The Fantastic Four: First Steps has brought Marvel’s First Family into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but now they need to avoid an earlier mistake. The MCU enjoyed spectacular success throughout the Infinity Saga, with the franchise getting to a point of earning roughly a billion dollars per film, but the Multiverse Saga has had a much more challenging run.

With several tent pole heroes out of the picture, the MCU needed to reset, and the box office has reflected the shift, with Marvel movies now sticking to a comparatively small $400 million or so per release (via The Numbers).

The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Initial Results Demonstrate Considerable Interest In The Team’s MCU Debut

The Fantastic Four Have Staying Power For The Future Of The MCU

While the MCU has had more mixed results recently, the franchise has still successfully introduced a handful of new heroes during this time. The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ strong opening weekend bodes well for the team in this regard, with the film earning $118 million (via Variety). However, their future is potentially more important than their debut.

It appears as though the film industry is still recovering from the effects of a global pandemic, and a shift to watching new releases on streaming platforms a few months after release. This is likely part of the reason that the movie is Marvel’s biggest non-sequel opening since 2019’s Captain Marvel, which earned $154 million (via Puck).

However, with modern releases having a much more challenging time climbing to the billion dollar benchmark, The Fantastic Four and Marvel need to focus on ways to build on the success of this film, and make the team a more central part of the MCU.

The MCU Needs To Capitalize On The Fantastic Four’s Initial Success Rather Than Mirroring A Delayed Sequel Scenario

The MCU Used To Move Much Faster When It Came To Sequels

Back when the MCU began, they released two Iron Man movies in two years. Similarly, Phase Two – up until the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron – consisted of a sequel for each of the MCU’s central heroes, giving Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America movie follow-ups alongside one movie introducing a new team.

But today, the reverse is more often true. In Phases Four and Five, more new heroes and teams have been introduced to the MCU, with a handful of sequels for previously established heroes from the Infinity Saga, and no sequels to any of the new releases.

This is perhaps best seen in the case of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a movie that earned $432 million at the box office and received rave reviews (via The Numbers). Yet, despite this, four years later, there is no date for a sequel, and Shang-Chi’s next appearance in the franchise is confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel needs to ensure this doesn’t happen to The Fantastic Four, as these heroes are set to be an insтιтution in the next chapter of the MCU. By simply setting out a clear date for a sequel, and continuing to build on their popularity, hopefully The Fantastic Four: First Steps will have a very different fate to Shang-Chi.