MCU Fantastic Four Villain Theories May Have Already Been Debunked By Marvel Phase 5

The MCU’s Phase 5 may already have narrowed down the list of possible main villains for 2025’s Fantastic Four film. Updates on the MCU’s Fantastic Four movie have been few and far between since the film’s announcement at San Diego Comic Con 2019. But with the Fantastic Four cast already taking shape, it’s possible that Marvel Studios will start providing new information soon, including the movie’s basic plot details and the main villain.

Despite being one of Marvel’s most influential teams, the Fantastic Four have only appeared on the big screen four times throughout the years, and none of those four movies have explored more than one or two antagonists. The Fantastic Four have plenty of interesting enemies in Marvel Comics, ranging from low-level Earth-based criminals to nearly omnipotent cosmic threats. However, the MCU’s Phase 5 has already suggested that some Fantastic Four villains are much less likely to appear in the Fantastic Four’s MCU debut than others.

Secret Invasion Killed Super Skrull Being Fantastic Four’s Villain Theories

The Skrulls’ introduction in 2019’s Captain Marvel opened the door for a Fantastic Four face-off, as the shapeshifting aliens have had a long history with Marvel’s First Family since their comic book debut in 1962’s Fantastic Four #2. More specifically, the Super Skrull Kl’rt — who copies each of the Fantastic Four’s superpowers — has become one of the team’s most famous villains. With Secret Invasion introducing the MCU’s Super Skrulls, it first seemed as if Marvel Studios were setting the stage for someone like Kl’rt to be the main villain in 2025’s Fantastic Four. However, Secret Invasion drifted away from Marvel Comics’ usual depiction of the Super Skrulls.

In Secret Invasion, G’iah and Gravik received the powers and abilities of dozens of MCU heroes and villains, thus becoming the most powerful characters in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shortly after, G’iah killed Gravik rather unceremoniously and met with Sonya Falsworth, who recruited her to be the Skrulls’ new leader at the end of the Secret Invasion finale. Since G’iah and Gravik used up all of Nick Fury’s Harvest DNA, and since Gravik is now dead and G’iah doesn’t seem to be interested in using her new powers for nefarious purposes, a Super Skrull like Kl’rt will likely remain absent from the MCU, at least for a long time.

Doctor Doom May Not Be Fantastic Four’s Villain

Every Fantastic Four movie so far has had Doctor Doom as an antagonist, but none of them have done the villain justice. Doctor Doom has a complex backstory that involves science, magic, a dictatorial empire, and a personal vendetta against Reed Richards. Introducing the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom at the same time, let alone summarizing their conflict in the span of a single movie, is bound to limit Doctor Doom’s live-action portrayal. So, not only would Doctor Doom’s main villain role in the MCU’s Fantastic Four be repetitive, but it would suffer from the same lack of proper set-up that has kept previous adaptations from reaching their full potential.

Who Will The MCU Fantastic Four’s Reboot Villain Be?

While Doctor Doom is an A-list comic book supervillain, the Fantastic Four also have several other enemies that could offer fresh creative opportunities for the team’s MCU introduction. Namor has butted heads with Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four in the source material since the 1960s, and his MCU introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makes it easier for the Fantastic Four movie to explore their conflict without delving too much in his already established backstory. Another Earth-based antagonist the Fantastic Four could fight could be Mole Man, whose subterranean rule over the Moloid race makes him a unique threat unlike any live-action Marvel villain presented so far.

There are also multiple villain options if the MCU’s Fantastic Four raises the stakes beyond Earth. The Fantastic Four’s most famous antagonist besides Doctor Doom is Galactus, whose appearance in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer barely resembled the villain. Apart from being one of the biggest threats in the MCU, Galactus could also help introduce the Silver Surfer for future stories. But if Marvel Studios intends to reserve Galactus for later, other cosmic villains like Annihilus, Terrax, or Blastaar can slowly set up the Devourer of Worlds’ MCU debut. Otherwise, Galactus’ near-omnipotence could be matched by Molecule Man, who has shaped the multiverse itself in Marvel Comics.