Marvel Studios has made it clear that it’s aiming to reach new cinematic heights when it comes to its Phase Four slate. One of the ways it's doing so is by bringing in characters who are larger than life, both figuratively and literally. Of course, a massive being fans have been wanting to see for years is Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. With the character now back in the Marvel fold, he’ll likely find his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe sooner rather than later. With this, the screenwriters behind Eternals are now sharing their thoughts on whether that introduction could happen in a sequel to their film.
Although the cosmic destroyer didn’t appear in Chloé Zhao’s feature, the film still ushered in other massive beings into the MCU, mainly Celestial Arishem the Judge. Given this, one would think that one of the Fantastic Four’s greatest villains would be a shoo-in for an Eternals sequel. And it sounds like co-writer Kaz Firpo isn’t opposed to the idea:
Galactus is an amazing, amazing character, and villain. We are, you know, obviously setting the stage for intergalactic, cosmic, megalith confrontations, especially when you kill a space god—and then the space god comes and kidnaps you and plans to judge Earth, I think the door is very much open for world-eating villains…
While the scribe didn’t confirm the character in any way (and a sequel is still not confirmed), he’s right that Marvel is indeed aiming to expand the cosmic corner of its movie universe. And filling it up with meaty characters would be incredibly exciting for fans. The scribe seems to know what the character means to people and would like to see him done justice. But how would such a massive character be introduced?
Something that audiences have learned from the MCU over the past decade or so is that just about everything and everyone is connected in some way or another. For example, Eternals established that the Emergence was further fueled by the Blip that occurred in Avengers: Endgame. As a result, the planet-eating being’s entrance could be sparked by something that’s already occurred within the continuity. In the same interview with The Direct, Ryan Firpo seemed to be of this same thinking:
There’s definitely conversations about these post-credits sequences, about who we’re introducing, where we’re going… Galactus is one of those iconic figures of the Marvel Universe that we’re excited to see. But sometimes I think you leave yourself open, you leave these doors open, and who knows what’s happening in number two. Maybe you’re too busy saving a Celestial from Galactus that you end up incurring his [wrath]… anything’s possible.
Anticipation for his debut is high, as fans have even taken to creating cool fan art depicting him in the MCU. Still, some surely remember that the character has appeared on the big screen before. He was first glimpsed in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, in which he served as a secondary antagonist. However, that variation of the cosmic being was a cloud-like entity that consumed planets. Fans weren’t too happy with the change and have since hoped to see a proper depiction. Even Tim Story, the director of the FF movies of the 2000s, has expressed interest in seeing a comic book accurate version.
Galactus is one of the many Marvel characters acquired by Disney after the corporation purchased 21st Century Fox. With a Fantastic Four movie now in active development at Marvel Studios, the stage could be set for him to finally return to the silver screen. It could still honestly be a while before viewers actually get to see him in all of his glory, though. Nevertheless, it’s nice to know that creatives like Ryan and Kaz Firpo are hyped about having him join the interconnected franchise.
While you wait for more news on the character’s whereabouts, you can check Eternals in theaters now. And if you’re feeling so bold, you can stream Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer on Disney+.
