Marvel has revealed exactly what Galactus plans are in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, posing a huge problem for the titular team in their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. Yorkshire actor Ralph Ineson joined the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps back in May 2024, when he was announced to be bringing Marvel Comics’ planet-eater Galactus into live-action. This will mark the characters real live-action debut after Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer butchered the cosmic being. Ineson’s Galactus will be far more terrifying, especially because he’ll be staging a personal attack on the Fantastic Four.
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In newly-released footage from a TV spot ahead of the premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, 2025, the Fantastic Four reveal Galactus’ demands for Earth’s protection during a press conference (via Reddit). The team confirm they weren’t able to defeat Galactus’ attack and they’re not sure whether Earth is safe as the Devourer asked too high a price. Galactus seemingly suggested he would not attack Earth as long as the Fantastic Four hand over Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s son, Franklin Richards, who is expected to be born fairly early on in the Phase 6 movie.
In Marvel Comics, Galactus travels around the universe with his Power Cosmic-enhanced Heralds, including the Silver Surfer, in search of suitable worlds for him to consume in order to sustain his life-force. Marvel Studios is giving Galactus’ arrival on the retro-futuristic, 1960s-inspired Earth in The Fantastic Four: Four Steps a more powerful and personal explanation, however, as he seeks Franklin Richards. Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby’s new MCU heroes will surely be reluctant to hand over their son, even though sacrificing Franklin could be the only way to stop Galactus’ onslaught.
Franklin Richards was born a mutant in Marvel Comics – one with reality warping and pocket universe-creating powers. This explains Galactus’ want for Franklin in First Steps, as Richards and Storm’s son has the power to create an infinite amount of worlds that Galactus can feast on to his heart’s delight. Previous trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps have already shown Galactus coming to Earth and walking across the surface, causing a huge amount of destruction, which suggests the Fantastic Four will not easily give up Franklin. This, in turn, could explain the team’s move to the MCU’s Earth-616.
If it’s the Fantastic Four’s refusal to give up Franklin Richards that directly leads to Galactus destroying and devouring their world, they may escape to an alternate universe out of sheer shame and remorse. This explains their arrival in Earth-616 in 2026’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, though they could bring Galactus with them, especially since he’ll still be searching for Franklin. The young Richards could provide Galactus with all the food he needs to sustain himself forever, so the planet-eater surely won’t give up his hunt so easily.
What do you make of Galactus’ hunt for Franklin Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Let us know in the comments!
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