Major spoiler warning: This article will involve plot details of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps".
Fantastic Four: Step One is set in a world that is completely different from most Marvel cinematic universes—numbered Earth-828.This world is like a sci-fi fantasy future of the 1960s that was realized in reality, full of retro technology and utopian visions.This "independent universe" setting gives the film a unique temperament; it is one of the most complete MCU works in recent years.It starts from its own rhythm, unfolds and constrains its own story.
We know that Fantastic Four has been confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which will be released next year—after all, Doctor Doom is their nemesis.Although the main task of this film is to introduce the new Fantastic Four and its new members Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Stone (Vanessa Kirby), there are very few preparations for "The Doomsday Trial"...
until the end-credits egg appears.
The film jumped to four years later, when Franklin was already a toddler.Su was reading to him, and when she left the room to get another book, a mysterious figure quietly descended.When she returned, she saw a silent figure in a green cloak and a metal mask looking down at her son, and she was stunned.Although the director Matt Shakman denied it, the fact is: Doctor Doom did appear in the movie—although it only appeared for only five seconds.
This brief appearance brings more mystery about the Doomsday Trial: Is Robert Downey Jr. playing Victor von Doom from Earth-828?Has he already fought with the Fantastic Four?Or is this the first time they realized that Reed's mortal enemy in college turned out to be the most dangerous super villain in the world?
A further question is: What exactly does Doctor Doomsday want?What is his motivation?And why is Franklin so important?
In Marvel Comics, Franklin Richards is a powerful mutant with the ability to change reality, a power derived from his inherited cosmic ray mutation gene from his parents.In "Fantastic Four: Step 1", he is also portrayed as an existence with great potential - this force has even become the core driving force for the development of the entire film.
The villain of this film is Galatus (played by Ralph Ineson), an ancient life that has existed for billions of years now just wants to rest in peace.He believes that the cosmic power contained in Franklin is enough to take over his responsibility to maintain the balance of the universe.Although Franklin only showed real power once in the film - in the climax, he used a touch to bring his mother back to life.
It is not difficult to speculate that Doctor Doomsday has also set his sights on this child.(Of course, Franklin may have mastered some new skills during this time.) Although Kidnap the enemy's son is not a rare move for Doom, his interest in Franklin is by no means just to hit Reed.
As the first chapter of the two plots, "The Doomsday" is just the beginning and will eventually climax in "Avengers: Secret Wars".The latter's name comes from two classic Marvel comics: one is a classic in 1984 written by then-Marvel editor Jim Shooter and drawn by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton; the other is a modern version reshaped by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić in 2015.
Although the story backgrounds of these two Secret Wars are very different, Doctor Doom plays similar key roles.
In the original work in 1984, a god-level alien life form named Beyonder summoned the strongest hero and villain on Earth to gather in Battleworld, a alien "battlefield world" just to please himself.Doctor Doom usurped the transcendent's divine power and became the ultimate threat to the story.And in the 2015 version, the entire Transcendent Race attempts to destroy the multiverse to open up new life, while Dumm tries to stop them.With the help of Doctor Strange and Molecule Man, Dumm eliminates the transcendent and uses his power to create a new Battleworld, proclaiming himself "God Emperor" to rule everything.
I think the MCU version of "Secret War" will most likely revolve around Dumm's rule over Battleworld.We have previously guessed that Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) may replace the position of the transcendent and become the supreme existence that Doom must overthrow; and Sentinel (Lewis Pullman) may play the role of a gangster, responsible for manipulating reality to maintain the stability of Battleworld.However, Step One seems to offer us another possibility: Franklin will assume the functions of both roles at the same time, and Doom will either become his controller or a predator to absorb his power.
In the 2015 "Secret War", Dumm's royal family includes Sue, Franklin, and Reed and Sue's daughter Valeria.Maybe Downey’s Doom will take Franklin away and raise him as his adopted son?The climax of the story is that the Molecule (an existence that carries the power of the transcendent like a battery) takes back the power given to Dum and hand it over to Reed.If this power is given to the father by Reed's son in the movie, it will be more emotionally tension and symbolic.
It is worth noting that although we did not see Dum's face in the ending easter egg of "The First Step", Franklin saw it.Dum has always shown himself as a mask and rarely takes it off, so this time he may want to win the trust of his children by showing his scarred face.This also raises an unavoidable question: the actor who plays Doctor Doomsday is Robert Downey Jr., who once played the MCU soul character "Iron Man" Tony Stark.
In the cover of the 11th issue of "Secret War" in 1984, Dum healed his facial scars after seizing the power of the transcendent. The scene showed the moment when he took off his mask and showed his handsome face in a dramatic shot.
Imagine: For most of the time in "Avengers: Doom", Dum always wore a mask; even if he occasionally showed his true face, his face was full of scars, making it difficult to recognize the actor behind him.However, when he finally ascended to the altar and completed his self-salvation, he slowly took off his mask, revealing a familiar face - the face of Tony Stark, our once loved old friend.At that moment, both ordinary audiences and the Avengers will fall into shock and shock.
"Fantastic Four: Step One" is now available in theaters.