According to a new theory,Deadpool & Wolverinecould have teased the return of a classic Marvel actor as a formidable villain who could pose a huge problem to the new Fantastic Four team in theMCU. 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverinewas a transformative moment for the MCU, introducing Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s antiheroes to the franchise and marking the canonization of Fox’sX-Menfranchise.Deadpool & Wolverinealso brought back several classic Marvel actorsto battle Emma Corrin’s Cassandra Nova, which might have set up exciting new stories and characters for the MCU’s future.
Deadpool & Wolverinepartnered its titular antiheroes with Wesley Snipes' Blade, Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Dafne Keen’s X-23 and Channing Tatum’s Gambit, bringing back some unexpected heroes from Marvel’s movie history. ThisResistance team proved essential in helping Deadpool and Wolverineescape the Void and save the former’s reality of Earth-10005, but they weren’t completely alone.Deadpool & Wolverinealso included one perfect returning character and might have hinted at a tragic fate for another former hero, who could now become a powerful supervillain in the MCU.
Deadpool & Wolverine Revisited 2005’s Fantastic Four Team
Chris Evans Return As Johnny Storm Canonized 2005’s Fantastic Four Movie & Its Sequel
As well as revisiting characters from theBladetrilogy,DaredevilandElektra,and Fox’sX-Menfranchise itself,Deadpool & Wolverinealso marked the return ofChris Evans as Johnny Storm’s Human Torchfrom 2005’sFantastic Fourmovie and its 2007 sequel. It was brilliant to see Evans reprise his two-decade-old role, even if this was only short-lived, as he was skinned alive by Cassandra Nova.While not addressed in the Phase 5 movie, Johnny Storm’s solo return could have teased a terrible fate for the rest of his classic Fantastic Four team.
Chris Evans' 1 Requirement For Doing Deadpool & Wolverine Made The Movie Infinitely Better
Ryan Reynolds explained the one requirement Chris Evans had when agreeing to be in Deadpool & Wolverine, and it helped make the movie so much better.
Since Chris Evans' Human Torch was pruned and sent to the Void at the End of Time by the TVA, the Time Variance Authority presumably also pruned the rest of2005’s Fantastic Four team.This means Michael Chiklis' Thing, Jessica Alba’s Invisible Woman and Ioan Gruffudd’s Mister Fantastic could have also ended up in the Void. They were nowhere to be seen inDeadpool & Wolverine, however, which implies they may have met the same fate as Johnny Storm, though a new MCU theory suggests otherwise for one doomed classic hero.
Ioan Gruffudd’s Reed Richards Becomes The Maker In Tragic Deadpool & Wolverine Theory
Ioan Gruffudd Debuted As Reed Richards In 2005’s Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics' Ultimate Universe formed the inspiration behind Miles Teller’s Reed Richards in 2015’sFantastic Fourreboot, which spurred speculation thatTeller could return to the MCU as the Maker, the twisted and villainous version of Mister Fantastic. While this is still possible, a new theory shared byReddituser Possible-Rate-3833suggests thatMarvel Studios could actually reintroduce Ioan Gruffudd’s Reed Richards as the Maker. FollowingDeadpool & Wolverineand the insinuation that his Fantastic Four team is all dead, this may be even more likely.
Ioan Gruffudd’s version of Reed Richards was fairly comic-accurate, and therefore didn’t display some of the Maker’s more sinister and nefarious traits. However,being pruned to the Void and watching his whole family be killed by Cassandra Nova would clearly be enough to push Gruffudd’s Mister Fantastic over the edge, transforming him into a bitter and jaded antagonist. It could be this version of Reed Richards who has a twisted relationship withRobert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, which means Gruffudd could reprise the role inDoomsdayandSecret Wars, but could also be a new long-running villain.
The Maker Would Be The Perfect Villain For Future Fantastic Four Movies After First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Will Be A Strong Debut To The New MCU Team
The Fantastic Four: First Steps, scheduled to be released on June 26, 2025, will be debuting abrand-new Fantastic Four team in live-action, and will bring Marvel’s First Family back to its 1960s-inspired roots.After debuting in an alternate, retro-futuristic reality, however, the Fantastic Four team is expected to be joining the MCU’s main continuity, which means they will be crossing paths with some modern-day antagonists, too. FollowingFirst Steps, and perhaps even afterAvengers: Secret Wars, it would be great to see the Fantastic Four battle the Maker, especially if Ioan Gruffudd reprises the role.
Ioan Gruffudd’s Reed Richards has been praised in the years sinceFantastic Four’srelease, so it would be great to see him bring something new and much more intense to his iconic role. As the Maker,Gruffudd’s Reed Richards could be introduced to the MCU as the perfect dark mirror and antithesis to Pedro Pascal’s upcoming Mister Fantastic, so he’d be the perfectvillain for futureFantastic Fourmovies in the MCU. AfterDeadpool & Wolverinebrought these classicFantastic Fourmovies into the MCU’s canon, this would be a strong future for Gruffudd’s popular Reed Richards.
