Forget Thanos: The MCU’s Next Villain Could Bring ...

Everything is in place for The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Galactus to be a more dangerous and successful villain than Thanos as soon as he makes his MCU debut. Not only will Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four First Steps introduce the titular superhero team, Silver Surfer, and an entirely new MCU timeline, but also a brand-new version of one of the most powerful villains in Marvel lore: Galactus. Ralph Ineson will play Galan of Taa a.k.a. Galactus in Fantastic Four: First Steps, where the Devourer of Worlds might do his name justice and attempt to consume the Fantastic Four’s alternate-reality Earth.

In the comics, Galactus’ plan to swallow the Earth has been thwarted repeatedly by the Fantastic Four, who either negotiate with the cosmic villain, threaten him or stop him dead in his tracks with the Ultimate Nullifier, or simply by postponing his arrival. Powerful characters like Franklin Richards and Doctor Doom have defeated Galactus in the comics. However, the Devourer of Worlds is generally considered an almost unstoppable threat to the world. In the MCU, Galactus’ near-unstoppable nature may be a bad omen for The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ new MCU timeline.

The Fantastic Four Can Redeem Galactus After His Last Movie Appearance

The MCU’s Galactus Will Probably Be A Much More Faithful Adaptation Than Fox’s

After Fox’s Fantastic Four introduced Marvel’s First Family in 2005, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer made a big jump ahead in the team’s story and pitted them against Galactus. The Fantastic Four sequel’s Silver Surfer is widely considered to be the main highlight of the movie, with Doug Jones’ physical portrayal and Laurence Fishburne’s voice fitting together as a top-notch depiction of Galactus’ Herald Norrin Radd. However, Galactus himself was a massive disappointment, as the Devourer of Worlds was depicted as a cosmic cloud instead of an anthropomorphic supervillain.

Fortunately, Ralph Ineson’s casting as Galactus for The Fantastic Four: First Steps marks a huge change to the character in comparison to Fox’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Not only will the MCU’s Galactus have a human-like voice, but he will also appear as a cosmic giant with a Celestial-like suit and his iconic horned helmet. Galactus’ anthropomorphic appearance will make him an actual supervillain instead of a force of nature, granting him the opportunity to have his own personality and character arc similar to MCU villains like Loki, Ultron, and Thanos.

The Fantastic Four’s Setting Is Key To Galactus’ Impact

Galactus May Have Free Rein To Destroy The World In The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Another significant change The Fantastic Four: First Steps will make to the team is their origin. Instead of getting their powers in the same timeline as the Avengers, the MCU’s Fantastic Four will make their debut as an already established team in an alternate universe. The Fantastic Four: First Steps borrows heavily from the 1960s. Since the Fantastic Four’s universe is brand-new and completely separate from the MCU’s main timeline, it could easily be destroyed without affecting the rest of the MCU’s established characters. Of course, Galactus might be the one who gets the honors.

In the MCU, the Fantastic Four could create their first Life Raft to find themselves a new home

Galactus’ unstoppable nature makes him a difficult character to adapt in a live-action film, as the chances of him actually destroying the world in a movie are slim. Galactus is much more likely to succeed in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ alternate timeline, consuming the Earth and leaving the Fantastic Four adrift in space and thus ready to find refuge in a different universe. In the comics, the Future Foundation’s creation of a Life Raft allows multiple characters to survive the end of the multiverse. In the MCU, the Fantastic Four could create their first Life Raft to find themselves a new home.

Why The Fantastic Four Should Have A Downer Ending

The Fantastic Four’s Dark Ending Might Be The Only Way Marvel Can Do Galactus Justice

The Fantastic Four’s introduction in a different timeline to that of the Avengers and the X-Men may be disappointing for some, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ release in the Multiverse Saga could be a blessing in disguise for one of Marvel’s most important villains. Galactus could accomplish his sole life purpose in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ ending — a feat that would otherwise be impossible in any other live-action adaptation. Besides, the Fantastic Four losing to Galactus gives Marvel’s First Family a clear reason to start exploring the multiverse ahead of their involvement in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

In Marvel Comics’ 2015 Secret Wars storyline, Galactus acts as Franklin Richards’ servant after God Emperor Doom rewrites reality.

Josh Brolin’s Thanos left the bar too high for MCU villains after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Kang the Conqueror was supposed to up the ante, but even ignoring Jonathan Majors’ legal issues and subsequent firing, Kang failed to make a significant impression in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where the Conqueror was defeated by Scott Lang and his allies. If the Fantastic Four fail to stop Galactus in their debut movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Galactus would replicate Thanos’ Avengers: Infinity War victory and establish him as an even bigger threat for the Avengers on Earth-616.