With Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ release just a few months away, many fans are looking back at their comic book history, picking through enemies and allies alike. On that note, The Fantastic Four has not always been so literal with the name, opening the door to include many other Marvel heroes, not just direct family members. More importantly, several of these additional heroes have already made their appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This begs the question: Will the Fantastic Four of the MCU see a future collaboration, or will they be forced to live a more standalone status?
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Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is due to release in theaters on July 25, 2025. It’s a big moment for the MCU, as it marks the beginning of several things. First, it’s the first time The Fantastic Four will be appearing in the MCU. Second, it’s kicking off the start of Marvel’s Phase Six. The film also stars many beloved actors, including Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm). Those four make up the primary team, but there’s also Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). If fans are really lucky, these won’t be the only characters to grace the MCU team’s roster.
1) She-Hulk
Jennifer Walter is a famous face in Marvel Comics. As the cousin of Bruce Banner, Jen eventually found herself a member of the Hulk family. Her origin story varies somewhat from the comics to the MCU, but that shouldn’t negate the potential for her to join this team. In the comics, Jen, aka She-Hulk, stepped in for Ben Grimm following the Secret Wars event. During that major Marvel event, Ben lost his powers, forcing the team to accept another hero to fill the void he left behind.
She-Hulk’s MCU story, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, was met with mixed fan reviews, with some people loving her lighter style of storytelling. Played by Tatiana Maslany, Jennifer Walter is a fierce lawyer trying to find a tough work/life/superhero balance. Most of us struggle with just the work/life balance. Here’s the thing – She-Hulk was a solid member of The Fantastic Four, filling a role and balancing the team in unique ways. She could do that again in the MCU. In turn, the team could help revitalize her story, giving She-Hulk a second shot at the MCU life.
2) Luke Cage
There was a brief window of time when fans were uncertain if the Netflix casting counted toward the MCU characters, but the latest Marvel series, Daredevil: Born Again, recognized much of the casting. In other words, Luke Cage, as played by Mike Colter, is officially in the MCU. In the comics, Luke Cage joined The Fantastic Four at a rough point for the team, as The Thing lost his powers. As such, the team needed a new heavy lifter, and who better than Luke? It’s important to note that Luke first joined the team in the ’70s, so a lot has happened to him and the team since then. Some of these changes have already been reflected in their MCU equivalents.
Luke’s time on The Fantastic Four was certainly interesting, as Luke is a very different hero from the primary team. For starters, Luke has a very different moral take on hero life, as evidenced by his time with the Heroes for Hire. This brings us to the Luke Cage of the MCU. This version of Luke was last seen taking on a new role in his city, leaving fans concerned about the path he might follow. If the MCU leans further into this, it could spell a fascinating time (and major conflict) with Luke and the Fantastic Four team.
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3) Ant-Man
The Fantastic Four have had to open their doors to many heroes over the years, including Ant-Man. Here’s where things get a little interesting, as both The Fantastic Four and the MCU made a similar decision. In the comics, the Fantastic Four asked Scott Lang to join their roster. This happened during a time when Mr. Fantastic was missing (a terrifying thought, frankly), and Sue Storm was leading the team/search party for her husband. Scott was a natural addition to the team, especially as they needed help getting into the microverse.
Naturally, the MCU also went with Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) as the titular Ant-Man. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) was still on the scene, though this time as more of a guide (calling him Scott’s role model would be going a step too far). MCU Ant-Man has already reached out to one team (the Avengers) with an idea that could utilize his technology to save the universe. So, the formula is already there to bring Ant-Man into the fold of yet another Marvel team. However, Ant-Man’s induction into the Fantastic Four probably requires Mr. Fantastic to step out, even temporarily. This is probably less likely, at least in the early days of the newly established team.
4) Black Panther
T’Challa, aka Black Panther, is one of the sharpest minds in Marvel Comics. He’s a competent leader who can get any team through the worst they have to face, so naturally, Marvel has had him sign up with dozens of teams since his introduction. For example, he stepped in to help run The Fantastic Four at a time when Sue and Reed needed to step away (in a move to save their marriage, but that’s a different story). Since Sue always left during this time, Storm stepped in to fill her role. Since the two were married at the time, it seemed like a natural alteration of the team’s story.
In the MCU, Chadwick Boseman brought T’Challa’s character to new heights. Fans instantly loved his portrayal of the character, though sadly, Boseman passed away in 2020. Marvel has been pretty clear about not recasting the character, though they did let the Black Panther mantle pass to his little sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright). Thus, a version of Black Panther could still join the MCU Fantastic Four. In the comics, Shuri worked alongside the Fantastic Four (and the X-Men) to deal with a significant threat: Doctor Doom. It’s easy to see how those pieces could connect in the MCU.
5) Spider-man
Contrary to popular belief, the Spider-Man of the comics wasn’t always chasing after his dream to become an Avenger. Long before he wanted to be an Avenger, he wanted to be a member of The Fantastic Four. As such, even in his earliest days, Peter Parker was working to join the team. While he was originally denied, he would later step in to fill Johnny Storm’s role, for a time. Even when Peter wasn’t part of The Fantastic Four, fans loved to see him interact with the team. Given how they all work outside of New York, they naturally cross paths quite often.
If there’s one hero the fans really want to see join the MCU Fantastic Four, it’s probably Spider-Man. Played by Tom Holland, this Spider-Man is a bit younger, though he’s certainly gone through a lot. His next film is arguably designed to help him figure out a path forward as a hero, which may bring him right to the doorstep of The Fantastic Four. If nothing else, Peter could use another superhero friend right about now, and Johnny Storm had always been there for Parker in the comics; why not in the MCU?
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6) Wolverine
Let’s be real for a second, people love Wolverine. The creators may love him even more than the fans, which explains how he seemingly ends up on nearly every team in Marvel. So, of course, he was part of The Fantastic Four, even if it was only for a short period of time. Interestingly, in the comics, there was a point in time in which all four members of The Fantastic Four were replaced. In their place, readers had Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and Hulk. It may sound like a strange team, but it did draw in new readers, which was the whole point.
Four heroes replacing The Fantastic Four will probably never happen in the MCU, and we’re okay with that. However, it would be a lot of fun to see Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) pop in for a team-up here and there. For example, in the current continuity of the comics, Wolverine is an honorary member of the team, complete with an emergency signal that will summon him as needed. However, fans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for Wolverine to join up with The Fantastic Four anytime soon, as there are no solid plans to bring back Hugh Jackman’s character. At least, not for the moment.
7) Hulk
As mentioned in the previous point, Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and the Hulk all came together to keep The Fantastic Four going in the ’90s. It was an experiment on Marvel’s part, and it largely did okay. However, fans would have been just as happy to see any other excuse to bring these four heroes together (while leaving the Fantastic family intact).
In the MCU, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) has been around almost from the start. He even survived the high-stakes events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, which sadly, not all of the original team can say. So, yes, fans can see Hulk join up with the Fantastic Four. However, we probably won’t be seeing him and three other heroes replace the team. Instead, he’ll probably go with a route more similar to She-Hulk’s, stepping in for Ben Grimm as needed. Fans are welcome to debate how likely this is, but it certainly would be nice to see Hulk get a new plot arc at the hands of The Fantastic Four.
