Arriving in the middle of a major creative rehaul, Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, played it safe. While this meant the story followed familiar beats for longtime fans, the movie also delivered a well-deserved redemption for one of Marvel’s most iconic antagonists, Galactus. The villain had previously appeared in live-action as an uninspired cloud of cosmic smoke, but the new film opted for a comic-accurate design that brought the character’s intimidating presence to the forefront, with Ralph Ineson stepping into the colossal role. Galactus is, without question, one of the highlights of the movie, a terrifying force of nature whose sheer scale and power were expertly realized on screen. Despite this successful reintroduction, his future in the MCU remains frustratingly uncertain.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps establishes its antagonist as a force of nature, portraying Galactus as a tragic figure compelled by an insatiable hunger. The film makes it clear that his world-ending actions are a matter of survival, removing malice from the equation entirely. This characterization honors the core spirit of Galactus’ comic book origins, where he is also depicted as a being beyond simple villainy, driven by a cosmic need that makes him a catastrophic threat. By grounding his motivation in this inescapable necessity, the film sets a powerful precedent for his future.
The climax of The Fantastic Four: First Steps sees the First Family teleporting the Devourer of Worlds to a distant corner of the universe, but he is not destroyed. Stranded without his ship and his herald, his all-consuming hunger will only grow stronger, inevitably leading to a rematch with Earth’s heroes. The problem is that audiences have no idea when this rematch is coming.
It Might Take a While for Galactus to Return to the MCU
The MCU has faced a period of adjustment following the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. In the years after Avengers: Endgame, the franchise has struggled with inconsistent critical and fan reception, alongside diminishing box office returns for several projects. In response, Marvel Studios is course-correcting its strategy, electing to produce fewer projects to increase the overall quality of its output. This new model means that a direct sequel to Fantastic Four: First Steps is not immediately assured. While the film was met with generally positive reviews, its global box office of $521.9 million, while respectable, may not have met the high expectations for Marvel’s First Family, making a sequel less of a pressing priority for the studio.
Furthermore, for the next two years, Marvel Studios is fully focused on providing a definitive conclusion to the Multiverse Saga. The theatrical calendar is strategically lean, with only three films scheduled to close out the current narrative arc: Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars. Once Secret Wars soft-reboots the universe in late 2027, Marvel Studios has signaled that the franchise will shift its focus toward two major properties: the X-Men and the supernatural corner of its universe, with the recently introduced Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) positioned as a significant player. This narrative pivot pushes a potential return for Galactus even further down the line. Based on the current slate and stated future plans, audiences likely should not expect to see the Devourer of Worlds again until 2029 at the earliest.
Galactus Deserves More Time in the MCU’s Spotlight
Delaying the return of Galactus would be a significant misstep because the character is far more than just a one-off villain. In the pages of Marvel Comics, he is a foundational piece of the cosmic landscape, a complex entity whose existence is tied to the very balance of the universe. His mythology connects him to a host of other characters and concepts, including the Silver Surfer, the Celestials, and the abstract entity Eternity, all of which have been underused in the MCU.
Marvel Studios has barely scratched the surface of what makes Galactus such a compelling figure. Future stories could delve into his origins as the mortal explorer Galan from a universe that existed before our own, or they could position him as a reluctant ally against an even greater cosmic threat. To relegate such a multifaceted character to a long-term hiatus would be a waste of his potential. Sadly, it seems there’s no pening on Marvel Studios’ current agenda for Galactus to return.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available on Disney+. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.
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