Fantastic Four fans get first look at “terrifying” Franklin Richards and there’s a problem

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As snippets about “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” surface online, viewers have been given an initial glimpse of Franklin Richards, which has left them quite unsettled.

There are yet two more months before the upcoming Marvel film premieres in cinemas, with its official release scheduled for July 25th. Nevertheless, rumors have been circulating on social media, one of which hints at a possible leak of a post-credits scene following an LA test screening.

Since the filming of Avengers: Doomsday is currently underway, there’s less attention on potential spoilers. However, it doesn’t mean that fresh, authentic details about the project aren’t surfacing.

One intriguing disclosure concerns the appearance of Franklin Richards in the upcoming Marvel film, and this “daunting” image suggests that a major issue might imminently materialize.

“Terrifying” Franklin Richards model sparks Fantastic Four CGI concerns

At the CCXPMX25 event, a preliminary depiction of Franklin Richards was unveiled, sparking worry among fans as they found his “intimidating” appearance might suggest that his infant representation could be computer-generated imagery (CGI).

Initially, take a glance at the sculpture of Franklin Richards titled ‘THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS’, unveiled by Iron Studios during #CCXPMX25. (Photo credit: @omelete)

— Fantastic Four Updates (@F4Update) May 30, 2025

Although he hasn’t appeared in the movie trailers or posters yet, the statue depicts him as a toddler, boasting a full head of blond hair and dressed in the traditional family suit colored blue.

One viewer expressed hope that a real infant is used instead, as the statue appears quite scary! Another added their concern that it shouldn’t be a poor-quality computer-generated baby…

“Can you imagine if the baby was CGI in the movie, it’d look like that,” a third added.

Although we have an idea of what Franklin might eventually be depicted as in the film, it’s uncertain whether Franklin will appear or not. Given the comic book versions, we may witness Franklin as a newborn, as suggested by Sue’s hint at her pregnancy in the trailer.

In addition, it’s been announced that Franklin will reappear in Secret Wars, with his comic book counterpart estimated to be around 10-13 years old. If this age is maintained in the movies, we might witness an older version of him, but it remains uncertain for now as we are yet to confirm this detail.

Who is Franklin Richards?

It’s not hard to figure out that Franklin Richards is actually the son of Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman, and Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic. Since Johnny Storm (Human Torch) and Ben Grimm (The Thing) are close associates or relatives of Reed Richards, they can be considered his uncles by default.

In the world of comics, Franklin yearned for a regular childhood, free from the burdens of his supernatural abilities. Previously, it was believed that he utilized his divine powers to rebuild the Multiverse after its destruction during the Incursion Crisis, which appeared to drain his powers.

Initially, it appears that he lost his powers, but later on, we discover this wasn’t true. Instead, he covertly manipulated reality to make people think he had become a powerless human mutate after opposing the Cormorant. This deception included himself as well.

We’re still quite far from venturing into any of these realms, it seems. The cosmic radiation that granted Reed and Sue their superhuman abilities apparently influenced their child as well. In order to rescue Sue and her unborn baby, Reed and the team must locate the Cosmic Control Rod controlled by Annihilus first. However, whether this storyline will be depicted in the upcoming movie remains uncertain.

During his younger days, Agatha Harkness served both as Franklin’s caregiver and guardian. This role suggests there might be a reappearance of her character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe post her apparent demise in ‘Agatha All Along’.

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2025-05-30 13:19