The official announcement that Marvel Studios is developing a Fantastic Four film was enormous, serving as an indicator of what the powers that be plan to do with the superhero franchise now that Fox's heroes are in the fold. However, while Marvel's First Family deserves the spotlight, it makes one wonder why Kevin Feige and Co. didn't want to tackle the X-Men first.

There are a few possible reasons as to why the Fantastic Four is entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe before Professor Xavier and his team of mutants, but some stand above the rest.

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X-MEN NOSTALGIA (OR LACK THEREOF)

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men: Days of Future Past

While the MCU has obviously changed the game when it comes to how superhero films can be made and received, they were far from the first to break the bank with comic book movies. One of its predecessors came in the form of Fox's X-Men films, which started all the way back in 2000. The original trilogy was so incredibly successful that it paved the way for a slew of spin-offs, including X-Men Origins: Wolverine and both Deadpool films.

Becoming one of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time comes with its set of issues, though. For many fans, some of the portrayals in those films have become immortalized, so much so that rebooting the series and casting a new group so soon could cause some backlash. Marvel Studios might've done a third Spider-Man iteration in two decades to success, but it's still hard to imagine Wolverine not being played by Hugh Jackman.

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FRESH SLATE FOR THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Fantastic Four #554 cover by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch

Marvel's First Family is no stranger to the big screen. The quartet has come to live in three live-action films, and while the actors differ across them, they're all similar in that they were critical failures. If there's one thing Marvel Studios loves, it's a challenge, as seen with the risks taken in adapting obscure properties like Guardians of the Galaxy and Moon Knight. Getting the chance to adopt a seminal set of superheroes for the MCU, even in the wake of failures, is the chance for fans to finally get the adaptation they deserve.

On top of that, the X-Men may have more big screen success, but the Fantastic Four was the group that started it all. The success that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby found with this group of heroes ushered in a new age of comics, focusing more on characterization and adult situations. With all the exciting new content that exists today, it's important for these large franchises to remember where they came from, and the Fantastic Four is the perfect indicator that Marvel Studios hasn't.

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REPLACING TONY STARK

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame

Tony Stark's death at the end of Avengers: Endgame left lingering holes within the MCU. One major one is his brain, which he used not only to construct his Iron Man suits but also a slew of different technologies that heroes have used over the years. Characters with similar aptitudes like Shuri and Hank Pym certainly possess those skills, but it seems like they'll be off on their own adventures in the near future, meaning the universe will need a new resident genius.

Enter Reed Richards. Mr. Fantastic is a scientific genius, and within the pages of Marvel Comics, he is known as the smartest man in the universe, even more so than Tony Stark. The MCU at large needs a big brain to help get its heroes through the next phase of villains, and it's very possible that Reed Richards is just the man for the job.

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KANG IS ON HIS WAY

After months of reports, Johnathan Majors was confirmed to be playing Kang the Conqueror, a time-traveling nemesis of the Avengers, in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. But, in addition to plaguing Earth's Mightiest Heroes from time to time, Kang is also an enemy of the Fantastic Four.

In fact, Kang's link to the Fantastic Four goes far beyond the battlefield. The villain's real name is Nathaniel Richards, and it's been implied that he is a descendant of Reed Richards himself. With all due respect to the X-Men, Kang has the potential to be the next Big Bad of the MCU, and it would be impossible to tell his story without the heroes he is so intertwined with.

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