Fantastic Four Merch Confirms We’ll See Franklin Richards, And Now I Have An Important Question About Sue Storm’s Baby In First Steps

One of the things we know about The Fantastic Four: First Steps is that Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, a.k.a. Invisible Woman, will be pregnant. This was confirmed in the most recent First Steps trailer, but it was unclear if we’d see actually see her baby with Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards in the upcoming Marvel movie. Now some First Steps merchandise has confirmed we will indeed see Franklin Richards, which leaves me with an important question about the newborn.

Before I reveal said question, take a look at how Franklin will look in Funko Pop! Form below, as the little guy will be included with the Sue Storm figurine. It’s the second slide of this Instagram post from the official Funko account.

Awwww, look how adorable he is! I’m so glad he gets his own little Fantastic Four uniform just like his mom and dad, and uncles Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm. Because we’re going to see Franklin in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, then unless some outside force accelerates when Sue gives birth, we can expect a time jump of at least eight-nine months in the movie. Honestly, considering that Franklin can warp reality in the comics, the former option isn’t that farfetched if his powers kick in while he’s still in the womb.

Which brings me to my question: is baby Franklin Richards going to be the key to defeating Ralph Ineson’s Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? In the comics, Franklin is one of the most powerful beings on Earth, to the point he once subconsciously created his own pocket universe. Such power would surely help turn the tables against Galactus, who’s come to devour our world with his herald in tow, Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer. Who knows, this very kind of reality-warping could result in the aforementioned possibility of Sue giving birth much earlier.

I’d be remiss if I also didn’t mention that back in November, it was rumored that Franklin Richards’ powers would allow travel between universes. We already know that Reed Richards stretching “the bounds of space” is what alerts Galactus and Silver Surfer to come to Earth, which I speculated at the time was how this movie will tie into the wider Multiverse Saga. That would certainly explain how Marvel’s First Family is able to hop to other universes in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

But what if there’s more to it than that? What if Franklin’s alleged ability to tap into the multiverse is what makes it possible for the Fantastic Four to prevent Galactus from destroying their Earth? Maybe they’ll be able to banish this entity into a reality devoid of life, ensuring he can never kill again.

It won’t be too much longer until the answers to these questions are answered, as The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens July 25 on the 2025 movies schedule. Revisit the older Fantastic Four movies with your Disney+ subscription.