Several years back, Marvel ended the run on its various Fantastic Four comic books, which was obviously not great news for fans of the superpowered team. Word on the street suggested the decision might have had something to do with Marvel's falling-out with 20th Century Fox over the Fantastic Four license, and as soon as rumors regarding the Disney/20th Century Fox merger began making the rounds, the internet did what it always does: began speculating what this might mean for the Fantastic Four's possible inclusion in the MCU.
Well, guess what happened today?
"After a spacefaring foray into the unknown, Marvel’s First Family returns this August with FANTASTIC FOUR #1.
Written by Dan Slott with art by Sara Pichelli, Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Thing, and the Human Torch reunite this summer."
That's Marvel's official website revealing that, yes, the Fantastic Four are coming back, and they'll be here this summer. They even put together a snazzy little image, just to make it all the more official:
Obviously, it's exciting to learn that the Fantastic Four are returning in print form, but it's doubly exciting to imagine that this might be the first step towards a Marvel Studios-produced Fantastic Four movie. Previous attempts to give this team their very own franchise have, ehhh, not gone outstandingly well, but under the guidance of Kevin Feige and set within the confines of the MCU, there's reason to believe we might finally see these characters on the big screen as they were intended to be seen.
Of course, for now all we know is that the comic's returning. There's been no announcement regarding a new movie, much less anything official about the Fantastic Four being brought back into the MCU fold (also worth noting: that merger hasn't quite gone through yet, and any speculation about a Fantastic Four MCU movie is dependent upon that happening). But still, it's fun to speculate, and it's very fun to imagine what Feige and company might do with this property if given the chance.
Please do so now in the comments below.