D23 has come and gone, yet there's been no official announcement about who will bring Marvel Comics' First Family back to the silver screen for their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. While its 2024 release may seem far off, every day marks one step closer to the start of production of what will be the 38th installment in the franchise. And while one may think that number would insinuate a dip in interest, fan anticipation for Fantastic Four's cast reveal is only getting stronger.
Since Fantastic Four's director and writers were only recently announced, the casting process may still be in full swing. There is one trend, however, that could explain why fans have heard only radio silence after asking who will be in the movie. Recently, many MCU installments have been introducing future characters and the actors portraying them during the post-credit scenes. And with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man: Quantumania coming so soon, some fans are speculating that the Fantastic Four may follow a similar path.
It would undoubtedly be unconventional for Feige and his team to not have a celebratory cast reveal for major upcoming headliners like the Fantastic Four. For instance, it's been three years since Mahersala Ali sported a Blade-themed hat at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. Yet even after all that time, Blade doesn't currently have a director at the helm, unlike Fantastic Four. But in a world where rumors fly at a mile a minute, leaks are a daily occurrence, and spoilers are thrown about, would it really be wise for Marvel Studios to hold off until next summer's SDCC to make an announcement?
Clearly, Kevin Feige is a man with a plan. He has proven to be one of the greatest orchestrators of talent this century and surely has a big reveal tucked up his sleeve. There are several instances in Phase Four where Feige called unorthodox plays to have fan-favorite characters and their actors revealed in the movies and not the press. In the Eternals post-credit scene, Don't Worry Darling's Harry Styles and Patton Oswalt were revealed as Eros, Thanos' brother, and Pip the Troll, respectively. Similarly, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced Charlize Theron's Clea, and Thor: Love and Thunder teased Brett Goldstein's Hercules. Perhaps Feige is trolling the fanbase by saving the fourth in-universe character reveal of Phase Four to be the Fantastic Four.
If that fun word play was to be pulled off, the super-powered explorers would have to be introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But doing so in a movie that will address Chadwick Boseman's loss and bring Namor into the fold could come off forced and in poor taste. If the goal is to introduce the Fantastic Four with a surprise reveal, chances are that would occur somehow in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Many have theorized a possibility that Reed, the Storms and Ben Grimm were already retconned into the MCU before Fantastic Four, albeit very subtly. During John Krasinski's appearance in Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange quipped something along the lines of "Didn't you chart in the '60s?" to Reed Richards. This can only lead one to think that the Fantastic Four were around during mid-century America but somehow mysteriously lost to time. It's not absurd to theorize that Reed somehow got himself and his family stuck deep inside the Quantumverse and eventually became a vague memory in the 616. Just imagine Scott Lang and his team coming across the Fantastic Four, who have been stuck for decades.
Regardless of how Fantastic Four's cast is introduced, it is obvious that this iteration of the team is important to the MCU. It may be impossible for Feige to navigate the potential leaks and successfully introduce Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny in a way that fans aren't expecting. But if Marvel Studios can pull it off, it may be one of the best things it could do for its fans, publicity and the story.