MCU Phase 4 & 5: Every Confirmed (And Teased) Project Ranked By Hype

16. Fantastic Four

Release: TBC

The prospect of having the Fantastic Four "back home" with Marvel is definitely a good thing, but you really have to consider a few things here before we can all start getting really excited. Firstly, part of the reason we are all so glad they're back is because the property has been abused so badly over the years on the big screen. That also comes at a cost to brand power. How much will audiences be able to disassociate from the sins of the past?

And then there's the question of how to integrate them. The best option would be to head back to the 1960s and do a sort of futurist, nostalgic sci-fi superhero blend that takes in the spirit of the comics and The Incredibles. That way, nobody needs to compromise on what the Fantastic Four should initially be. If they then come to the present, that's fine too, but the 60s would be the best initial setting, as Peyton Reed knew when he pitched the same idea to Fox years ago.

Fundamentally, there's a lot of work to do to build goodwill up again. Marvel are no doubt the best people to do it, but it's early days yet. Expect in it Phase 5 though.