Marvel boss Kevin Feige has recently confirmed that Avengers: Secret Wars will culminate in a “reset” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a new theory could explain how in the wake of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Secret Wars will be concluding the MCU’s Multiverse Saga in December 2027, but only a few Marvel Studios projects have actually explored the concept of the multiverse head-on. One of the most prominent is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which brought audiences to the alternate reality of Earth 828, and this could prove pivotal to the end of Secret Wars.
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This Reddit theory was posed prior to the premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, 2025, but could still hold the secrets to the MCU’s upcoming reset. Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are both expected to feature incursions ravaging the multiverse and destroying many different realities. This could include the MCU’s Earth 616, 20th Century Fox’s Earth 10005, which houses the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four’s Earth 828. The theory suggests the latter could be restored – perhaps by Franklin Richards – which would allow future MCU stories to take place on this 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world.
The Fantastic Four received their superpowers on Earth 828 in 1961 – reflecting the year they debuted in Marvel Comics – and the bulk of the action in First Steps takes place four years later. The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ brilliant mid-credits scene takes place yet another four years later, placing the year at roughly 1969. This is where a restored universe could pick up from, with future MCU adventures having ’60s and ’70s textures, and allowing classic Marvel characters to be recast, while some mainstays from the MCU could jump ship and join the newly-restored reality.
Heroes from the MCU’s Earth 616 with nothing to lose, such as Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Peter Parker’s Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Bruce Banner’s Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and more could join the new continuity, embracing their new place in the past. Others, including Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Steve Rogers’ Captain America, and Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow, could be recast for the 1960s-inspired world. By doing this, these characters could take more inspiration from their roots in Marvel Comics, while this also provides the perfect way for some of the biggest mysteries facing the MCU’s new X-Men team to be addressed.
Most notably, there has been confusion about how old the MCU’s X-Men will be. Some, including Professor X and Magneto, have important backstories tied to real-world events, such as World War II and the Holocaust. Setting future X-Men movies in the ’60s or ’70s would allow these mutant characters to still be young and vibrant. Of course, there are currently no other heroes on Earth 828, but a restoration of reality in Avengers: Secret Wars could change this. The newly-introduced Franklin Richards has the power to do this, and it could set up an exciting, retro-futuristic future for the MCU.
Do you want to see future MCU projects on The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Earth 828? Let us know in the comments!
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