The Fantastic Four’s MCU Timeline Setup Can Tie Marvel’s First Family To 1 Original Avenger

Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four may explore the history of the MCU, and perhaps connect Marvel’s First Family to one of the most popular original Avengers. Marvel Studios confirmed the main cast of The Fantastic Four on Valentine’s Day, 2024, revealing Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will star as the members of the titular team. The Fantastic Four’s Phase 6 debut is exciting, not only because Marvel’s First Family will finally be joining the MCU, but also because the project is expected to expand on the history of the MCU by taking place in the 1960s.

The Fantastic Four’s impressive cast was revealed in a poster that teased a 1960s setting. In the image, Ben Grimm’s Thing reads a copy of LIFE Magazine from December 1963, and the costume design and new logo for The Fantastic Four also hint at a period setting. This means the Phase 6 project will explore a period of the MCU’s history that has seldom been seen on-screen, and could connect the Fantastic Four to several MCU characters operating during this time. If the team’s backstory is kept comic-accurate, The Fantastic Four could also create ties to the MCU’s first Avenger.

Marvel’s Fantastic Four

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Superhero

Marvel’s Fantastic Four is the first MCU movie to feature Marvel’s First Family in the same live-action universe as the Avengers. It introduces the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, and precedes Phase 6’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Release Date

July 25, 2025

Director

Matt Shakman

Cast

Pedro Pascal , Vanessa Kirby , Ebon Moss-Bachrach , Joseph Quinn

Ben Grimm Fought In WWII In Marvel Comics

After earning multiple advanced degrees in engineering in Marvel Comics, Ben Grimm joined the United States Marine Corps as a test pilot during World War II. During this time, Grimm worked under Nick Fury alongside Logan (the future Wolverine) and Carol Danvers, leading surveillance missions into Vladivostok. Grimm became a decorated test pilot before leaving the military and joining NASA, and established connections to several other heroes operating during this time. In the years since, Ben Grimm has become better known as the Thing, a core member of the Fantastic Four team, but he has never forgotten his battling roots.

The Fantastic Four’s Timeline Means Ben Grimm’s Backstory Can Be Retained

Although Marvel Studios hasn’t confirmed the 1960s setting for The Fantastic Four, the cast announcement certainly hints at this being the case. If so, it’s possible that Ben Grimm’s backstory as a test pilot during World War II can be retained, and this may have already been confirmed, as Ebon Moss-Bachrach can be seen in a photo of Grimm pre-transformation in a NASA spacesuit, so it’s possible he joined NASA after fighting in the war. If Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm is revealed to have been a test pilot during WWII, it’s possible that the MCU’s original Avenger, Captain America, could return.

Steve Rogers transformed into Captain America in 1943, and fought during World War II before his apparent death in 1945, the year in which the war came to an end. The Fantastic Four keeping Ben Grimm’s backstory could mean that Grimm and Rogers fought alongside each other, meaning the new hero may have a clear connection to one of the MCU’s original superheroes. Steve Rogers hasn’t yet been connected to many other World War II characters, aside from those in Captain America: The First Avenger, so creating a tie to Ben Grimm would better develop his own MCU backstory, too.

Will Chris Evans’ Captain America Return In The Fantastic Four?

Chris Evans portrayed Steve Rogers’ Captain America between 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, appearing in at least one project every year before he retired from the role during the Infinity Saga’s epic finale. Since then, Steve Rogers has been rumored to be returning to the MCU, and Chris Evans has commented on an MCU return several times, but has never confirmed whether this will happen. There has been speculation that the older Rogers could appear in Captain America: Brave New World, or a variant could appear in Avengers: Secret Wars, but nothing has been confirmed.

Since Chris Evans has proclaimed his protectiveness over Steve Rogers time and again, it’s unlikely that he’ll be returning in The Fantastic Four. However, while a physical return can’t be expected, it’s possible that archive footage from Captain America: The First Avenger or photographs from World War II could still reveal a connection between Steve Rogers’ Captain America and Ben Grimm in The Fantastic Four. This would be a fantastic – pun intended – way to create connections between the new team and the MCU’s pre-established superheroes, allowing The Fantastic Four to display even more credibility.