The Fantastic Four: First Steps has literally changed everything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With the Multiverse Saga rapidly approaching its end, the MCU has finally introduced some of the most iconic characters from the Marvel roster of heroes.

Marvel’s First Family redefined what superhero comics could be, and launched a whole new era for Marvel Comics – and now, more than 50 years after they appeared on the pages of the comics for the first time, they have done the same in the MCU.

Along with shifting the balance of power, introducing overwhelming villains, and expanding the multiverse, these heroes are also getting into position to usher in a new saga with their return in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars alongside Doctor Doom – which may explain why The Fantastic Four: First Steps has so many major game-changers moments in its story.

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Doctor Doom’s Live-Action Debut

Speaking of Victor von Doom, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ mid-credits scene delivered an absolutely multiverse-shattering moment with the debut of Doctor Doom. This moment is brief, but extremely poignant, considering what’s next for the multiverse with the upcoming Avengers films.

The scene sees a man in a green cloak, with a metal mask held in one hand, bent down in front of Franklin Richards, and hiding his face from the view of Sue Storm and the audience. This is clearly Doom, but his presence in this scene suggests he will form some sort of connection with young Franklin.

Considering Franklin’s powers, and Doom’s hunger for power, it appears as though Franklin may be a target or a tool for Doom, as he attempts to take control of the multiverse, and shape and bend reality to his will.

Of course, Doctor Doom is likely to possess some diverse abilities on his own without the aid of Franklin Richards, and his mere presence is already casting a looming shadow over the future of the MCU and the Multiverse as a whole. Doom is arguably the most terrifying villain to join the MCU to date, and his story is just beginning.

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Galactus’ Trip To The Edge Of Reality

In addition, Galactus, aka the Devourer of Worlds, also debuted in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This is the first appearance of the character in the MCU, and while he resides in the reality that is home to Earth-828, it’s terrifying to see this cosmic force arrive in the MCU.

That said, Galactus is ultimately overwhelmed by the powers of the heroes in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ ending, and he finds himself transported away to a distant point in space by one of Reed’s incredible teleportation machines. But the issue remains that this could potentially create new problems for the MCU in the future.

Galactus is not ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. And with Reed’s invention being somewhat unpredictable in how it operates when scaled up to such a degree that it could work on Galactus, it could have sent the Great Devourer much further afield than anticipated.

This could mean that Galactus may begin wreaking havoc in the Sacred Timeline, or that he will slowly make his way back to Earth-828, but either way, Galactus is still an enormous threat.

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Franklin Richards’ Birth Changes Everything

Galactus also made Reed and his family aware that Reed and Sue’s child, Franklin, possessed the incredible force known as the Power Cosmic. This is the same power that fuels Galactus and allows him to consume and travel throughout the universe.

Franklin may be just an infant, but even in this immature state, First Steps revealed that Franklin is capable of doing spectacular things with his powers, such as bringing a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Sue Storm back to life.

This power exists on a totally different level to anything seen before or since in the MCU, and if it’s anything like the comics, Franklin could literally have the power to end and create entire realities through simple thought alone.

This shift in the power dynamic presents incredible new opportunities for the heroes, but it also invites exploitation from villains like Doom. And depending on how much Franklin can consciously exercise his abilities as a child, it could lead to the restructuring of the entire multiverse in the MCU.

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There’s A Real Family Of Superheroes In The MCU

The MCU started out with a dysfunctional team of individual heroes: the Avengers. Over time, these wildcards found ways to work together, and their love and respect made them a stronger team, but ultimately, when push came to shove with the Sokovia Accords, they fractured and fell apart.

In deep space, the opportunistic space pirates known as the Guardians of the Galaxy have also made an effort to focus on missions that help others, but even this team has changed and split up over time, with the heroes going their separate ways.

More recently, in Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, new Avengers groups have formed – but across the board, all of these groups struggle to find a way to come together and work as a true team.

However, thanks to the arrival of the Fantastic Four, there is now a real family of superheroes in the MCU, who have one another’s best interests at heart, and who have years of experience working together both before and after gaining powers.

This is a total game-changer for the MCU, and presents potentially the most effective, cohesive, and uniquely powerful team of superheroes to ever appear in the expanse of the MCU.

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Reed Richards Sets A New Standard For Smartest Man Alive

Tony Stark proved to be one of the most brilliant minds on the planet, with his inventions literally changing the world on several occasions. Stark’s weapon development days and Iron Man suits are prime examples of Tony’s inventive genius, which can also be seen through his work on the Ultron program, and his work harnessing time travel.

However, since his death, it’s unclear who the new brightest mind is in the MCU. Bruce Banner was depicted as being of similar intelligence, and Shuri and Riri Williams are both young geniuses capable of building incredible works of engineering.

However, Reed Richards blows all of these individuals out of the water with his designs, literally changing the face of Earth-828, and introducing advanced technologies to the mainstream in what is the equivalent of the 1960s of their reality.

Reed’s inventions, his innovative creativity, and his extraordinary comprehension of science, mathematics, and the multiverse around him make him one of the most brilliant people to ever live in the MCU. Looking at his work with concepts like faster than light travel, teleportation machines, and flying cars, it’s evident that Reed’s intelligence is unrivaled.

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Latveria Expands The World Of The MCU Even Further

One of the more subtle additions to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps is Latveria. This fictional kingdom is a pivotal part of Doctor Doom’s story in the comics, and is alluded to with a Latveria plaque in the scene wherein Sue Storm forms the Future Foundation, showing Latveria’s representative is missing from this meeting.

Doctor Doom is conventionally depicted as the ruler of Latveria, and many of his choices are influenced by his concern for his people, and his desire to accumulate ever more power to keep them safe. This may prove to be the most threatening addition to the landscape of the MCU, since Doom is also notoriously ruthless.

Latveria also serves as a homebase for Doctor Doom, meaning it could well play a part in the upcoming stories of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever the case may be, though, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has set Latveria well on its way to becoming a larger part of the MCU later down the line.