Marvel Studios will finally be introducing Galactus to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the cosmic planet-eater will make us want a sequel to a Phase 4 movie even more. In the years since his debut in 1966, Galactus has become one of Marvel Comics’ most notable characters; neither a hero nor a villain, Galactus travels the universe with his Heralds searching for worlds to devour in order to sustain himself. In 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Galactus will be targeting the Earth of an alternate MCU reality for his meal.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be introducing Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as a new version of Marvel’s First Family. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm will already be world-famous heroes in their 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic universe, yet the arrival of Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), will debut their most terrifying and unstoppable adversary yet. Galactus won’t be the first towering cosmic being seen in the MCU, however, so his introduction will make us want to see the franchise’s original cosmic villains again.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Will Remind Us How Well the MCU Handles Massive Cosmic Characters
One of the many powers harbored by Galactus both in Marvel Comics and in the MCU is his ability to change his size. This means Galactus will be able to shrink himself to walk across the surface of the Earth, as seen in trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, Galactus’ usual form, the one he assumes when traveling through the universe, is that of a massive, armored, humanoid being, big enough to consume entire planets with ease. And Marvel Studios has already shown just how cinematic and spectacular the appearance of such giant beings can be.
The MCU introduced us to the Celestials way back in Thor: The Dark World’s post-credits scene, which saw Lady Sig and Volstagg approach the Collector in Knowhere. Since then, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Captain America: Brave New World have explored Celestials in more detail, but one project has focused on them more than any other. 2021’s Eternals became one of the MCU’s most polarizing movies with its Phase 4 release, but its exploration and depiction of Celestials received great praise.
Galactus is not a Celestial in Marvel Comics, and so probably won’t be one in the MCU either, despite speculation that they might be connected. Nevertheless, the scale of Galactus is very similar to that of the Celestials, so the fact that Marvel delivered the likes of Arishem, Tiamut, and more with such scale, presence, and authority suggests Galactus will be done justice in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Bringing another huge cosmic character back to the MCU will surely make us want a sequel to the Celestials’ best Marvel movie, even though one hasn’t yet been confirmed.
Eternals 2 Would Be the Best Place For Marvel to Further Develop the MCU’s Celestials
Directed by Chloé Zhao in her MCU directorial debut, Eternals was a wild departure from the typical Marvel movie formula. Unfortunately, this meant it also became one of the franchise’s most divisive projects, with some criticizing the movie’s rushed narrative and underdeveloped characters amid a rise in so-called “superhero fatigue.” The initial mixed response to Eternals pushed Marvel to shelve any plans for a possible sequel, despite the original leaving many questions unanswered, and its remaining characters deserving far more attention in the MCU.
In recent months, Eternals has received a lot of retrospective admiration and praise, with many looking back on it and reevaluating their initial criticisms. During a 2024 conversation with Inverse, Kevin Feige suggested there are “no immediate plans for Eternals 2,” but Galactus’s debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps might lead to a rise in desire for a follow-up to Zhao’s MCU debut. Galactus’ immense scale will make us want to see the Celestials return to the MCU, and a possible Eternals 2 would be the perfect place for this to happen.
Eternals 2 could perhaps take us back into the MCU’s past, perhaps revealing where the Celestials came from, and giving us more insight into what their powers really are. It would be incredible to see the Eternals and the Celestials return in the MCU’s future, perhaps during or after Phase 6’s Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Until then, however, Galactus will be the only massive cosmic being seen in the MCU, establishing a real threat to Marvel’s First Family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is scheduled to release in theaters on July 25, 2025.
Do you want to see Marvel Studios put Eternals 2 into development? Let us know in the comments!
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