Kevin Feige Sheds Light On How Fantastic Four Fit the Fight in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: “Worlds Are Colliding”
The Fantastic Four are finally part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, they’re just getting started. After making their MCU debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the team will return in the upcoming crossover film Avengers: Doomsday, where they’ll join forces with both the Avengers and the X-Men.
In a recent interview with Marvel.com, Feige shared what it means to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU and how they’ll play a big role in what’s coming next.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters and introduces Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm in a world inspired by 1960s design and science fiction. Directed by Matt Shakman, the film takes place in another universe, Earth-828, but still sets the stage for their entry into the main events of the MCU.
Feige said getting the rights to use the Fantastic Four felt like unlocking a missing piece of the Marvel puzzle.
“It means everything,” Feige said. “No Marvel universe is complete without Marvel’s First Family.”
While the movie gives the team their own story, it also lays the groundwork for their role in Avengers: Doomsday. Feige explained how exciting it is to see the Fantastic Four’s world blend with the rest of the Marvel universe, especially in a film where so many big characters come together.
“The fun of an Avengers movie is introducing people to each other and seeing how very different personalities get along,” he said. “In the case of a movie that involves the threat of worlds literally colliding, it’s fun to see them visit each other’s homes.”
One of those “homes” is the Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four’s famous headquarters, which Feige said becomes a much more crowded place in Doomsday.
“That’s always fun. The fun of an Avengers movie is introducing people to each other and seeing how very different personalities get along. In the case of a movie that involves the threat of worlds literally colliding, it’s fun to see them visit each other’s homes. So with the Baxter Building set, let’s say it had four or five people in it at most in the Fantastic Four movie. And it’s got a heck of a lot more people in it [in Doomsday]. It’s a thrill to see that interaction. And it’s surreal for me, who’s been around for 25 years.“
Feige also talked about how the movie’s retro-futuristic design came to life. He credited production designer Kasra Farahani, who also worked on Loki, for building the detailed world of Earth-828. Sets like the Baxter Building, the lab, and the Fantasticar were all designed with future appearances in mind, including Avengers: Doomsday.
Feige also shared his love for the optimism and imagination of the 1960s style used in First Steps, something inspired by things like Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and the World’s Fairs. He said it was fun to explore a future that feels exciting instead of scary.
The new Fantastic Four cast includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. They all bring something fresh to the table, and Feige said he loved seeing them on set for the first time.
One of his favorite memories was stepping onto the Baxter Building set and seeing how it made the superheroes feel human, just by showing details like where they eat, sleep, and live.
As for the big crossover in Doomsday, Feige hinted that the Fantastic Four won’t just be background characters. They’ll have a real presence in the film, and that includes interacting with some iconic faces from the X-Men and Avengers worlds.
“It’s surreal for me, who’s been around for 25 years,” Feige said. “It’s a thrill to see that interaction.”
Feige’s comments came from an official interview with Marvel.com as part of the promotion for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is now playing in theaters. Avengers: Doomsday is currently in production and promises to bring together Marvel’s biggest teams in one huge event , and the Fantastic Four are right in the middle of it.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
