Details concerning The Fantastic Four have slowly begun to trickle out for the Marvel Cinematic Universe project, and a significant Phase 4 death may be the catalyst for their entry to the MCU. Everything known about Fantastic Four suggests that the film will take place in a different universe, and feature appearances by the Shalla-Ball iteration of the Silver Surfer and Galactus. Plot details are scarce, but the film is set to be a 60s-set period piece and will feature a cast led by Pedro Pascal.

Characters from the Fantastic Four team have only appeared in one MCU project, with John Krasinski playing Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Audiences are, however, familiar with the characters after two big-screen adaptations, though the upcoming release in the MCU timeline still offers the best hopes for a film that audiences universally enjoy. The newest Fantastic Four may be just what Marvel needs to properly endear the group to audiences, especially if one exciting plot theory holds true for the movie’s story.

The Fantastic Four’s MCU Debut Could Be Perfectly Explained By He Who Remains’ Death

In Loki season 1, an iteration of Kang called He Who Remains is revealed to have constructed the sole “sacred” timeline for the MCU, which is then able to expand outwards after his death. Interestingly, this act could also be what freed the Richards family. In the comics, Kang – real name Nathaniel Richards – is related to Reed Richards as a direct descendant of Reed Richards’ father through one of Reed’s half-brothers.

With this in mind, it stands to reason that – if He Who Remains’ MCU lore is similar in terms of this familial tie – he may have had a stake in the survival of the Richards family and would take action to keep them out of harm’s way, potentially even outside of the Sacred Timeline, to secure his existence. This would be in line with what the MCU has revealed about the Multiversal War, which easily could have encouraged figures like He Who Remains to protect themselves against the likes of Kang.

The MCU’s Fantastic Four could be debuting late because of the impact Kang has made on the multiverse. While He Who Remains created the Sacred Timeline to preserve ideal circumstances, his own existence would have required taking action to safeguard the Richards family. Moving the family into a secondary, preserved timeline would allow for them to exist, and secure his future birth, without allowing the dangerous risk that characters like Reed could pose toward him. After the death of He Who Remains, there would be nothing to keep the actions of the Richards family restricted to a pocket universe.

Tying The Fantastic Four To He Who Remains & Kang Would Be Perfect For The Multiverse Saga

For a character with as many connections across history as Kang, there have been surprisingly few relationships between the villain and the rest of the MCU. Janet Van Dyne is the only character to have had a significant relationship with the character offscreen. To continue making the villain feel like the threat that Marvel has posed him to be, there must be larger connections to the heroes of the Multiverse Saga. Exploring a direct relationship and familial connection between Kang and Reed would be an excellent way to do this.

With the death of He Who Remains destroying the Sacred Timeline, the ramifications of this could be explored in The Fantastic Four. While the TVA would formerly prune these other universes, it is clear that some have still been able to exist, raising the question of what kind of a difference the death of He Who Remains will have on the survival of this universe. Seeing its impacts on the universe where The Fantastic Four is set, and how that leads to multiversal travel for Marvel’s first family, could be directly tied into this event from Loki.

The Fantastic Four appears set to take place in another universe, and the consequences of this will be exciting to explore. Finding out how another Marvel Universe may both resemble and differ from the usual MCU could be full of interesting Easter Eggs and twists for audiences to examine. A significant relationship of one kind or another with Kang the Conqueror feels inevitable, and approaching this via his variants may be the best path to establishing the future, especially since tying The Fantastic Four to the larger multiverse will help Marvel’s Multiverse Saga feel more cohesive and connected.