Over the course of the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios has made a habit of bringing actors from the pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe movies back to reprise their roles. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returned for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Hugh Jackman came out of retirement to star in Deadpool & Wolverine. Several veterans of Fox’s X-Men films are part of the massive Avengers: Doomsday ensemble. There’s even been a nod to the original Fantastic Four movies from the 2000s. Chris Evans had a memorable cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine as his variant of Johnny Storm, but there’s been no word on the status of his old teammates. With the Multiverse Saga gearing up to conclude in Avengers: Secret Wars, maybe that could change.
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During a panel at New York Comic Con (via Variety), Fantastic Four stars Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Chiklis addressed the possibility of returning in Secret Wars. “Absolutely,” Gruffudd said to the delight of the crowd. For his response, Chiklis momentarily slid back into character, saying “It’s clobberin’ time.”
Could Marvel Bring Back the Original Fantastic Four Cast in Avengers: Secret Wars?
Upon initial release, the original Fantastic Four movies weren’t very well-received. As comic book adaptations attempted to find their footing in the 2000s, the Fantastic Four duology was criticized for embracing a campy tone and some baffling creative decisions (the cloud version of Galactus). A third installment never came to fruition after Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer saw diminishing returns, but in the years since, the movies have been reevaluated and looked back at fondly by those who grew up with them. Since there’s a feeling of nostalgia for the 2000s’ Fantastic Four movies, Marvel could look for a way to include the cast members in Secret Wars.
Evans’ appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine (which went over very well with fans) proves there’s a willingness to bring back original Fantastic Four actors. Avengers: Secret Wars plot details are being kept under wraps for the time being, but the multiverse angle gives the filmmakers an easy way to pull off a 2000s Fantastic Four reunion. Heroes from numerous realities could get pulled into the conflict against Doctor Doom. Speculation has been rampant that there will be a plethora of cameos in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, ranging from Ghost Rider to variants of Spider-Man. Since the stars of this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps are already confirmed to appear in both, it would be fun to see them meet variants of themselves, setting the stage for an action bit where the two teams work together.
As is the case with any potential Secret Wars cameo, the original Fantastic Four stars should only come back if there’s a strong enough story reason to include them. The legacy characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine worked as well as they did because they filled a key role in the narrative; their appearances felt like an organic part of the plot and not just fan service. The next two Avengers films already have a plethora of characters they need to take care of, and it would be disappointing if they dedicate valuable screen time to cameos that don’t add much value to the film. Fans of the Fantastic Four movies would be upset if Gruffudd, Chiklis, or Jessica Alba came back and didn’t have much to do.
If there are original Fantastic Four actors in Secret Wars, it likely wouldn’t be a reunion of the whole team. Evans’ Johnny Storm met a rather grisly end in Deadpool & Wolverine, meaning fans have probably seen the last of him — unless, of course, there’s another Johnny variant that looks just like Evans. Still, there’s potential to bring the band back together in some way; Evans is rumored to have a key role in Doomsday as Captain America, so there conceivably could be a scene where he meets Gruffudd’s, Chiklis’, and Alba’s versions of Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Sue Storm. There seems to be passion and interest for this across the board, meaning Marvel could try to find a way to make it happen.
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