A shocking new theory suggests that the titular team of Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps could accidentally be introduced to the MCU as villains. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige revealed more about Phase 6’s upcoming The Fantastic Four reboot at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, unveiling new information about the movie that is set to officially bring the complete Marvel’s First Family into the MCU. Although not much is yet known about The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ storyline, anticipation is high for the upcoming movie.

While John Krasinski appeared as Earth-838’s Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Chris Evans returned as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ cast will debut four exciting new talents as the official MCU superhero team. However, a wild new theory posed by mainmiddleman suggests the movie might alter the Fantastic Four’s backstory for the MCU. It’s known that The Fantastic Four: First Steps won’t be an honest-to-goodness origin story, but this theory hints at the team members’ origins inadvertently making them villains.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Takes Place In Another Universe

When the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps was confirmed on Valentine’s Day, the 1960s style of the movie’s first marketing material spurred theories that the story would take place in an alternate reality. These thoughts were supported when a character poster was released featuring Johnny Storm’s Human Torch, as the city in the background looks nothing like the New York City of Earth-616. These theories have recently been confirmed by Marvel Studios, particularly in Kevin Feige’s comments, naming these The Fantastic Four theories “smart observations”.

A gift for the attending audience of Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation at this year’s SDCC confirmed these alternate universe theories even further. This featured a map of New York City in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which includes several landmarks that have never been seen in the MCU’s main continuity, including the Baxter Building, Subterranea, the Excelsior Launch Pad and the FF Clean Energy Complex. While The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ alternate universe is confirmed, this new theory suggests this isn’t actually the original home of Marvel’s First Family.

The Fantastic Four Are From Earth-616: MCU Theory Explained

The theory posed by mainmiddleman suggests that the Fantastic Four team actually originated in the Sacred Timeline of Earth-616, perhaps back in the 1960s. The theory suggests that, during an experiment, Reed Richards discovers the Negative Zone, an important location for the Fantastic Four in Marvel Comics, but this inadvertently pulls the team through the multiverse into their alternate reality. Radiation from this journey could gift them their superhuman abilities, allowing them to establish themselves as a superhero team in their new world.

While working to find a way back to their home reality of Earth-616, the Fantastic Four members may integrate themselves fully into the retro-futuristic, 1960s-themed society of their alternate reality. Early footage from The Fantastic Four: First Steps has teased Reed Richards as a science teacher, and Ben Grimm’s Thing as a contestant on a dating show, and Richards’ and Sue Storm’s marriage has been confirmed. This means the four will have fully-fledged lives in this new world, which may make returning to Earth-616 a difficult prospect.

This theory could explain one line delivered by Doctor Strange in Phase 4’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When introduced to John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, who is announced as the leader of the Fantastic Four, Strange jokes that they “charted in the ’60s.” This was perhaps a reference to The Beatles, who were known as the Fab Four in the 1960s, but could have also hinted at Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm being known in Earth-616 from the ’60s, before they inexplicably disappeared.

MCU Theory Spells Bad News For The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Alternate Universe

This seems like a very convincing origin story for the Fantastic Four in the MCU, as it allows Marvel Studios to explore the multiverse in more detail, while also connecting the First Family to the history of Earth-616. This could also allow The Fantastic Four: First Steps to expand on the dangers of the multiverse, as the Fantastic Four making such a huge mark on their alternate world could have catastrophic ripple effects. Earth-838’s Reed Richards warned that making too many waves across the multiverse could cause incursions, which spells bad news for the MCU’s Phase 6.

REED RICHARDS: “An incursion occurs when the boundary between two universes erodes and they collide, destroying one or both entirely.”

The theory also suggests that the Fantastic Four will become aware of the planet-eater Galactus and his herald, Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer, during their attempts to get home. It’s possible that, if the Fantastic Four find a way to move back to the 616-universe, Galactus could follow them, arriving in the MCU’s main timeline where there are even more worlds ready to be devoured. One popular theory points to this journey taking place after Galactus devours the alternate Earth of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, establishing him as a tremendous threat.

The Fantastic Four Setting Up More Incursions Would Be A Perfect Way To Lead Into Avengers 5 & 6

Incursion events are expected to be hugely important to the upcoming events of 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, given the fact that incursions devastate the multiverse in the lead-up to Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars story in 2015. Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars also prominently features Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic and the Fantastic Four’s archenemy, Doctor Doom. This means that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will likely set up Avengers: Secret Wars more than any previous MCU project, and this theory could contribute to this.

Doctor Doom has been confirmed to appear in the MCU’s Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars , with Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU to play the iconic Marvel villain.

Incrusions have already been glimpsed in What If…? and Multiverse of Madness, but it would be great for their true impact to be seen in full prior to Avengers: Secret Wars. The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be an excellent place for this to occur, leading into Secret Wars, and setting up Doctor Doom – who is rumored to debut in the Fantastic Four’s movie – as the Multiverse Saga’s new big bad. This is currently, of course, speculation, but this is a very attractive theory that would mark a strong introduction for the Fantastic Four.