Why MCU Phase 4 Should (& Likely Will) End With Fantastic 4

Marvel Studios is set to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU, and Marvel’s First Family should be the film to wrap up Phase 4 properly. Phase 4 is currently the MCU’s most diverse chapter of Marvel Studios’ ever-growing cinematic universe. New characters are beginning to be introduced more than ever while other franchises are going in exciting, refreshing directions. With the X-Men and Fantastic Four rights back under Marvel Studios’ control, Phase 4 is introducing the latter in the next few years. No actors have been cast yet, and there is no known screenwriter attached to the reboot.

Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts will be helming the project, making this the third live-action Fantastic Four iteration in the 21st century. While Phase 4’s schedule is pretty stacked as is, Fantastic Four seems to be included in the slate, following the big trailer Marvel Studios released to promote several upcoming films. Fantastic Four was the final project to close out the promotional trailer, alluding to the possibility of it being the last movie for Phase 4, but that has yet to be confirmed.

However, given that Phase 4 is significantly different from the previous three, Fantastic Four likely will (and should) be the final movie before MCU Phase 5. The key difference between the previous three Phases and the ongoing one is that each volume was building towards an Avengers film. With the exception of Phase 1, every other slate has had an Avengers installment as their penultimate movie. With the completion of MCU’s Infinity Saga, Phase 4 is a different entity that focuses less on a larger payoff and develops other corners of the interconnected universe. However, if the MCU’s Fantastic Four comes to fruition, it will be the first time the four heroes are in the same world as the Avengers, Spider-Man, and at some point, the X-Men.

That in itself is a significantly big deal for the MCU, as it wasn’t always a guarantee the Fantastic Four would be back with Marvel Studios. Had Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) never happened, it’s unclear whether or not Fantastic Four and X-Men would ever be under Marvel Studios’ roof again. While the MCU’s Avengers 5 doesn’t seem to be on the table for the foreseeable future, Fantastic Four is the perfect ensemble film to close out Phase 4. Not only does it allow the MCU to end in a traditional sense with a big group movie, but it adds something new to it, given the four characters’ dynamics.

What better finale is there than having Marvel’s First Family be the MCU film to wrap up Phase 4? It would also only be appropriate for the Fantastic Four to get their MCU debut during Phase 4. Since they couldn’t kick off Phase 4, the family should be the ones to end it before the MCU heads into Phase 5. With films like Blade, Deadpool 3, and Captain America 4 in the works, the MCU already has many projects to start their Phase 5. Hopefully, as 2021 moves on, Marvel Studios will begin to reveal more of their plans for Fantastic Four, including the cast and what the actual 2023 release date will be.