The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ post-credits scene is a classic MCU stinger, introducing the next major Marvel villain and setting up what’s to come in Phase 6. Although one of the hallmarks of the MCU, the after-credits teases had lost their way a bit in recent years, too often reliant on stunt casting (e.g. Harry Styles as Starfox) and setting up things that there’s seemingly zero intention of paying off. Thunderbolts* and First Steps have got things back on track with a clearer line of progression, especially with the latter’s having Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) seemingly about to kidnap Franklin Richards.
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Presumably, Victor von Doom wasn’t just trying to find out how he can get his hands on one of the F4’s blue costumes (green is more his color anyway), but the movie itself gives us very little to go on. However, that could change in December, because the first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is expected to release, so that it can be played in front of Avatar: Fire and Ash. If that does happen then, given the Fantastic Four post-credits scene was actually filmed on the set of Doomsday by the Russo Brothers, it’d make sense for it to provide some more context.
Why Does Doctor Doom Want Franklin Richards?
Given the hype around Doom, and more specifically Downey Jr’s return, plus the fact the movie is called Doomsday, then it’d be fair to expect the Avengers 5 teaser to go fairly hard on the villain. He’s one of its biggest selling points, but it needs to find the balance of putting him front and center without giving too much away. Since we already know that he’s interacted with Franklin, and the assumption is that he’s taken him somewhere else in the multiverse (likely Earth-616) with his parents and uncles following, that’d be quite easy to include more of in the footage.
As for why Doom wants Franklin, the answer presumably lies in the child’s powers. In Marvel Comics, Franklin is an omega-level mutant with incredible reality-bending abilities that stretch beyond just his own universe. We get a mere glimpse of that when he resurrects his mother, Sue Storm, but his potential is far greater, and that’s something the not-so-good Doctor may be looking to exploit in Avengers: Doomsday.
In the 2015 comic event Secret Wars, the Marvel multiverse was faced with extinction; only two universes survived, and were headed for a collision that would’ve wiped out all of existence. Doom used the powers of Molecule Man in order to merge the universes into Battleworld, while also rewriting reality to make himself God Emperor Doom. With the MCU having already established the multiverse and the threat of incursions, it’s very possible something similar is happening, but with Franklin’s powers being used by Doom rather than having to introduce yet another new character.
It may even be that Doom sees himself as the hero: that he is the one who can save the multiverse from extinction. This would make sense, given the last Avengers villain, Thanos, also saw himself as the savior of the universe and the only one prepared to do what was necessary. With Victor von Doom’s incredible ego and arrogance, it’d make sense for that to be the case here, only on a multiversal scale. If this is indeed what Marvel has planned, then Doomsday‘s trailer should give some major hints towards that, and can shed much greater light on The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ end-credits scene and how Franklin fits into the bigger MCU picture.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now streaming on Disney+. Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters on December 18th, 2026.
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
