Custom image by Joe O'SheaThe Fantastic Four's MCU return is coming right before Avengers: Doomsday, and ScreenRant has an exclusive first look.
Published Jun 5, 2026, 12:01 PM EDT
Shaun Corley is a Staff Writer for ScreenRant, a position he has held for five years. While he enjoys many types of comics and graphic novels, he has a particular interest in the licensed Star Trek titles.
The Fantastic Four’s next official MCU appearance has been confirmed, and it is coming before Avengers: Doomsday. Last year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps brought Marvel’s “First Family” to the MCU, a move fans had dreamt of for years. Starring Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, the movie was a hit at the box office. Now, fans patiently wait for the team’s return in the next Avengers film.
A good Fantastic Four has been a goal of Hollywood for over 30 years. Low-budget maestro Roger Corman made one in the 1990s, only for it to be shelved and never formally released. A decade later, 20th Century Fox released a pair of Fantastic Four movies: the first in 2005, and a sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, in 2007. The first did well with fans if not critics, but the second failed to land with both demographics. Fox tried one more time in 2015, with a reboot featuring Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, but it too failed to connect with audiences.
So when The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrived in theaters last summer, some felt like the movies had finally captured what made the team great. It left fans wanting more, and they will get it in Avengers: Doomsday. Yet before then, the MCU version of The Fantastic Four will make an appearance that will introduce a classic villain to the lore, and ScreenRant is pleased to bring fans a first look.
Classic Fantastic Four Villain Dragon Man is Coming to the MCU
Other Fantastic Four Villains Will Receive One Shots Too
This September, Marvel will release Fantastic Four: First Foes: Dragon Man, which will be written by Greg Pak and drawn by Mark Buckingham, who will also illustrate another First Foes one-shot focusing on Shalla Bal the Silver Surfer. Marvel’s solicitation for First Foes: Dragon Man reads as follows:
FROM THE WORLD OF THE BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE!
As the Fantastic Four take the world by storm, Ben Grimm, the ever-lovin' Thing, struggles in the spotlight in his rocky, monstrous form. But could there be a cure for his condition? And what does all of this have to do with the terrifying android known as DRAGON MAN?
Marvel provided ScreenRant with a first look at Phil Noto’s cover, shared here. The one-shot will be set on Earth-828, the designation for the world the MCU’s Fantastic Four hail from.
Dragon Man is a classic Fantastic Four foe, and will make a great addition to the MCU canon. Writer Greg Pak, who has extensive credits at Marvel including a character-defining run on the Hulk, had this to say about Fantastic Four: First Foes: Dragon Man:
I was thrilled to get the tap to work on this story - first, because it gave me the chance to work with the legendary Mark Buckingham; second, because I loved that big-hearted, fun, retro vibe of the FIRST STEPS movie; and finally, of course, because DRAGON MAN! Editor Tom Brevoort has known me for over two decades now, so I guess he's got a good fix on my love for monsters. This book gave us the chance to explore both Dragon Man, a character I've been quietly obsessed with for years but have never had the chance to write, AND Ben Grimm himself, Marvel's first great misunderstood monster hero. I love what we're getting the chance to do, both in terms of action and character, and I can't wait for y'all to see it!
Other First Foes specials have focused on The Silver Surfer and The Mad Thinker.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby during their zeitgeist-busting Fantastic Four run in the 1960s, Dragon Man is not really a dragon, or a man. Instead, he is a robot, built by a lonely scientist and brought to life by the villain Diablo. Big and powerful, Dragon Man became one of The Fantastic Four’s most dangerous opponents. Early on, Dragon Man had no intelligence and no agency, but Valeria Richards later upgraded him, and he became more benevolent.
The MCU's Fantastic Four Only Hinted at a Larger World
Fantastic Four: First Steps introduced a brand-new world to the MCU, one brimming with possibilities. Earth-828 is full of untapped stories and potential, and First Steps only hinted at a little bit of it. While Galactus and the Silver Surfer were the primary focus, another classic Fantastic Four foe, the Mole Man, made an appearance. Marvel’s other First Foes one-shots are expanding the world of the MCU’s Fantastic Four, showing fans new sides of it the film did not have time to do.
Marvel’s other First Foes one-shots are expanding the world of the MCU’s Fantastic Four, showing fans new sides of it the film did not have time to do.
Dragon Man’s arrival in the MCU will put The Fantastic Four through their paces. Marvel’s solicitation revealed that The Thing will encounter Dragon Man, and the fight between these two powerhouses will be one to watch. The solicitation also revealed that Dragon Man could be key to helping the Thing come to terms with his monstrous state, or maybe even reverse it.
The Fantastic Four Are Returning Later This Year in Avengers: Doomsday
Avengers: Doomsday will introduce The Fantastic Four to the larger MCU. At long last, fans will see the team interact with icons such as Thor, Ant-Man and Shang Chi. The team will fight their long-time opponent, Doctor Doom, as well. Doomsday promises to be the biggest superhero movie ever, uniting the Avengers, the X-Men and The Fantastic Four. Fans eager for Marvel’s First Family to return are in luck when First Foes: Dragon Man flies into shops this Fall.
Fantastic Four: First Foes: Dragon Man #1 is on sale this September from Marvel Comics!
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