The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Powerhouse Just Made an Enemy of One of MCU’s Most Powerful Figures

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters, officially kicking off Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by introducing the iconic super-team. The film wastes no time establishing its world, bringing in not just the core four but also their extended family, including the charming robot H.E.R.B.I.E. and the infant Franklin Richards. Plus, as the first chapter in a phase that will culminate in the massive crossover events Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the movie clearly connects to the overarching Multiverse Saga. However, while much of the MCU is currently focused on alternate timelines, First Steps has a curious hook to the universe’s mystical side, which is rumored to gain more importance in Phase 7. That’s because The Fantastic Four: First Steps sets one of its most powerful new characters on an inevitable collision course with one of the MCU’s most formidable mystic figures.

Warning: Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps below.

The climax of The Fantastic Four: First Steps revolves around the team’s desperate plan to stop Galactus (Ralph Ineson) from claiming the newborn Franklin, whose latent reality-warping abilities make him a being of immense cosmic importance. The final confrontation sees Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) expend all of her energy to push Galactus through a portal leading to a different corner of the universe, an act of heroism that saves the world but costs her her life. As Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) holds her body, a grieving Franklin reaches out for his mother. Reed places the baby on her chest, and in that moment, Franklin’s power brings her back from the dead, her eyes glowing with energy as she draws a new breath.

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This act of resurrection is a staggering display of power, proving that even as an infant, Franklin can permanently alter the most fundamental laws of life and death. At the same time, while the Fantastic Four see it as a miracle, this event is a profound violation of the natural order. By reversing a death, Franklin has undoubtedly attracted the attention of the very entity that governs it, Death (Aubrey Plaza) herself, who was recently introduced in the Disney+ series Agatha All Along.

Will Franklin Richards Face Death After the Multiversal Saga?

The Disney+ series Agatha All Along fundamentally changed the cosmic landscape of the MCU by introducing Death as a literal entity. Initially disguised as the Green Witch Rio Vidal, she is revealed to be a primordial force of the universe, the very embodiment of life’s end. The series establishes that she is not a villain in the traditional sense, but an abstract being whose existence is a fundamental law of reality. Throughout the series, she is shown to be impervious to the most powerful forms of magic, demonstrating that she cannot be fought, harmed, or defeated, as she is an inevitable constant.

The central conflict of Agatha All Along provides a clear understanding of Death’s rules and power. Her entire focus is on Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke), whom she deems an “abomination” because his very existence violates her domain. Billy’s soul, magically created by the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), cheated its fate by reincarnating into the body of a boy who had already died. This act is a perversion of the natural order, a cosmic loophole that Death cannot abide.

Franklin Richards’ resurrection of his mother is a far more direct violation of Death’s law. While Billy’s soul found a way to sidestep the rules, Franklin’s power was used to shatter them entirely by forcibly pulling a soul back from Death’s realm and restoring it to its original body. This is a direct challenge to Death’s authority and the very concept of permanence that she embodies.

While the immediate future of the MCU is focused on the multiversal threats of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, this transgression has undoubtedly put Franklin on Death’s radar. His miraculous act of love has made an enemy of one of the universe’s most fundamental and implacable forces, setting the stage for a future conflict where the young powerhouse must answer for breaking a rule that was meant to be absolute.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available in theaters.

Do you think Frankling Richards’ defiance of Death will have repercussions in the MCU? Share your theories in the comments!