Is RDJ Showing Up as Doctor Doom in the New ‘Fantastic Four’ Movie? Feige Says It’s All Connected

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This year at CineEurope held in Barcelona, Disney captivated the audience by revealing a thrilling roster of forthcoming movies, particularly generating buzz with significant advancements in “Fantastic Four: Initial Stages” and “Avengers: Endgame.

At the recent gathering, it was Andrew Cripps, Disney’s freshly appointed Head of Theatrical Distribution, who took charge of the presentation. This marked his inaugural outing at the event since he assumed this position back in March.

The gathering commenced by paying tribute to Lilo & Stitch, a movie that’s almost reaching $900 million globally and might soon reach $1 billion, making it the first billion-dollar film of 2025. To mark the occasion, each participant was given a luminous Stitch stuffed toy, infusing a fun atmosphere into the presentation.

Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, unveiled a fresh trailer for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie titled “First Steps,” creating excitement among theater owners and enthusiasts. He also confirmed that this film will serve as a precursor to Avengers: Doomsday, which is being filmed in London at present, with a planned release in December 2026.

Under the guidance of director Matt Shakman and featuring a screenplay penned by Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson, the film Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the legendary team.

As a film enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that this upcoming movie features an impressive cast including John Malkovich, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson, who breathes life into the ominous cosmic villain, Galactus. The setting is a captivating 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic universe where we join the Fantastic Four in their mission to shield Earth from the impending threat of Galactus and his emissary, the Silver Surfer.

There’s been buzz about the movie suggesting an unverified appearance of Robert Downey Jr., potentially in a scene after the credits. Additionally, there are discussions that the character Franklin Richards, who has been confirmed for First Steps, might have a significant part to play in Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday

In this high-stakes production, directed by the Russo brothers (Anthony and Joe) and written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, anticipate an epic gathering of heroes. The star-studded cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Vanessa Kirby, Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Tom Hiddleston, along with renowned X-Men actors such as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and James Marsden. This movie looks set to deliver a spectacular collaboration!

Characters hailing from groups like the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Wakanda, and New Avengers are coming together to take on Doom. Initially scheduled for release in May 2025, the movie encountered setbacks because of a writers’ strike in 2023 and production demands, now rescheduled for December 18, 2026, marking it as the 39th Marvel Cinematic Universe film within Phase Six.

Feige underscored the interwoven essence of Marvel’s film series, saying, “Each movie is part of a larger whole.” The audience at CineEurope was visibly thrilled by the sneak peeks, demonstrating high anticipation for Marvel’s upcoming installments.

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2025-06-19 09:46