Marvel"s Goofiest Missing Fantastic Four Explanation Is More Likely Than You Think

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Summary

Marvel's First Family, the Fantastic Four, may have been hiding inside a Flerken, a highly-intelligent creature with a pocket dimension inside its body.
Flerkens, like Goose from Captain Marvel, can swallow objects and protect them within their pocket dimensions, which could potentially explain the Fantastic Four's absence from the MCU.
Flerkens could play a larger role in the MCU, potentially saving heroes during a catastrophic incursion in Avengers: Secret Wars by housing them in their pocket dimensions.

Ahead of their debut in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four, Marvel's First Family have become the focus of a brilliant theory that explains exactly where they've been hiding during the last decade-and-a-half of the MCU. 20th Century Fox made two attempts at bringing the Fantastic Four into live-action, first in 2005, and later in 2015, yet neither of these adaptations were entirely positively received. The finalization of Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019 meant that the team's film rights reverted to Marvel Studios, and the MCU's Fantastic Four reboot was quickly put into development, though the upcoming project has a complex challenge to overcome in the MCU's Phase 6.
Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four is currently slated for release on May 2, 2025, kicking off the MCU's Phase 6. While the team's debut is exciting, the storyline needs to answer exactly where the Fantastic Four have been throughout the duration of the MCU, especially considering early reports that Fantastic Four won't be detailing the team's origin story. The Fantastic Four led the charge into a new era for Marvel Comics in 1961, being dubbed "Marvel's First Family," but this won't be the case in the MCU. This could pose a huge problem for Marvel Studios, but one ridiculous Fantastic Four theory might provide the most entertaining explanation for this conundrum.
The Fantastic Four Might Be Trapped Inside A Flerken: MCU Theory Explained Close A theory posed by Reddit user onlydans__ suggests that the Fantastic Four may have found themselves trapped inside a Flerken, explaining their absence from the MCU's previous projects. At first glance, this theory sounds outlandish and laughable, but it could actually have standing in the MCU. Flerkens were first introduced to the MCU in 2019's Captain Marvel, with Goose helping Carol Danvers, Maria Rambeau, Talos, and Nick Fury in their mission to secure the Tesseract from Mar-Vell's laboratory. Disguised as a cat, Goose seems inconspicuous, but Flerkens have a hidden secret that could bring some gravitas to this hilarious Fantastic Four theory.
Flerkens are actually highly-intelligent creatures that have pocket dimensions inside their bodies.
Although they resemble Earth's cats, Flerkens are actually highly-intelligent creatures that have pocket dimensions inside their bodies. With the help of some terrifying tentacles that unravel from their mouths, Flerkens can swallow objects and protect them within the dimension inside them - showcased perfectly when Goose the Flerken swallowed the Tesseract - and regurgitate them for later use. The Reddit theory posits that the Fantastic Four may have entered a Flerken's pocket dimension in the past, perhaps to protect themselves from danger, and will make their way out in the MCU's present day, ready to embark on a new adventure in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot.
The Marvels Makes Flerkens More Important In The MCU

Goose was the only Flerken featured in Captain Marvel, but played a pivotal role in securing the Tesseract and taking out a number of Kree warriors. Goose has also been featured heavily in trailers for Marvel Studios' upcoming The Marvels, the 2023 sequel to Captain Marvel, revealed to have been traveling with Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, despite having been left on Earth with Nick Fury in 1995. The Marvels is also set to introduce new Flerkens to the MCU, as trailers have given viewers a glimpse at a litter of Flerken kittens. This hints to Flerkens having a more prominent role in The Marvels, and potentially in subsequent MCU projects.
The idea that Flerkens could become more prevalent in the MCU's future lends itself to this brilliant Reddit theory, as it's very likely that the cosmos-exploring Fantastic Four have come across a Flerken. In Marvel Comics, the Fantastic Four routinely explore a dimension known as the Negative Zone, so it's possible that Marvel Studios may reveal the Negative Zone to be the dimension that is housed with Flerkens' bodies. This would surely be a hilarious way to introduce the Fantastic Four in the MCU, and may detract from the impact of their much-anticipated debut, but having them trapped inside a Flerken would be a great way to explain their absence.
Could Flerkens Be The Key To Saving The MCU’s Heroes In Avengers 6?

As well as suggesting a great way for Fantastic Four to bring the team into the MCU, the Reddit theory also suggests that Flerkens may have a more pivotal role in the MCU's Multiverse Saga. 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to explore a catastrophic incursion - the same destruction of the universe that is seen in Marvel Comics' 2015 Secret Wars storyline. In the comics, Reed Richards builds life rafts to save groups of Marvel's heroes, and the Reddit theory suggests that Flerkens may assume this role in the MCU. It's possible they could house many heroes in their pocket dimensions, allowing several characters to survive Secret Wars' potentially franchise-changing incursion.
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