Fantastic Four: First Steps is a breath of fresh air for the MCU, and it's already being met with stellar reviews. However, while this fresh take on the world of our favorite heroes is a "first step" in the right direction, the new phase of the MCU might have just lost its best big bad.
WARNING: Spoilers for Fantastic Four: First Steps beyond this point!
Yes, Doctor Doom is still going to be the focal point for the Avengers: Doomsday arc, but Fantastic Four's choice of debut villain, while excellently executed, was more than a bit premature. In other words, Marvel might have just wasted the Eater of Worlds.
Goodbye Galactus?
If you know anything about the world of Marvel Comics, you know that Galactus is one of the most imposing and devastating threats in the galaxy. He's a massive, planet-eating space god who has devoured entire solar systems, so to say he's overqualified to be the next big bad of the MCU is an understatement.
After the recent debacle with Jonathan Majors as Kang, finding a new Thanos-level threat has been a big priority for the MCU. Galactus more than fits the bill, but making him the debut villain for Marvel's Fantastic Four might not have been the smartest move.
Although characters like Mole Man and Puppet Master exist in this new piece of the Marvel Multiverse, Galactus feels like a sequel-movie villain. Given his devastating reputation, he needed at least one more film to properly build his presence.
When Galactus does make his on-screen debut, he is everything the comic books depict him to be: gigantic, cold, and terrifying. English actor Ralph Ineson (known for his work in Robert Eggers' movies) truly delivers a chilling performance as the Eater of Worlds. However, the climactic battle is over far too quickly.
Without getting into all the sci-fi jargon, Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) essentially shove him into a portal, sending him across the galaxy without his ship and power source. It's a big CGI spectacle, but he goes out much too soon. That doesn't mean he won't be back.
Keep in mind, Galactus is not dead, but is anyone in the MCU these days? Joking aside, he is likely already plotting his revenge and ready for a comeback. As Marvel's First Family prepares to duke it out with Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, he could still make a raging return.
Fantastic Four: First Steps is in theaters now!