I’ve just realized how perfect the Fantastic Four would be for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on several levels, and now I can’t help but hope they do appear in the 2026 MCU movie. Spider-Man’s MCU story has been told over the span of several of the franchise’s most critically and commercially successful movies, most recently including Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending teased a very different future for the web-slinging hero, both in suggesting a trickier path was ahead of him, and in terms of severing much of his support system. With this backdrop in mind, having the Fantastic Four appear in the story of Spider-Man: Brand New Day seems to make sense for several different reasons.

The Fantastic Four’s Upcoming MCU Debut Makes A Lot Of Long-Awaited Crossover Possible For The Franchise

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a big deal not just in that it’s the first live-action Fantastic Four movie to be released in 10 years, but also because this is the first time we’re getting the characters in this kind of cinematic universe. As such, the 2025 MCU movie is even more of a major matter for Marvel itself.

Since the Fantastic Four are a staple of Marvel’s comic world, their stories have commonly seen them collaborate – or sometimes even fight against – their fellow heroes, but their solo films have largely been unable to adapt this element of the source material. The MCU, however, has a very different setup here, which is an exciting prospect to say the least.

The MCU has already set the wheels in motion for the Fantastic Four crossovers via the reveal they start out in The Fantastic Four: First Steps in another universe. This inherently seems to set up crossover storylines to allow the team to meet people from the main universe, especially since this lets both groups learn more about the multiverse.

Indeed, since Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast is already confirmed to include the Fantastic Four’s main roster, it’s clear the intention is to have the team share the big screen with their fellow Marvel heroes. This makes it all the more interesting that it seems possible that another MCU Fantastic Four crossover could take place first.

The MCU Has Already Made The Fantastic Four Meeting Spider-Man Seem Far More Possible Than Before

The post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* sees the New Avengers witness what appears to be the Fantastic Four’s ship arriving in Earth-616. If the ship does indeed contain the team – and not Doctor Doom as some theories have speculated – this is a major development for the franchise.

Though the MCU could simply not feature the crew until Avengers: Doomsday, it could make sense to build out their story a little more beforehand. Otherwise, the MCU will have to spend time explaining far more of their story in Doomsday, despite it already needing to focus on several factions, setting up Avengers: Secret Wars, and showing off Doctor Doom.

Currently, there are a few other MCU releases set to take place before Avengers: Doomsday puts the focus on the heroes facing off against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. However, it’s unlikely the MCU will have its new flagship heroes appear in a smaller scale release. This makes the fact that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is on the horizon all the more notable.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is certainly a big enough release to justify a Fantastic Four cameo or outright full crossover story, and offers a chance to delve into the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene before Avengers: Doomsday itself kicks off. Looking at Marvel’s comic history, this would make sense for more than just those reasons, too.

The Fantastic Four’s Story Crossing Over With Spider-Man In The MCU Could Draw From Their Considerable Comic History

The Fantastic Four’s comic stories frequently saw them cross paths with Spider-Man, creating an important bond between the young hero and the team, who almost serve as an adoptive superhero family for Peter at points in his comic history. Indeed, one of Spider-Man’s first comics saw him lament about wanting to join the Fantastic Four, showing they go decades back.

This is particularly true when it comes to the Human Torch and Spider-Man, as well. Johnny Storm and Peter Parker have previously been roommates in the comics, and their friendship has been a key aspect of both of their stories, despite their very different personalities and lives.

That said, Johnny isn’t the only member of the team Spider-Man is shown to care about, much as all the team appear to care for him. Peter even took on Johnny’s role in the team during the time wherein the Human Torch appeared to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, and the Fantastic Four instead worked as the Future Foundation.

With this backdrop in mind, not only is there a wealth of stories involving Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four the MCU could adapt, there’s also plenty of reasons to start building their relationship in the movie world. This could also help set up the Avengers movies, by forging this bond beforehand.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Featuring The Fantastic Four Would Make Sense For A Fair Few Reasons

Given the MCU Spider-Man trilogy has historically had big crossovers, it would seem somewhat par for the course for the Fantastic Four to crop up here in some capacity. Even just having Spider-Man: Brand New Day reference something like New York’s New Avengers leaving Spider-Man’s hometown on a mission to get the group could still work.

The fact that Brand New Day acts as a new start for Peter after Spider-Man: No Way Home also means that giving him new connections like a bond with the Fantastic Four would be especially useful. This is doubly true given the MCU could utilize Johnny and Peter’s comic friendship here, balancing out his recent loss of several key relationships.

With Spider-Man: Brand New Day looking to be the next MCU movie to release after The Fantastic Four: First Steps, having the group appear here could have countless benefits for every character involved. This would also mean the Fantastic Four’s story in Doomsday is paved by Thunderbolts*, their own movie, and the fourth Spider-Man film, helping it feel more well-established.