Chris Evans’ surprise appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine may be the first hint of a huge MCU conflict involving the Fantastic Four. Part of the appeal of Deadpool & Wolverine‘s multiversal premise is the familiar cameos, plot points, and references to other Marvel movies. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s easter eggs, for example, allude to MCU titles such as Iron Man, Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Moon Knight, as well as non-MCU titles such as Daredevil, Blade, and the whole X-Men movie franchise, just to name a few.

Likewise, Deadpool & Wolverine‘s cameos and supporting characters integrate other franchises and previously unknown universes into the MCU. Two of the most surprising characters in Deadpool & Wolverine are Henry Cavill’s Wolverine “Cavillrine” and Chris Evans’ Human Torch, introduced in Tim Story’s 2005 Fantastic Four. Unfortunately for Evans’ Johnny Storm, Deadpool got him killed by Cassandra Nova for insulting her, though Deadpool’s confession about Johnn’s insults was perfectly accurate, as evidenced by Deadpool & Wolverine‘s post-credits scene. While Chris Evans’ brief appearance as Johnny Storm is clearly intended to be mere comedy relief, his death may have serious repercussions in the Multiverse Saga.

Johnny Storm’s Death Might Set Up The 2005 Fantastic Four’s Future Foundation

The Human Torch’s Comic Book Death Caused Major Changes In The Fantastic Four’s Story

In the comics, Johnny Storm a.k.a. the Human Torch sacrifices himself to defeat Annihilus’ army. Johnny’s death deeply affects the rest of the Fantastic Four, inspiring them to take their resources and efforts in a different direction. Reed Richards grows disappointed in the world’s top scientists and creates the Future Foundation — a scientific organization that gathers young and promising scientists under Mister Fantastic’s leadership. Reed, Sue Storm, and Ben Grimm start wearing white uniforms and welcome Spider-Man into their new team, as requested by Johnny Storm before his death.

Ioan McGruffud’s Reed Richards, Jessica Alba’s Sue Storm, and Michael Chiklis’ Ben Grimm, could then form their own version of the Future Foundation and investigate how to travel to the Void

Given that Chris Evans’ Human Torch was pruned from his timeline, his teammates might be looking for a way to reach him. Once they reach the Void or learn about what happened to Johnny there, the Fantastic Four might want to avenge him. Ioan McGruffud’s Reed Richards, Jessica Alba’s Sue Storm, and Michael Chiklis’ Ben Grimm, could then form their own version of the Future Foundation and investigate how to travel to the Void, the TVA, and other timelines such as Earth-10005 and Earth-616, which can land in their crosshairs due to Deadpool’s recklessness.

Chris Evans’ Human Torch Cameo Confirms His Reed Richards Has Been Studying The Multiverse

Johnny Storm Mentions Ioan Gruffud’s Reed Richards In Deadpool & Wolverine

When Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm explains to Deadpool and Wolverine how the Void works, he mentions that “Reed” explained it to him. This Reed, of course, is probably the same Reed Richards introduced in 2005’s Fantastic Four, played by Ioan Gruffud. Gruffud’s Mister Fantastic barely understood the Fantastic Four’s powers in their debut movie, and he barely understood Galactus and the Silver Surfer’s origins in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The fact that Reed could explain the Void to Johnny suggests that his knowledge has grown exponentially since the last time fans saw him on screen.

Johnny Storm’s mention of Reed Richards in Deadpool & Wolverine is brief, but it says a lot about Johnny Storm’s universe. Earth-616’s greatest minds saved their universe after inventing time travel, nanotechnology, and size-shifting. Yet, neither Doctor Strange nor Bruce Banner, Shuri, Vision, and Hank Pym know for certain how the multiverse works, let alone what the Void and the TVA are. Only magic-wielding characters like Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff have gained access to other universes consciously, and they have struggled to do so. Meanwhile, Fantastic Four‘s Reed Richards accurately described the Void even without having to enter it.

How The MCU Can Adapt The Fantastic Four’s Foundation’s Story

The 2005 Fantastic Four Team Can Become Important Characters In The MCU’s Next Multiverse Movies

The Future Foundation’s live-action origin could follow a similar sequence of events to the comics, with Reed, Sue, and Ben focusing their efforts on scientific research about the multiverse. Also similarly to the comics, the Future Foundation might welcome infamous FF villains such as Mad Thinker, Diablo, the Wizard, and Doctor Doom himself, as well as Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s children Franklin and Valeria Richards. With such impressive brainpower, Marvel’s alternate-universe Future Foundation could map out the Sacred Timeline and the Void, making it a force to reckon with across the multiverse.

The Fantastic Four universe’s Future Foundation could participate in the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, either looking for Deadpool to capture him or opposing Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom alongside the MCU’s main Fantastic Four and the Avengers. In the comics, the Future Foundation have a key role in restoring and streamlining the multiverse following Battleworld’s destruction during the 2015 Secret Wars storyline, where Doctor Doom is the main antagonist. In the MCU, the Future Foundation could achieve a similar feat with the help of heroes from Earth-616 and other universes.

The MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie Plot Supports The Possibility Of A Multiversal Future Foundation

The MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie Proves That The Team Will Be Multiversal By Nature

The idea of Tim Story’s Fantastic Four having a big role in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars may seem far-fetched considering how overlooked the 2000s Fantastic Four movies are in comparison to Fox’s X-Men franchise, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, and The Amazing Spider-Man. However, the MCU’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps will introduce a Fantastic Four from a different universe. The MCU’s own multiversal Fantastic Four sets the precedent that Fantastic Four variants from all across the mutliverse can be important players in the Multiverse Saga’s climactic conflicts.

Marvel’s Council of Reeds is directly inspired by the Council of Kangs, which made their comic book debut 46 years before.

In fact, the Future Foundation assembles to fight the Council of Reeds in Marvel Comics. Prime Reed Richards understands that while his multiversal variants are brilliant, they lack his moral compass. To stop them before they wreak havoc, Prime Reed enlists the help of his former enemies and engages in battle with the Council. In the MCU, Fantastic Four‘s Reed Richards could either join a multiversal Council of Reeds or oppose it, depending on how Johnny Storm’s brutal death in the Void during Deadpool & Wolverine shapes his view of multiversal heroes interacting with individuals from other timelines.