Spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ahead!
‘Dr. Strange 2’ enthralled audiences with its multitude of cameos. The film featured an exciting lineup of both new and familiar faces in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). One particular cameo that stood out was John Krasinski’s appearance as Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards. Unfortunately, he appeared only as a variant in a different universe. This means it’s hard to say if Krasinski is officially the MCU’s Mister Fantastic.
Mister Fantastic’s cameo was fairly brief and he had only a few lines. At one point, he mentions how he has children, as well as a wife. Not much more is said about his family before Fantastic exits the film. So, it didn’t seem like very significant dialogue, but comic book fans’ ears were sure to perk up at the mention. That is because in the comic books, Mister Fantastic’s children are pretty badass.
These two are truly a force to be reckoned with. Even as just children, they potentially could’ve taken down Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) on their own. That is how immensely powerful they are. Also, they certainly are not going to be happy about what happened to their dad in that particular universe. They might just need to make an MCU appearance to show what they think of Wanda and Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) doings in the multiverse.
Who are Mister Fantastic’s children?
Mister Fantastic shares two children with his wife, Susan Storm Richards (a.k.a. The Invisible Woman), and they are Valeria and Franklin Richards. In the comic books, the two kids are depicted mainly as supporting characters and as budding superheroes. Franklin is often believed to be one of the most powerful characters in Marvel comics, while Valeria is considered one of the most intelligent.
Both of the children gained superhuman abilities through their parents’ radiation-altered genes. Franklin has immensely powerful reality-warping and psionic powers. Any thought that he has can come to fruition, up to a cosmic level. For many years, Franklin was believed to be a mutant, but it was later discovered he had only altered reality to simulate the X-gene. As a mere child, he had the power to defeat Ultron single-handedly. Valeria was also affected by her parents’ altered genes—manifesting itself as extreme intelligence. In fact, it is believed she is even more intelligent than Mister Fantastic, who is considered the smartest man on earth.
Valeria had an odd entry into the world, originally thought to be miscarried by the Invisible Woman. However, Franklin used his powers to save his sister, sending her to an alternate dimension where she was raised by an alternate Invisible Woman and her husband, Doctor von Doom. When Franklin’s powers depleted, Valeria reverted back to a fetus in Invisible Woman’s womb in her native world. Her birth proved very difficult and Mister Fantastic was not available at the time. This led to the Invisible Woman reluctantly seeking help from Doctor Doom, who safely delivered Valeria. However, the price for his help was naming the baby and becoming her godfather.
Will Valeria and Franklin be in the MCU?
In the comics, Valeria and Franklin embark on many adventures, both together and solo. Valeria became a part of the Future Foundation—a group of gifted young people brought together to solve world problems. She also maintained a complicated relationship with Doctor Doom, who she sought to make a force of good. In some variations, she even went by the name Valeria von Doom.
Franklin had a difficult childhood, suffering numerous abductions from the likes of Onslaught and even his own grandfather, Nathaniel Richards, due to his powers. Also, Franklin has a very big weakness—his power can be depleted if overused. In one instance, Valeria and Franklin teamed up to save the multiverse, which was collapsing due to incursions. The children, along with the Fantastic Four, managed to save the multiverse and rebuild it, along with new realities. However, Franklin’s power is depleted during this multiverse adventure. No one can figure out how to restore his powers and Franklin eventually loses them altogether.
It has not been confirmed that Valeria and Franklin will be appearing in the MCU. They have, though, been mentioned, confirming that a variation of them does exist in the MCU. Not only that, but given Marvel’s recent multiverse arc, Franklin and Valeria could fit in very well. As we learned at the end of Doctor Strange 2, Strange has indeed caused an incursion to occur. If the incursion is enough to collapse the multiverse, it could require saving by Franklin and Valeria.
(featured image: Marvel Comics)
Published: May 12, 2022 06:17 pm