Marvel recently confirmed who the villain will be for The Fantastic Four, but he could be a hero that the MCU needs in a future battle.

The Fantastic Four preparing to fight Galactus

The MCU’s Fantastic Four recently got its villain, but there could be a heroic twist to this antagonist that many aren’t expecting. When The Fantastic Four was announced, speculation grew regarding who the central villain would be. The people who guessed Galactus were validated recently, as news broke that Ralph Ineson will play the planet-devouring being in the film. Galactus is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics, and many have waited for his MCU debut. It’s also a chance for redemption after Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer turned him into a cloud.

Galactus will be an incredibly difficult enemy for The Fantastic Four to stop, and he will likely have a future role in the MCU past this film. He is a legendary villain who likely will not be a one-and-done Marvel foe. While Galactus could potentially be the MCU’s next Thanos, his journey could take a more heroic route, especially if The Avengers need him in a fight against a devastating opponent.

Galactus Could Be The Avengers’ Only Hope In A Fight Against The Celestials

Galactus destroying worlds in Marvel Comics

2021’s Eternals ended with Arishem the Judge whisking the remaining Eternals away from Earth. He plans to witness the Eternals’ memories and judge whether Earth is worthy of existing after they stopped the birth of a new Celestial that would have destroyed the Earth. If Arishem deems Earth unworthy, the Avengers will need a miracle to stop the Celestials.

The Celestials are almighty beings who have the power of Gods. None of the Avengers have a shot at destroying the Celestials unless they can collect more Infinity Stones. However, Galactus is a God-like being who is larger than planets and has immense power. Devouring planets is how Galactus absorbs energy and, at full strength, his abilities include telekinesis, size alteration, teleportation, creation of life, universal cosmic awareness, and energy manipulation. He is the embodiment of the cosmos and can easily defeat a Celestial in a one-on-one confrontation.

Galactus Has A History Of Fighting The Celestials

Galactus fighting Celestials in Marvel Comics

Galactus has teamed up with Marvel heroes before to fight the Celestials in Marvel Comics. One example is in Fantastic Four #602, where Marvel’s first family find themselves in an intergalactic war involving the Kree, the Inhumans, and the Annihilation Wave, led by a resurrected Human Torch. The Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic summon Galactus to help, but the conflict comes to a standstill when four Celestials arrive. The Celestials recognize Galactus as a threat to their mission for galactic domination and fight him as a unit.

Galactus holds up well, even killing one of the Celestials, but struggles against all four of them. Fortunately, he is saved by a future Franklin and Valeria Richards, who revive Galactus, who then kills two Celestials with his bare hands. While fighting four Celestials at once was too much of a challenge for Galactus, the cosmic beings are no match for the Devour of Worlds individually. If Arishem returns to Earth to destroy it, the Avengers will need to turn to Galactus as a powerful ally against the Celestials.

Shalla-Bal’s Casting Hints That A War Against The Celestials Is Coming

Two Silver Surfers, Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal, in Earth-X in Marvel Comics

Earth X is another comic storyline where Galactus is a key ally in the fight against Celestials. The narrative has similarities to Eternals, where Celestials have planted embryos in many planets across the universe. When a Celestial is born, it kills the planet that it emerged from. In Earth X, Galactus is devouring planets containing Celestial embryos to keep the cosmic beings in check. Galactus fights the Celestials over the Earth’s embryo and successfully destroys it but loses one of his Silver Surfers, Shalla-Bal.

Shalla-Bal is a female Silver Surfer, who harnesses similar powers as Norrin Radd and has a romantic relationship with her fellow surfer. Ozark‘s Julia Garner is playing Shalla-Bal in The Fantastic Four, hinting that Marvel could adapt parts of Earth X‘s story, including a conflict between Galactus and the Celestials. A battle between two God-like beings in space would be amazing to see, but it also allows Marvel to continue Eternals‘ story, which ended on a cliffhanger. While Galactus is notorious for being a villain, he could be the Avengers’ only hope in a future intergalactic battle.