With news of Kang the Conqueror coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Ant-Man 3, fans now believe there's a greater chance than ever that the Fantastic Four will be making their debut in the franchise sooner rather than later. It was recently announced that Jonathan Majors will be playing a leading role in the upcoming MCU film, and while the studio hasn't confirmed anything, insider rumors claim that he is likely to appear as Kang.
Before becoming the villain that the likes of the Avengers fear, Kang was Nathaniel Richards, an expert historical scholar who discovered time travel technology left behind by Victor von Doom. He would then spend his life jumping through different periods of time, facing off against the likes of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers under different aliases. In an attempt to return to his home in the 31st century, he ends up on a war-torn Earth, easily taking it for himself and officially becoming Kang the Conqueror.
Nathaniel's last name, like anything in comics, is no coincidence. It's believed that he is a distant descendant of Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. Knowing that, fans quickly jumped to social media to discuss their excitement about the possibility of a member of the Fantastic Four making their transition to the MCU after the news of Majors' casting hit the web.
And considering a member of the Richards family tree is becoming part of the franchise, there's a good chance Reed will play some part in events, something commenters on social media were quick to point out. Whether aware of his progeny or not, he could be brought into the action as one of the current members of the family. On top of that, with Tony Stark now absent from the action, whatever form of the Avengers is left will need a scientist leader-type to take his place.
The possibility of Reed coming to the MCU is exciting on many levels. The biggest implication comes through the fact that when Disney acquired Marvel Studios in 2009, several properties remained part of other studios due to previous picture deals, including the Fantastic Four and X-Men. Though Marvel films have been able to adapt all sorts of stories, this rights issue has prevented them from bringing one of the most beloved superhero groups to the screen.
In 2019, however, Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, and with it all of its properties. At last, the Fantastic Four was reunited with its fellow Marvel superheroes. Allegedly, Disney is planning a reboot for the quartet, but having Reed get involved in something like Ant-Man 3 -- whether as Mr. Fantastic or not -- would be a quick way to open the door for Marvel's First Family to finally enter the biggest franchise in pop culture history.
Another reason many fans are excited comes with the casting of Majors. With a Black actor playing Nathaniel, that means there's a good chance Reed will also be played by a POC. Though Michael B. Jordan played Johnny Storm in 2015's Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic himself has only ever been portrayed as a white character. And with the conversation focused on inclusivity and diversity in the world today, this would be a great opportunity to showcase that one of the landmark superheroes does not need to be determined by the color of his skin.
Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man 3 stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Jonathan Majors. The film has yet to receive an official release date.