At the conclusion of Secret Wars, Marvel’s first family was tasked with reconstructing the multiverse. This actively removed them from appearing in any comics. With big changes to the comic book universe on the horizon, how long will Marvel keep Fantastic Four shelved?
We haven’t had an ongoing Fantastic Four series since late 2015. The last series came to an end in an effort to make fans miss what they had been taking for granted. Now Marvel finds themselves struggling to compete with DC Rebirth. The landscape has changed, so has the Marvel universe, is it time to bring them back?
Writer Al Ewing’s efforts on both Ultimates comics have helped fill the void. The cosmic adventures, by a handful of mostly lesser known heroes, are very similar in theme to Fantastic Four stories.
Ultimates certainly scratches an itch for comic book readers with a thirst for heavy science fiction exploration.The book functions basically as a stylized version of Richards Family cosmic tales. It also gives fans a taste of how F4 could fit into the Marvel Now! equation. Ewing should earn himself a strong consideration for writing the inevitable Fantastic Four return.
Bringing back the Richards family could restore faith in Marvel. Some fans are struggling with the evolving characters, desperate for another familiar face to cling to.
A transition into the current state of things provides a ton of potential narratives as well. It would most likely spell the end (again) of the Ultimates team, but the cast could easily be spread out through other titles.
Carol Danvers has her own title and is currently leading Alpha Flight. T’Challa could join the current Avengers. America Chavez seems to be a potentially perfect fit for joining Guardians Of The Galaxy. Spectrum has a number of options, and Blue Marvel would be a stellar addition to the Fantastic Four themselves.
In the aftermath of Inhumans Vs X-Men, surely Johnny Storm will be looking for a new purpose. The Thing has been floating around Marvel canon waiting for his family to return.
With their parents returning to action, young Franklin and Valeria Richards will quickly find their place in the universe. They could either relaunch the Future Foundation or join the other young heroes in Champions.
Maybe this has been Marvel’s master plan all along. I assume they have an endgame in mind for the eventual end of Dr. Doom parading around as the Infamous Iron Man. We know they won’t keep the Fantastic Four from us forever, the question is just how long we have to wait.
We may be closer than expected to seeing the foursome return after the reveal in The Ultimates 2 #4 last week. The conclusion of the issue showed Galactus’ hunger for planets returning.
What do you think the future of Fantastic Four holds? How do you think they’ll fit into the current Marvel Universe? Let us know in the comments!
