The Marvel Cinematic Universe has massive upcoming projects, including Avengers: Secret Wars. That said, while the next big event film is the franchise’s ultimate goal, there’s also the added bonus of having the Fantastic Four join the franchise. For now, a variant of Reed Richards, played by John Krasinski, was the only mention of a Fantastic Four anywhere in the MCU. However, as many projects have already shown, there are countless variants.

The comics have always toyed with the idea of variants coming together, whether through the Kang Dynasty or the Council of Reeds. That said, the latter was always the most unsettling as it proved not all Reed Richards was as heroic as the one from Earth-616. With that in mind, the MCU’s Fantastic Four could have their own dark Reed Richards to contend with in the future. But rather than a new Reed, this could be the perfect chance to return to the often maligned Fantastic Four movie from 2015, with Miles Teller returning to the role.

Miles Teller’s Reed Richards Could Break Bad in the MCU

2015’s Fantastic Four was a retelling of the classic origin, focusing more on the iteration shown in Ultimate Fantastic Four, where Reed and his friends ventured into a new reality. Once there, they were mutated into the Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom. However, many don’t know that the team ultimately met a tragic fate after Sue rejected Reed’s proposal. From there, Reed grew more cynical and faked his death, killing his family and orchestrating attacks on his friends. Eventually, this led to Reed being disfigured by his old team and him adopting a new name, The Maker. After Reed’s rebirth, he went to Earth-616 and began twisted experiments on unwilling victims.

The 2015 Fantastic Four movie had a much darker tone than anything that came before. However, Teller’s Reed carried the same guilt his comics counterpart did. While his story ended on a high note, with the team coming together, revisiting him during Avengers: Secret Wars could offer a glimpse at a dark future. And since Teller’s Fantastic Four movie was a mix of sci-fi and body horror, it would be logical that his team faced a tragic end, leaving Teller’s Reed the only active member. As a result, with his mind slowly twisted, he could evolve into The Maker by the next time he’s shown. But the worst part of this is no one, especially Reed, would know who he is or what he’s up to.

The Maker Could Be an Unpredictable Villain for the Fantastic Four

Avengers: Secret Wars has the potential to create new realities and revisit old ones, placing them in a world where they all exist as one. So, variants could likely meet each other, leading to endless possibilities. However, in the case of The Maker, he could watch from a distance, anticipating a future when the Secret Wars would be no more. At that point, he would find a way to hitch a ride to a new reality where he could operate freely. Seeing that Teller’s Reed was a true survivor even in Fantastic Four, this would perfectly fit his character.

Once he’s entered a new reality, however, he could change his portrayal and embrace the evil genius within, turning his Reed from someone fans didn’t care for into a true threat. Furthermore, it could give the MCU’s Fantastic Four an enemy more dangerous than Doom because, in a way, it’s one of their own. In the end, while Teller returning as Reed could be a strange addition to the MCU, it could work, should it be the darkest iteration of the character.