The Fantastic Four vs. the Avengers update leaves a multiverse of Marvel fans devastated

It’s been a little rough over the past few years, but the MCU is about to treat its fans very well over the next 12 months or so. First, we have the world of the X-Men colliding with the Marvel Studios multiverse in Fantastic Four reboot. But, wait, there may be a disappointing catch to the First Family’s MCU debut.

Aside from the brilliant casting of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby et al as Reed Richards and company, The Fantastic Four is so exciting because it drops the characters into the wider Marvel cinematic sandbox for the first time ever, after 20 years of underwhelming solo films. Just in time to have some kind of presence in the two Avengers movies that will conclude the Multiverse Saga.

That’s why the latest rumors to do with The Movie Formerly Known As The Kang Dynasty are so crushing. Self-proclaimed scoopers the cast is supposedly coming together for the film, which currently has no director attached, but Marvel allegedly isn’t bothering to give Pascal and his co-stars a call for this one.

This is immensely crushing for multiple reasons. The Infinity Saga had a knack for having its new additions partner up with other heroes practically as soon as they were introduced — think Black Panther and Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War — but the Multiverse Saga has been much slower on its feet in this department. With The Fantastic Four coming out less than a year ahead of Avengers 5, the timing seemed perfect for Mr. Fantastic and friends to play a role in the movie, but — if we’re to believe the scuttlebutt — this isn’t the case.

And if this is the case then Avengers 5 is immediately falling short of Avengers: Infinity War, which so adeptly assembled the various heroes of the Infinity Saga to set the stage for an epic finale in Endgame. If Avengers 5 isn’t going to do the same then it’s arguably failing in its job to be as big an event as the Multiverse Saga deserves. Sure, it’s easy to speculate that the Fantastic Four are simply being held back until Avengers 6 AKA Secret Wars, but that movie has enough on its plate as it is. There’s a risk that Avengers 5 could be severely underpopulated while Avengers 6 becomes dangerously overpopulated.

Plus, on a very simple, primal level, we just want to see the Fantastic Four and Avengers engage in that classic superhero staple — having a fight before they realize they are on the same side. Give us stretchy daddy Reed versus Spidey or Human Torch battling Captain Marvel already. Please don’t make us wait until 2027.