Fantastic Four Post Credit Full Breakdown

Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps has officially hit theaters and if you’re like me, you’re probably still processing that wild post-credit scene. Because wow, did Marvel drop a massive hint at what’s to come. We’re talking universe-altering stuff. At the center of it all? A name comic fans know well: Franklin Richards.

Yep, the MCU has finally introduced Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s son and he’s not just some cute background toddler. This kid is a cosmic-level powerhouse, and based on what we saw (and what’s coming), he’s going to play a major role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, Secret Wars, and the eventual reset of the entire MCU. Let’s unpack what went down in the post-credit scene and why Franklin and a certain green-hooded figure matter more than ever.

Franklin Richards Isn’t Just a Kid He’s a Game Changer

The scene picks up four years after the events of the movie, with young Franklin already growing up fast. He’s not just learning to talk he’s engaging with some pretty intense reading material. First, we see Sue reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar (a classic, of course). Then Herbie their lovable robot assistant hands her The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin.

Wait… what?

That little moment might seem like a throwaway gag, but it’s actually a clever nod. In the comics, Franklin is an omega-level mutant, with godlike powers think reality-warping, universe-creating kind of stuff. Darwin’s Origin of Species is all about evolution, and Franklin? He’s arguably the next step in it.

Even Sue jokes about how he loves the Darwin book but considering who Franklin is, she might not be joking at all.

The Post-Credit Scene Twist: Enter… Doom

Just as things start to feel wholesome, the tone shifts. A strange humming noise cuts in, the music grows darker, and suddenly there he is. A hooded figure stands by the fireplace. Green cloak. Mask in hand. You don’t need a close-up to know who this is:

Doctor Doom.

But here’s the kicker: this version of Doom isn’t played by just anyone. Marvel has officially confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU not as Iron Man, but as Victor Von Doom himself. Yep. You read that right.

Doom doesn’t speak, but the tension is real. Franklin touches his scarred face in what feels like a strangely tender moment. And fans are already speculating was Franklin healing him?

It wouldn’t be the first time Marvel played with this idea. In the 2015 Secret Wars comic (which Avengers: Secret Wars is said to heavily draw from), Doom’s face is healed after he essentially becomes a god. Could Franklin be doing something similar here?

So, Why Does Doom Want Franklin?

Good question and the answer dives deep into Marvel Comics lore. In Secret Wars (2015), Doom steals the power of the god-like Beyonders (with the help of Molecule Man and Doctor Strange) and forms Battleworld—a patchwork universe stitched together from the fragments of the destroyed multiverse.

But here’s the wild part: the way the multiverse is restored at the end of that story? Franklin Richards literally creates new universes.

Yeah. That powerful.

So Doom wanting Franklin makes a lot of sense. If Beyonders aren’t coming to the MCU, Franklin might be Doom’s new path to godhood.

There’s even more connective tissue here. The Thunderbolts post-credit scene showed the Fantastic Four’s ship heading toward Earth-616 the MCU’s sacred timeline. Could they be chasing Doom? Or Franklin? And if they see Doom’s face and he looks like Tony Stark, could that be what leads them to Earth-616 in the first place?

It’s a genius move by Marvel. Using RDJ’s face adds both emotional weight and multiversal confusion.

A Deeper Look at Doom’s Comic Roots

Doctor Doom isn’t just another bad guy. He’s one of the most complex, layered villains in Marvel history. And his relationship with the Fantastic Four, especially Reed Richards, is long and twisted.

In one memorable comic arc, Doom even saves Sue Storm during childbirth, and names their second child Valeria after a woman he once loved. So while he’s often the villain, his motives aren’t always purely evil. He’s not Thanos; he’s more… Shakespearean. He’s tragic, driven, proud and sometimes, even heroic.

That kind of gray-area complexity is what makes Doom so compelling. And it’s exactly what RDJ can bring to life.

What It All Means for Avengers: Doomsday and Beyond

If Avengers: Doomsday leads to the destruction of the multiverse (as rumors suggest), then Secret Wars will likely show Doom at the peak of his power, ruling as God Emperor Doom. And eventually, someone will need to restore order.

That someone is almost certainly Franklin Richards.

Kevin Feige has confirmed that Secret Wars will reset the MCU. That means a new timeline, a new Earth, and likely a new roster of heroes including the long-awaited arrival of the X-Men.

Franklin, who can literally create universes in the comics, seems like the perfect in-universe way to do that. The fact that Marvel is already setting him up in Fantastic Four: First Steps proves just how big his role is going to be.

The Big Picture

Marvel’s newest post-credit scene didn’t just tease the next chapter it hinted at the end of the entire current MCU era and the beginning of something completely new.

Between the arrival of Franklin Richards, the introduction of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, and the looming multiversal collapse, it’s clear that Marvel is swinging for the fences with Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

And if this is just the beginning? Buckle up.

Let me know what you thought about the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credit scene. Did Franklin’s powers surprise you? Are you on board with RDJ as Doom? And how do you feel about the MCU heading for a full reset?

Sound off in the comments below or, you know, wherever people comment on articles these days.