Warning! Spoilers ahead forDeadpool & Wolverine.
Summary
Chris Evans' surprise appearance inDeadpool & Wolverinemay be the first hint of a hugeMCUconflict involving the Fantastic Four. Part of the appeal ofDeadpool & Wolverine’s multiversal premise is the familiar cameos, plot points, and references to other Marvel movies.Deadpool & Wolverine’s easter eggs, for example, allude to MCU titles such asIron Man,Loki,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, andMoon Knight, as well as non-MCU titles such asDaredevil,Blade, and the wholeX-Menmovie franchise, just to name a few.
Likewise,Deadpool & Wolverine’s cameos and supporting charactersintegrate other franchises and previously unknown universes into the MCU. Two of the most surprising characters inDeadpool & Wolverineare Henry Cavill’s Wolverine"Cavillrine"and Chris Evans' Human Torch, introduced in Tim Story’s 2005Fantastic Four. Unfortunately for Evans' Johnny Storm, Deadpool got him killed by Cassandra Nova for insulting her, though Deadpool’s confession about Johnn’s insults was perfectly accurate, as evidenced byDeadpool & Wolverine’s post-credits scene. While Chris Evans' brief appearance as Johnny Storm is clearly intended to be mere comedy relief, his death may have serious repercussions in the Multiverse Saga.
Johnny Storm’s Death Might Set Up The 2005 Fantastic Four’s Future Foundation
The Human Torch’s Comic Book Death Caused Major Changes In The Fantastic Four’s Story
In the comics, Johnny Storm a.k.a. the Human Torch sacrifices himself to defeat Annihilus' army. Johnny’s death deeply affects the rest of the Fantastic Four, inspiring them to take their resources and efforts in a different direction.Reed Richards grows disappointed in the world’s top scientists and creates the Future Foundation— a scientific organization that gathers young and promising scientists under Mister Fantastic’s leadership. Reed, Sue Storm, and Ben Grimm start wearing white uniforms and welcome Spider-Man into their new team, as requested by Johnny Storm before his death.
Ioan McGruffud’s Reed Richards, Jessica Alba’s Sue Storm, and Michael Chiklis' Ben Grimm, could then form their own version of the Future Foundation and investigate how to travel to the Void
Given that Chris Evans' Human Torch was pruned from his timeline, his teammates might be looking for a way to reach him. Once they reach the Void or learn about what happened to Johnny there, the Fantastic Four might want to avenge him. Ioan McGruffud’s Reed Richards, Jessica Alba’s Sue Storm, and Michael Chiklis' Ben Grimm, could then form their own version of the Future Foundation and investigate how to travel to the Void, the TVA, and other timelines such as Earth-10005 and Earth-616, which can land in their crosshairs due to Deadpool’s recklessness.
Chris Evans’ Human Torch Cameo Confirms His Reed Richards Has Been Studying The Multiverse
Johnny Storm Mentions Ioan Gruffud’s Reed Richards In Deadpool & Wolverine
When Chris Evans' Johnny Storm explains to Deadpool and Wolverine how the Void works, he mentions that"Reed"explained it to him. This Reed, of course, is probably the same Reed Richards introduced in 2005’sFantastic Four, played by Ioan Gruffud. Gruffud’s Mister Fantastic barely understood the Fantastic Four’s powers in their debut movie, and he barely understood Galactus and the Silver Surfer’s origins inFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.The fact that Reed could explain the Void to Johnny suggests that his knowledge has grown exponentially since the last time fans saw him on screen.
I’m Furious With Deadpool & Wolverine For How It Treated Chris Evans' Johnny Storm & His Ending
Chris Evans returned to the MCU as Johnny Storm — not Captain America — in Deadpool & Wolverine, and though it was a fun role, I disliked key choices.
Johnny Storm’s mention of Reed Richards inDeadpool & Wolverineis brief, but it says a lot about Johnny Storm’s universe. Earth-616’s greatest minds saved their universe after inventing time travel, nanotechnology, and size-shifting. Yet, neither Doctor Strange nor Bruce Banner, Shuri, Vision, and Hank Pym know for certain how the multiverse works, let alone what the Void and the TVA are. Only magic-wielding characters like Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff have gained access to other universes consciously, and they have struggled to do so. Meanwhile,Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards accurately described the Void even without having to enter it.
How The MCU Can Adapt The Fantastic Four’s Foundation’s Story
The 2005 Fantastic Four Team Can Become Important Characters In The MCU’s Next Multiverse Movies
The Future Foundation’s live-action origin could follow a similar sequence of events to the comics, with Reed, Sue, and Ben focusing their efforts on scientific research about the multiverse. Also similarly to the comics, the Future Foundation might welcome infamous FF villains such as Mad Thinker, Diablo, the Wizard, and Doctor Doom himself, as well as Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s children Franklin and Valeria Richards. With such impressive brainpower,Marvel’s alternate-universe Future Foundation could map out the Sacred Timeline and the Void, making it a force to reckon with across the multiverse.
Deadpool & Wolverine Ending Explained
Deadpool & Wolverine’s ending is filled with multiversal stakes, insane cameos, and big teases for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
TheFantastic Fouruniverse’s Future Foundation could participate in the events ofAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, either looking for Deadpool to capture him or opposingRobert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doomalongside the MCU’s main Fantastic Four and the Avengers. In the comics, the Future Foundation have a key role in restoring and streamlining the multiverse following Battleworld’s destruction during the 2015Secret Warsstoryline, where Doctor Doom is the main antagonist. In the MCU, the Future Foundation could achieve a similar feat with the help of heroes from Earth-616 and other universes.
The MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie Plot Supports The Possibility Of A Multiversal Future Foundation
The MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie Proves That The Team Will Be Multiversal By Nature
The idea of Tim Story’s Fantastic Four having a big role inAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsmay seem far-fetched considering how overlooked the 2000sFantastic Fourmovies are in comparison to Fox’sX-Menfranchise, Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man, andThe Amazing Spider-Man. However,the MCU’s upcomingThe Fantastic Four: First Stepswill introduce a Fantastic Four from a different universe.The MCU’s own multiversal Fantastic Four sets the precedent that Fantastic Four variants from all across the mutliverse can be important players in the Multiverse Saga’s climactic conflicts.
Marvel’s Council of Reeds is directly inspired by the Council of Kangs, which made their comic book debut 46 years before.
In fact, the Future Foundation assembles to fight the Council of Reeds in Marvel Comics. Prime Reed Richards understands that while his multiversal variants are brilliant, they lack his moral compass. To stop them before they wreak havoc, Prime Reed enlists the help of his former enemies and engages in battle with the Council. In the MCU,Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards could either join a multiversal Council of Reeds or oppose it, depending on how Johnny Storm’s brutal death in the Void duringDeadpool & Wolverineshapes his view of multiversal heroes interacting with individuals from other timelines.
