Is Fantastic Four’s Baby Franklin the Key to a Major MCU Reboot?

by

In the interviews for the film “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, Vanessa Kirby disclosed that Sue Storm will be portrayed as pregnant throughout the movie. This announcement signals the introduction of Franklin Richards, a character whose comic book lore hints at profound changes within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Given that Sue and Reed’s son in the comics has powers capable of reshaping reality, far surpassing cosmic entities, his anticipated entrance during the later stages of the Multiversal Saga could be a hint that Marvel Studios is preparing to subtly reboot its universe. This could be reminiscent of how Marvel Comics began anew by erasing the slate for fresh stories with the “Secret Wars” crossover event.

Starting in 2019, Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, has been building what he calls the “Multiverse Saga,” which is a continuous storyline leading up to Avengers: Secret Wars.

People have been guessing that Marvel Studios might be planning to follow a similar pattern, using the storyline “Secret Wars” as a chance to unite various Marvel film stories into one coherent timeline. This idea became more believable when it was announced that original X-Men actors from Fox’s movies will feature in 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday.” The combination of these previously distinct storylines implies that Marvel is moving towards a fundamental reshaping of their cinematic world, while still respecting the past and opening up possibilities for fresh characters and ideas.

This theory gains more credence with Robert Downey Jr.’s unexpected portrayal of Doctor Doom, instead of Tony Stark, in Hickman’s Secret Wars. This links Marvel’s renowned actor to the villain who, in the comics, rebuilt reality from the remnants of crumbling universes. Additionally, the Russo brothers are back to direct the upcoming Avengers films, suggesting Marvel is gathering the storyline elements for a significant overhaul of their universe. The intrigue lies in how they’ll manage this grand multiversal restructuring while keeping audiences engaged with their existing universe. The solution could be the powers of an upcoming character, Franklin Richards.

Franklin Richards’ Powers Could Be Used for an MCU Reboot

In the Marvel Universe, Franklin Richards is unique, even among those classified as Omega-level mutants, because of the extraordinary extent of his powers. Unlike other heroes who have specialized abilities such as super strength or energy control, Franklin has the ability to manipulate and change reality itself, allowing him to alter existence at his whim.

Franklin possesses a remarkable set of skills that allow him to manipulate matter and energy, exhibit psychic powers such as telekinesis and telepathy, transport himself through space (teleportation), and even create mini-universes. These aren’t just figments of his imagination but fully-fledged realities with their own physical rules and inhabitants. In numerous comic book plots, Franklin has shown signs of immortality, foresight, out-of-body experiences (astral projection), and the power to revive others. Due to the vastness of Franklin’s powers, writers frequently devise narrative explanations to restrict or momentarily suppress his abilities to preserve dramatic intensity.

The precedent that might apply to Franklin’s possible impact on the MCU is drawn from his actions post the Onslaught saga in 1996. In this storyline, it seemed like the Avengers and Fantastic Four were annihilated while battling the psychic entity Onslaught. However, unconsciously, Franklin generated an entire alternate reality (later known as “Heroes Reborn” universe) where these heroes survived. This alternative world presented revised versions of familiar characters with different backstories and bonds, offering Marvel a chance to modernize classic characters while maintaining continuity in a roundabout way. When the editorial focus changed a few months later, Franklin’s powers offered an in-story justification for reintroducing these heroes into the main Marvel universe.

In Hickman’s tenure, something reminiscent occurred prior to 2015’s “Secret Wars”. As the multiverse started to crumble due to repeated “Incursions” – destructive clashes between universes as depicted in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” – a grown-up Franklin Richards teamed up with Reed to save shards of existence. Later, after Doctor Doom fashioned Battleworld from these pieces and ruled like a deity, Reed, Franklin, and Valeria put the multiverse back together, blending aspects from different realities into a renewed narrative.

The MCU has carefully set up the foundation for similar advancements in storytelling. For instance, Loki delved into the idea of alternate timelines and their repercussions. Spider-Man: No Way Home showed that characters from entirely different cinematic universes could cross over. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania expanded upon the quantum realm as a junction connecting realities. These storylines form a structure within which Franklin’s reality-altering powers would make sense as a natural extension of existing principles.

In simpler terms, Brad Winderbaum from Marvel has clarified that completely rebooting their storyline is challenging due to the deep fan connection with the existing stories. Instead, they plan to develop their universe further while respecting its rich history – much like how Franklin’s powers could allow for a gentle update or “soft reboot.

The movie “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” hits theaters on July 25, 2025. Next up is “Avengers: Doomsday,” set for release on May 1, 2026. This will be followed by “Avengers: Secret Wars” on May 7, 2027.

As a fan, I’m curious about the potential impact of Franklin Richards in the upcoming “Avengers: Secret Wars.” Could it be possible that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is on the brink of a soft reboot in the near future? Let’s delve deeper into this intriguing topic and share our thoughts below!

Read More

2025-04-13 06:11