"I herald...Galactus."

"This equation not only confirms alternate dimensions, it suggests that parallel Earths exist on different dimensional planes..."

 Reed Richards, The Fantastic Four

We're three weeks out from the commercial release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and I'm wondering if it's going to be an epic catastrophe.

Let me be clear: in saying that, I don't mean to say that the film is going to bomb at the box office (although I have some misgivings about Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards*), or that the franchise is cursed (even if this is, coincidentally, the fourth reboot of the concept), but rather that I think that the Fantastic Four are going to fail in their duty to protect the planet.  Galactus, an entity of immeasurable power who consumes the life force of worlds in order to survive, is going to destroy their world, and they will be the only survivors, trans-dimensional refugees seeking a new home on a parallel Earth. 

In Galactus' original appearance in the Fantastic Four comic book**, he is defeated with the aid of Uatu the Watcher, a cosmic being who is charged with watching over our dimension.***  

Uatu violates his oath of passive observation to help the Fantastic Four save the Earth by sending the Human Torch to steal the Ultimate Nullifier, a weapon of infinite destructive power, from Galactus' spaceship.  Threatened with destruction, Galactus agrees to find another world to devour, and departs.

Why do I think that the movie's conclusion may be different?  None of the trailers show anything suggesting that the FF are getting any help from the Watcher, although they may be helped by the Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus, who in the comics version attempts to thwart his**** master's will but only succeeds in delaying him.  (As punishment, Galactus imprisons the Silver Surfer on Earth.)  Left to their own resources, it's entirely possible that Reed and the gang might be unable to stop an all-powerful cosmic being. 

Second, there's that tantalizing after-credits scene from The Thunderbolts, where the team's computer announces that it has detected an "extra dimensional ship entering atmosphere", and then displays a satellite image of a ship marked with the distinctive 4 symbol.

The same ship is shown in the First Steps trailers, and I can easily imagine Reed Richards frantically adjusting the ship's drive to create an interdimensional portal to allow the team to escape as Galactus consumes their Earth - yes, it could just be an exploratory flight, but drama dictates a more significant - and possibly disastrous - reason for the ship's appearance.

I could easily be wrong in my speculation.  In the comics, Reed spends most of his spare time building portals into alternate dimensions (which, come to think of it, causes most of the problems that the team has to deal with).  As such, it's not hard to imagine that they might end up visiting what we'll call the MCU dimension, for lack of a better term.

But, but, if I'm right, full points to the creative team - it would be a bold decision to introduce the Fantastic Four to the MCU as escapees from the destruction of a parallel Earth. 

Regardless of how and why the Fantastic Four make their way to the MCU, this raises another question.  It's already been announced that Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom. Given that Victor von Doom is the most intimately connected foe of the Fantastic Four, who do not exist in the MCU universe, in what parallel universe does he originate?  It may well be that the Fantastic Four are fleeing Doctor Doom rather than Galactus - it would certainly be a better setup for Mr. Downey's return than the destruction of Earth-FF.  

But wait, there would have to be some reason that Doctor Doom was Tony Stark, or is it a huge coincidence that they look the same?  And what about von Doom's disfigured face, the result of a failed lab experiment that von Doom blames on Reed Richards?  Is Tony Stark somehow the hereditary ruler of the East European nation of Latveria as well? You know, I give up - it's only 21 days to First Steps, let's just wait and see what happens.

- Sid

* Pedro Pascal: fine actor, no question - but honestly, I agree with the people who think that John Krasinski would have been a better fit for Reed Richards, as already demonstrated in the second Doctor Strange movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

** Issues 48-50, aka The Galactus Trilogy. 

*** Fans of Marvel TV will recognize the Watcher from the What If? animated series on Disney+. 

**** In the trailers for the film, the Surfer is obviously female rather than male. In the comics, the Silver Surfer is Norrin Radd, an alien who strikes a bargain with Galactus to spare his home world in exchange for becoming his servant and seeking out other worlds for consumption.  In this version, the Surfer may well be Radd's companion, Shalla-Bal.