The Fantastic Four: First Steps Fails To Justify Why The MCU Made A Huge Power Retcon

After The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it still doesn’t really make sense why the MCU make such a big change to Kamala Khan’s powers in Ms. Marvel. Since her first full comic appearance in 2014, Kamala Khan has famously possessed super-stretching abilities, which allow her to enlarge and reshape every part of her body. Only until recently has Marvel modified Kamala’s powerset.

Meanwhile, Reed Richards has kept his iconic super-stretching powers ever since the Fantastic Four’s 1961 comic book introduction. Reed first uses his powers in the MCU during The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ reference-filled opening montage. In it, Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic saves civilians and fights villains like the White Ghost’s Super Apes and Giganto.

Ms Marvel’s Power Change Suggested Reed Richards’ MCU Powers Would Be Groundbreaking

Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards uses his super stretching powers to fight Galactus in The Fantastic Four_ First Steps — Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards uses his super stretching powers to fight Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

In a clear act of synergy, Marvel changed Ms. Marvel’s abilities from super stretching to hard light casting, both in the MCU and in the comics. Kamala’s new abilities came just in time for her Disney+ show and her The Marvels team-up. But at the same time, Ms. Marvel’s power change arrived just in time for Marvel Studios’ Reed Richards to debut the super-stretching power in the MCU.

Three years after Ms. Marvel, The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally marked the first on-screen appearance of super stretching. Yet, the Fantastic Four’s first MCU movie glosses over Reed Richards’ superpower. Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic barely uses his abilities in flashbacks, and he only stretches his limbs slightly in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ final battle.

The MCU Is Yet To Explore The Infinite Possibilities Of Mister Fantastic & Ms Marvel’s Super Stretching Abilities

Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan uses her powers in Ms Marvel — Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan uses her powers in Ms Marvel

Reed Richards’ stretching abilities go far beyond simply extending his limbs. In the comics, Mister Fantastic can morph into infinite shapes, flatten himself to paper-thin dimensions, imitate liquids, and even transform into complex tools or machines on the fly. These creative applications also reveal a lot about Reed Richards’ neurotic personality, including his desperate need for control, his ability to adapt, and his anxieties under pressure.

Before her MCU power change, Kamala Khan’s “embiggening” abilities allowed for endless creativity. Ms. Marvel could enlarge specific body parts, reshape her body in countless ways, or create enormous fists. Kamala’s original powers also reflected her personality as a metaphor for her awkwardness and her journey of self-discovery. Her creative use of her abilities became a defining part of her charm and fighting style.

Future MCU appearances by Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards and Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan could grow closer to the source material. Mister Fantastic could explore more extreme transformations after The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Meanwhile, the MCU could follow the comics and combine Ms. Marvel’s hard-light mutant abilities with her classic Inhuman embiggening powers.