As ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ become the biggest source of rumors in Hollywood, one thing is becoming more and more evident: all Marvel actors of all previous franchises are now fair game for cameos.
That encompasses heroes, villains, parallel worlds, alternate histories, and, best of all, even movie catastrophes. And in case Marvel is interested in reviving characters only to have them destroyed by Doctor Doom, the studio may finally have the ideal opportunity to adapt one of the most notorious and surprising Fantastic Four deaths in the history of Marvel Comics.
How A Marvel Parody Became Legendary
In 2015, there were high tensions surrounding ‘The Fantastic Four‘. Word of a messy production, interference by the studio, and an apparently disturbed press tour caused a lot of doubt even before the film was released. The audience was able to feel the tragedy that was about to happen. And the last movie was a bleak, empty, and miserable reinterpretation of the first family of Marvel, which unfortunately proved their suspicions. However, months prior to the release of the movie, Marvel Comics provided a scene that spoke volumes to everyone.
Related: ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Suffers From Being Too Disconnected
In Punisher Vol. 10 #12, the magazine begins with a party of celebrities in a penthouse in Los Angeles. The scene does not mention any names, but it is clear that the 2015 cast consists of Miles Teller as Reed, Kate Mara as Sue, Jamie Bell as Ben, and a very Michael B. Jordan-like “Mike” who shows up late with a Fantastic Four T-shirt. The crew makes fun of their next movie, completely oblivious of the imminent disaster, until the skyline is shaken by explosions. A single explosion cuts Mara off. More blow up in the city. The comic does not directly depict the group being blown to pieces, but the suggestion is obvious and darkly comic.
The scene is still referred to by readers years later as one of the most vicious fourth-wall-breaking jokes by Marvel. Some critics interpreted it as Marvel mocking the way Fox was handling the franchise. It was viewed by others as an innocent meta gag. However, in retrospect, it has turned out to be something even better. But in hindsight, it’s become something even better: a bizarre, infamous cultural relic that fans can now look back on with a mix of laughter, confusion, and a bit of affection. Now, with ‘Doomsday’ on the horizon, Marvel might even re-create it with the actual actors.
The Old Fantastic Four Cast Could Introduce Doctor Doom
By bringing back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, the MCU is now free to do something outrageous. They can finally give Doom an entrance so shocking, outrageous, and unexpectedly self-aware that it immediately establishes him as a major multiversal threat. No, he is not going to kill the new Fantastic Four, as it’s being established as the next big pillar of the franchise. But a different universe Fantastic Four? One of the weakest adaptations ever made? That’s the perfect target. And it is narratively logical.
In case you missed it: How ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Redefines The Silver Surfer
Doom needs a moment that announces: This is not the guy you remember from the old movies. This is someone who kills heroes, even the ones no one likes. The 2015 cast achieves a number of things simultaneously: the team turned into a meme in the superhero world. The voluntary recreation of their roles, only to be immediately erased, would be the most self-referencing MCU scene since ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’.
The Punisher comic didn’t mock the Fantastic Four; it mocked Hollywood’s messy, corporate mishandling of superheroes. Re-creating that moment is a tribute to the spirit of the joke. Moreover, RDJ, in his first scene, destroys an entire superhero team; the danger is instantly tangible. Marvel’s multiverse is now big enough to include the masterpieces, the classics, the oddballs, and yes, even the failures. If ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ truly wants to surprise the audience, it needs moments like these.
