Warning: this article contains basic plot spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
This year’s CinemaCon has been especially eventful, including the reveal of the title of Tom Holland's next Spider-Man movie and an extended look at James Gunn’s Superman. CinemaCon has also given us a closer glimpse of Marvel’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Along with finally seeing Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer in action, this new Fantastic Four footage dropped a major bombshell. Vanessa Kirby’s Susan Storm is pregnant.
Anyone familiar with the Fantastic Four comics will know that this is a big deal for the team. Marvel Studios is about to introduce arguably the most powerful mutant in existence. And maybe his super-genius sister for good measure? Let’s take a closer look at why Sue’s pregnancy has major implications for the MCU and the Marvel movie multiverse.
The Children of the Fantastic Four: Who Are Franklin and Valeria Richards?
There’s a reason the FF are known as “Marvel’s First Family.” They’re a loving (if somewhat dysfunctional) family first and a superhero team second. That family element only becomes all the more pronounced once Reed Richards and Susan Storm become parents. In the comics, Reed and Sue currently have two children. Their elder son Franklin was introduced in 1968’s Fantastic Four Annual #6. Franklin’s younger sister Valeria followed in 2002's Fantastic Four #54.
As you might expect from parents whose bodies were inundated with cosmic radiation, Franklin and Valeria are both far from ordinary children. Franklin is easily one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He has the ability to warp reality and matter at will, a power that even allows him to create entire pocket dimensions out of nothing. This power also manifests in other ways, giving Franklin everything from telepathy and telekinesis to the ability to project his consciousness across the astral plane.
Essentially, Franklin is the one being on Earth whose power is so great it rivals that of cosmic entities like the Celestials and Galactus. And he’s destined to only grow more powerful with age. The FF have met multiple adult versions of Franklin from the future, suggesting that he’ll one day grow to become an immortal defender of the entire Marvel Universe.
That’s a tough act to follow, but Valeria has never had much trouble holding her own in the Richards clan. She doesn’t have any superhuman abilities (not yet, at least), but her mind more than makes up for that. Despite her young age, Valeria is every bit as brilliant a scientist as her father. She’s a skilled inventor and an integral member of the Future Foundation, a team spearheaded by Reed that brings together the most brilliant young minds in the Marvel Universe.
As they’ve grown older, Franklin and Valeria have begun to take a more active role in the Fantastic Four’s adventures. They even have their own superhero codenames (Franklin is Powerhouse and Valeria is Brainstorm). Whatever the future holds for the Marvel Universe, Franklin and Valeria will be there to shape it.
Doctor Doom’s Relationship With Valeria
One of the more interesting elements when it comes to Valeria Richards involves her connection to Doctor Doom. As much as Doom hates the Fantastic Four in general and Reed in particular, he’s actually pretty fond of Valeria. She may be the one person on Earth the incredibly self-absorbed Doom genuinely loves.
In fact, Doom is Valeria’s godfather. When Sue went into labor, complications from her cosmic ray exposure caused Valeria’s birth to be extremely difficult. Her brother Johnny was forced to call on Doom’s aid to deliver the baby. Doom’s price was to choose Valeria’s name, and he named the baby after his former lover.
Ever since that day, Doom has shown a peculiar affection for Valeria. That bond has only grown as Valeria’s brilliant mind has begun to assert itself. Much to her father’s chagrin, Valeria reciprocates Doom’s love, even referring to him as “Uncle Doom.” Doom will never bring himself to acknowledge Reed as the superior scientist, but he has no such hang-ups when it comes to Valeria.
As much as Doom hates Reed, he also covets what his nemesis has – a warm, loving family and the respect and adulation of the entire planet. That’s why when Doom remakes reality into Battleworld in 2015’s Secret Wars, he steals Reed’s family for his own. Susan becomes God Emperor Doom’s consort, and Franklin and Valeria his adopted children. Naturally, Sue was none too thrilled to realize what happened when her memories returned. But despite all that, the bond between Uncle Doom and Valeria Richards endures.
Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman’s Children in the MCU
One thing is clear following Marvel’s CinemaCon presentation. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is going to introduce Franklin Richards to the Marvel multiverse, if not Valeria as well. The footage screened during the Marvel panel confirms that Kirby’s Sue Storm is pregnant. As many suspected, the “First Steps” portion of the title does indeed have multiple meanings.
We assume that First Steps will take place over a long enough period of time that Sue eventually gives birth to Franklin (or twins?) during the course of the film. And just as in the comics, Sue and Pedro Pascal’s Reed will discover that their son is far from an ordinary child. He’s essentially a god in the body of a young boy.
It remains to be seen what exact role Franklin will have in the conflict of First Steps, though it’s probably no coincidence that Ralph Ineson’s Galactus is paying a call just as Reed and Sue are confronting parenthood. Does Galactus see Earth as just another snack in his never-ending cosmic feast? Or is he specifically interested in Franklin Richards? We could easily see a scenario where Galactus craves Franklin’s power specifically. If you can conjure entire universes out of thin air, then even Galactus need never go hungry again.
It’s also enough to wonder how Reed and Sue’s children might factor into the larger Multiverse Saga. We know from films like 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and 2023’s The Marvels that the multiverse is facing an increasing threat from Incursions – that phenomenon where two parallel universes begin to collide. Is Franklin somehow connected to the Incursions? Is he the catalyst that brings the FF from their universe into the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday?
And what about Robert Downey, Jr. 's Doctor Doom? It remains to be seen what, if any, role Doom will play in First Steps. We don’t even know that he hails from the First Steps universe. But we do have to wonder if First Steps will introduce Valeria alongside her brother and set up that crucial bond between the youngest member of the Richards family and Uncle Doom. Will Avengers: Secret Wars follow the comics and see Doom steal Reed’s family for his own?
Whatever happens, it’s safe to say that the children of the Fantastic Four have a big part to play in the future of the MCU. One of them is among the most powerful beings in existence. The other is one of the smartest. Together, they have the potential to reshape the climax of the Multiverse Saga and whatever comes next for the MCU.
For more on Fantastic Four: First Steps, check out IGN’s breakdown of the first teaser trailer and brush up on every Marvel movie and series in development.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
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