Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Fantastic Four: First StepsMarvel made a risky move by repeating Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s post-credits tease in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but it seems to be the right decision. Following a major overhaul, Avengers: Doomsday took Avengers: The Kang Dynasty‘s place as the prelude to the MCU’s ambitious Avengers: Secret Wars. Accordingly, Doctor Doom became the franchise’s next big bad.
Although The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a pretty self-contained MCU movie, it drops a major clue about Avengers: Doomsday‘s plot. After the тιтular team defeats Galactus at the end of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Sue Storm witnesses Doctor Doom approach Franklin Richards. This brief scene sets up Doctor Doom’s main villain role just in time for Avengers: Doomsday.
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania’s Post-Credits Scene Set Up Kang To Fail
Kang Wasn’t Locked To Return After Quantumania’s Credits Tease
According to Kevin Feige’s 2025 comments on the MCU’s past and future, Marvel was already considering replacing Kang with Doctor Doom as the Multiverse Saga’s final villain. Early plans to introduce Doom apparently started even before Jonathan Majors’ personal controversies. Hence, it’s safe to say that Marvel wasn’t as confident in Kang’s future as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s post-credits scene made it seem.
The possibility of Kang’s replacement was already open before Quantumania hit theaters
Despite Kang’s seemingly definitive defeat, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s post-credits scene set up a huge showdown between the Council of Kangs and the Avengers. This scene teased the arrival of hundreds of Kang variants in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, all played by Jonathan Majors. Yet, the possibility of Kang’s replacement was already open before Quantumania hit theaters.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Post-Credits Scene Takes A Huge Risk
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania & The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Post-Credits Scenes Are Eerily Similar
Similarly to Quantumania, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ post-credits scene sets up the Avengers’ final multiversal threat. Doctor Doom’s introduction in First Steps‘ credits tease seems to be a central plot point that kicks off the events of Avengers: Doomsday. Previously, the Council of Kangs’ reunion appeared to serve the exact same purpose in relation to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
What’s more, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ post-credits tease takes an even bigger risk and marks the debut of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Quantumania‘s credits scene also introduces several Kang variants, but Kang had just played a main antagonist role. Once again, a prior post-credits tease may be required watching before Avengers: Doomsday‘s theatrical release.
Marvel Studios’ Release Plans Help The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Credits Tease Avoid Quantumania’s Problem
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Directly Tied To Avengers: Doomsday
Unlike Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is narratively and logistically tied to Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel was already deep into Avengers: Doomsday‘s production when The Fantastic Four: First Steps was released. In fact, First Steps‘ post-credits scene was sH๏τ on the Avengers: Doomsday set, with Robert Downey Jr. actually playing Doctor Doom.
Most, if not all, of Marvel’s upcoming movie projects may be closely interconnected. This ensures that the clues dropped in movies like Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps don’t go to waste. Following the success of these movies, Marvel Studios may continue to plan out each link between projects more carefully.
