Disney has reportedly decided how to proceed with the Fantastic Four franchise after disappointing box office results in 2025.
The big screen has seen several iterations of the Fantastic Four over the years, but Disney finally brought its interpretation to the big screen last summer.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) follows Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) in a retro-futuristic world as they seek to defend Earth from Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
While the film received plenty of hype during its promotional period – and was relatively well-received by critics, with a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes – it didn’t make the most fantastic splash at the box office.
Overall, it took home $521.9 million, making it the highest-grossing Fantastic Four film, but not overly significant in the grand scheme of MCU projects.
With these results, some doubted whether Marvel would proceed with another installment.
However, according to industry insider @MyTimeToShineH, Marvel has decided to greenlight a sequel.
“Despite not being a huge box office hit, Marvel [is still planning] a Fantastic Four 2 post–Secret Wars and wants Matt Shakman back to direct,” they wrote. “They believe the team’s role in the Avengers films will draw more people to see the sequel.”
Marvel has historical precedent on its side.
Appearances in Avengers films have consistently elevated individual superhero franchises, with even brief teases translating into major box office gains. For example, Captain Marvel (2019) raked in over $1 billion after a late Avengers: Infinity War reveal, while solo sequels for Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America all saw noticeable post-Avengers boosts.
This would also suggest that the Fantastic Four play a significant role in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).
Doctor Doom – who is historically a main antagonist in the Fantastic Four comic books, and was teased in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps – serves as the film’s villain (and namesake), so it seems obvious that the quartet will play more than a supporting role.
Recent reports suggest that Avengers: Doomsday will conduct additional shoots in April. Whether or not these will include the Fantastic Four remains to be seen.
Controversially, Robert Downey Jr. is set to play the film’s iconic villain. Some have criticized the decision to have the Iron Man/Tony Stark actor portray the role, arguing that it’s a sign of desperation from the studio as it attempts to relive its golden days.
Are you excited for Fantastic Four 2?
