Key Takeaways
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps will introduce the iconic team to the MCU and pit them against the formidable villain, Galactus.
- Galactus, also known as ‘the World Devourer,’ poses a major threat due to his ability to consume entire planets and absorb their energy.
- Marvel should consider keeping Galactus alive for future movies to allow for long-term storytelling and character development for The Fantastic Four.
The anticipation is building for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will see the iconic team of superheroes join the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time. Marvel is wasting no time delivering a significant story for these iconic characters either by putting them up against Galactus.
Galactus is one of the greatest villains in Marvel history, and having him be part of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an exciting situation. It will provide the heroes with a difficult first test and a great outing to showcase their individual superpowers while also displaying their teamwork. While The Fantastic Four are undoubtedly going to be made to look impressive in this movie, that doesn’t mean they should definitively defeat Galactus.
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Who Is Galactus?
Galactus is set to become a very familiar character with MCU fans, he is known as ‘the World Devourer’ and is one of the most destructive and dominant options that Marvel could have chosen to be a villain in this movie. However, that is why so many fans are excited about The Fantastic Four reboot because the stakes have already been set so high for it.
Galactus is capable of consuming entire planets, meaning he will pose a major threat to Earth whenever he arrives in this movie. He is capable of appearing differently to those who see him, and he will absorb the energy of any planet he decides to consume and use it to enhance himself, whether it be by changing his size, using teleportation, resurrecting life, or creating force fields, among other examples.
Originally known as Galan of the planet Taa, he ends up trying to escape his planet after a destructive force destroys the worlds around them.
He ends up being caught up in the Big Bang and becomes the only survivor and an incredibly powerful character in the process, which is something he uses for his benefit forever after. Galactus also often works with the Silver Surfer, another character set to be part of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Silver Surfer normally scopes out different worlds that Galactus could consume, and that’s a storyline that Marvel might look to tap into when it comes to this particular movie.
Marvel’s Problem With Defeating Villains Too Soon
Galactus is an exciting villain to introduce into the MCU purely because of how dangerous he is and the threat he could pose to the entire MCU, not just planet Earth. However, that doesn’t guarantee that The Fantastic Four won’t defeat him in this one movie, as that has become a negative trope of the MCU.
While Thanos lasted multiple films and was built up as a genuine threat in small cameos over time before becoming a dominant figure in two movies, not every character gets that treatment. Even some that have outlasted one film have often undergone major tweaks afterward, like Loki, who ended up becoming a hero throughout his individual story.
Even historically powerful villains in the comics, such as Ultron, Hela, or Gorr the God-Butcher, have only lasted one movie as a threat. While it helps to make the heroes involved look fantastic and leaves audiences feeling positive after seeing good overcome evil, that’s not necessarily a positive for long-term storytelling. Had Marvel kept some of these villains alive over multiple movies, the emotional investment would have been heightened, especially for villains who fought characters such as Iron Man or Captain America with their own franchises.
Why The Fantastic Four Shouldn’t Defeat Galactus In First Steps
Ultimately, it would be beneficial for The Fantastic Four: First Steps to keep Galactus alive and have him continue to be a major threat in future movies as well. Marvel will want to use these four superheroes again, and eventually, having them develop and grow over time to be strong enough to defeat Galactus would be a more entertaining story than having them be perfect immediately. Galactus could continue from this movie and impact other characters within the MCU, leading to him being a much bigger, more significant villain down the line.
There are ways to make sure that The Fantastic Four look impressive in this movie without defeating their first major villain, as they could hurt him enough to keep Earth safe but not enough to destroy him. The Fantastic Four could also destroy Silver Surfer, who is likely going to be a more diminutive villain in this story. On the other hand, Marvel could bring back Robert Downey Jr. from this movie as Dr. Doom to work as a distraction to keep Galactus alive for the time being. MCU fans enjoy having stories that link throughout the films and build to a giant showdown, and that’s something that can be achieved with Galactus.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps can work as the place to introduce Galactus without giving too much away or stopping him from developing as a threat. Given the excitement surrounding The Fantastic Four, it’s important that Marvel doesn’t overlook the incredible villain they’ve put into this film and the opportunity in front of them if they keep him alive.
