring it to the forefront in the MCU’s Fantastic Four.

MCU’s Fantastic Four Should Be Darker Than Previous Versions

While Fox often showed The Fantastic Four to be a happy-go-lucky family who bands together no matter the situation, this is vastly different from the team that was shown in the comics, and should be far from the version of The Fantastic Four that Marvel Studios introduce to the MCU. In fact, Marvel Studios can benefit from delivering a darker, grittier version of The Fantastic Four, particularly focusing on the body horror of their new abilities, and delving deeper into the dysfunctional family dynamics between each member of the team. Their powers change them significantly, and this shouldn’t be ignored.

Debuting a darker iteration of The Fantastic Four in the MCU would fit perfectly in the current slate of the franchise, especially since Marvel Studios’ projects are now building up to the battle against Kang the Conqueror and the epic events of Avengers: Secret Wars. Creating a more grounded project featuring Marvel’s First Family would also allow Marvel Studios to set their film apart from Fox’s previous attempts at bringing the team to life, and could perhaps lead to a more realistic and relatable version of the team. Marvel Studios have been known to dabble in different genres, and Fantastic Four might be the perfect opportunity for a horror-esque exploration.

Why A Fantastic Four Horror Movie Could Work Now

It might seem strange to think about a Fantastic Four movie with horror tones, but this would be drawn directly from their storylines in the comics and would fit in perfectly with recent MCU projects. 2025’s Fantastic Four could almost be seen as a spiritual successor to projects in Phase 4, particularly Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Werewolf By Night, both of which used elements of horror to deliver their stories. Multiverse of Madness introduced an alternate version of Reed Richards, portrayed by John Krasinski, into the MCU for the first time, and showed his graphic and horrific demise at the hands of the Scarlet Witch.

While not featuring any characters associated with The Fantastic Four, Marvel Studios’ first Special Presentation, Werewolf By Night, showed how body horror and physical effects can be used to the benefit of the franchise. Jack Russell’s transformation into the Werewolf by Night acted as an homage to the narrative of The Fantastic Four in Marvel Comics, particularly since his abilities are forced upon him, just as they are to The Fantastic Four, it’s not something either of them chooses, but something they can’t opt out of. This adds to the horrific elements of both stories and is something that Marvel Studios shouldn’t shy away from in 2025’s Fantastic Four.