The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a lot on its plate. For starters, it needs to introduce an all-new iteration of Marvel’s First Family and ensure it doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the previous ones. The first 20 minutes or so of the movie go out of their way to showcase the characters’ chemistry, and that works to its advantage because it can then turn its attention to the villains. Silver Surfer arrives on Earth and warns of the arrival of her master, Galactus, who intends to devour the planet and kill anyone who tries to stop him. Of course, that doesn’t sit right with a group of heroes, so they roll up their sleeves and work to find a solution.
What the Fantastic Four comes up with isn’t foolproof, as Galactus sees through their ruse on the planet’s surface rather quickly. However, the Devourer of Worlds isn’t watching his own back, which allows his former herald, Silver Surfer, to push him through a wormhole, stranding them both in the far reaches of the galaxy. Here are three ways Galactus and the Silver Surfer can return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after First Steps.
Galactus reveals during his first meeting with the Fantastic Four that he was once as small as all of them, meaning he wasn’t born with a giant planet-eating machine. He made upgrades over the years to make his mission easier, and he could do it again. While it might take a while, there’s a world in which Galactus returns to Earth-828 to get his revenge, and the Fantastic Four have to beat him all over again.
As for Silver Surfer, her situation is very different from that of her former boss. Her board allows her to travel at great speed, as its purpose is to get her to planets long before Galactus’ arrival to ensure their viability. If she keeps her abilities, Shall-Bal should be able to link up with Johnny Storm and Co. again as soon as one of the next two Avengers movies.
Travelling across the galaxy to settle a score sounds like a lot of work. Fortunately, there are sure to be some realities where Galactus doesn’t need to put in all that extra effort. The multiverse remains a central aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since another Fantastic Four villain, Doctor Doom, is coming after it in Avengers: Doomsday, there’s sure to be room for a variant of the Devourer of Worlds and his herald to lend a hand.
There’s already one universe where both characters are confirmed to exist, the one that Tim Story’s Fantastic Four movies take place in. While seeing the giant purple cloud again may not be in the cards, The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer‘s post-credits scene confirms the survival of the titular being. Maybe Marvel Studios will take another oppurtunity to clean up Fox’s mess.
The most intriguing possibility of the three doesn’t involve the version of Galactus and Silver Surfer from First Steps at all. In the latest MCU movie, Galactus tries to pawn off his power to Franklin Richards, who he learns holds the Power Cosmic. If Franklin’s strength continues to grow, there’s a chance he will become a new iteration of the Devourer of Worlds, just like his comic book counterpart.
With that box checked, Franklin would be free to choose anyone as his herald. His uncle Johnny makes the most sense, though, as he offers up his services to the Silver Surfer in First Steps and has been a herald before in the comics. If not him, the MCU’s version of Norrin Radd can enter the picture.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is streaming on Disney+.
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