The More I Think About How Fantastic Four Introduced Franklin, The More I’m Convinced I Know How He’ll Be Used In Doomsday And Secret Wars

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Warning: SPOILERS for The Fantastic Four: First Steps are ahead!

One key method that sets “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” apart from past adaptations is the introduction of Franklin Richards. Unlike previous movies where this character didn’t exist, in this version, Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s son was born mid-release in 2025. He possesses the same reality-altering abilities as depicted in the comics, which interestingly enough, is why Galactus visited Earth-828 in the storyline!

To begin with, Franklin’s adventure in the MCU is only getting started, as hinted by the mid-credits scene of Fantastic Four: First Steps, which suggests that Doctor Doom has taken notice of the boy. This intrigue will be further developed in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, and also in Avengers: Secret Wars. Together, these films mark the end of the Multiverse Saga. As I ponder over Franklin’s appearance in First Steps, I am increasingly convinced that he won’t merely be accompanying his parents and uncles in the upcoming Avengers movies. Instead, it seems likely that he will play a significant part in these forthcoming Marvel films.

What Happens To Franklin In First Steps’ Mid-Credits Scene

The final chapter of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” provides a quick catch-up with the team a year following Galactus and Silver Surfer’s departure from Earth. The mid-credits scene, however, leaps four years ahead, making Franklin roughly five years old. After finishing reading a book to her son, Sue moves to another part of the room to pick up yet another one of his favorites (not Charles Darwin’s “Origin of the Species”). Upon turning back, Franklin is found standing in front of a strange man cloaked in green, holding a metallic mask.

Indeed, the character in question is none other than Doctor Doom, the longtime adversary of the Fantastic Four in comic books. Although he didn’t play a role in the storyline of “First Steps”, Doctor Doom portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., has replaced Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the main antagonist in both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”. Interestingly, this scene featuring Doctor Doom was filmed by directors Joe and Anthony Russo during the production of “Doomsday”, rather than being part of the “First Steps” filming.

There’s An Interesting Fan Theory About Doctor Doom And Doom And Franklin

As a movie aficionado, the captivating scene in ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ where young Franklin Richards almost touches Doctor Doom’s unveiled face left an indelible impression on me. Interestingly, this scene sparked a thought-provoking theory among viewers, which I came across while discussing the film on various platforms, including Reddit. The theory suggests that Franklin may be responsible for the transformation of Doctor Doom into a character resembling Tony Stark in future installments.

The concept revolves around character named Franklin manipulating another character called Franklin, causing him to alter his appearance. This way, he can deceive the Avengers and other Earth-616 heroes. Although it’s intriguing, I ponder if it’s not primarily about modifying Doom’s face, but rather healing his scars if the portrayal of this character in the story is a Tony Stark variant. Nevertheless, I believe Franklin plays a crucial role in the narrative unfolding within “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars”.

I Think Franklin Will Substitute For Another Character From 2015’s Secret Wars

In my perspective as a fan, there have been two Marvel Comic tales titled “Secret Wars,” each with settings called Battleworld. Although the upcoming film, “Avengers: Secret Wars,” will likely blend aspects from both narratives, considering we’re deep in the Multiverse Saga, it seems plausible that the movie will lean more towards the 2015 event. This storyline featured Doctor Doom acquiring divine powers and fusing numerous Earths into a single Battleworld. Although the multiverse was eventually restored, the original Earth-616 and significant parts of the Ultimate Universe were merged, most notably Miles Morales, his family, and friends.

2015’s comic book event, “Secret Wars,” showed Victor von Doom assuming the title of God Emperor Doom. This transformation occurred when he tapped into the power of Earth-616’s Molecule Man, who had absorbed the powers of his counterparts from various universes after they were destroyed in an attempt to vanquish the Beyonders. However, once the Molecule Man was liberated, he transferred his amplified power to Mr. Fantastic, thus restoring the multiverse. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that we’ll encounter the Molecule Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In my opinion, it’s more likely that Franklin Richards serves as the energy source for Doctor Doom’s plans in both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”. Whether this involves creating his own Battleworld or altering the multiverse in some other fashion, it seems plausible that Doom continues to exploit Franklin after his abduction, or finds a method to extract his power directly. Regardless of the approach, the outcomes depicted in “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” are unlikely without Franklin’s presence.

What This Could Mean For The Future Of The MCU

Without a doubt, by the finale of Secret Wars, Doctor Doom will meet his match, much like Thanos did in Avengers: Endgame. It’s also likely that Franklin will be reunited safely with his parents. Yet, it’s important to note that even after the Multiverse Saga ends, things may not return to their original state.

In a different turn of events, as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige referred to “Secret Wars” as a “reboot” or “reset” for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), hinting that characters such as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers may be recast in future productions. Additionally, there’s an upcoming X-Men reboot directed by Jake Schreier, which seems to position the mutant superheroes within the same primary MCU timeline, sharing a continuity with the various iterations of these characters from the X-Men film series produced by 20th Century Fox.

Regardless of how the Marvel Cinematic Universe shapes up post-“Secret Wars”, it seems likely that Franklin Richards will be at the heart of any changes, with someone else wielding his powers this time around. It might be Reed Richards using his abilities as seen in the comics with Molecule Man’s power, or another individual altogether. Additionally, considering Franklin’s intelligence growth, it could also be that he takes on this responsibility independently, should his intellect reach a level capable of managing such tasks.

Regardless of the outcome, he’s the one who will bring an end to one phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and start another. Unfortunately, we won’t find out whether my theory holds true or not until December 18, 2026, when Avengers: Doomsday is released. Then, on December 17, 2027, we’ll see if it was indeed Avengers: Secret Wars. In other words, we have a long wait ahead to confirm my guess.

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2025-08-02 15:09