The Fantastic Four: First Steps Just Got a Loki-Sized Boost — Here’s Why It Matters
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps just became a lot more interesting — and it’s all thanks to a Loki connection hidden in the film’s writing credits.
As Phase 6’s opening film, First Steps isn’t just a long-awaited debut of Marvel’s First Family; it’s also poised to be a crucial puzzle piece in the Multiverse Saga, eventually leading into Avengers: Doomsday. And now, we know that Michael Waldron, the head writer behind Loki Season 1 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is involved in shaping its script.
✅ Loki Writer Michael Waldron Joins the Fantastic Four Movie
According to the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), Michael Waldron is officially credited with Additional Literary Material (ALM) on The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
That may sound minor, but it’s a big deal.
Waldron helped define the rules of the Multiverse in the MCU, establishing foundational ideas about timelines, branching realities, variants, and the Time Variance Authority (TVA). In other words: if the Multiverse is involved, Waldron knows the blueprint.
What Does “ALM” Mean?
- The Additional Literary Material credit means Waldron:
- Offered creative input on story beats
- Revised scenes or dialogue
- Possibly helped with Multiverse mechanics
- Assisted in connecting First Steps to the broader MCU timeline
So while he’s not one of the core credited writers, his fingerprints are likely on some of the most critical connective tissue in the film.
🧩 Who Else Helped Shape the Script?
Waldron isn’t the only Marvel vet contributing behind the scenes. The ALM credits also include:
- Kathryn Blair (Loki, Daredevil: Born Again)
- Peter Cameron (Agatha All Along, WandaVision, Moon Knight)
- Matthew Chauncey (What If…?, Ms. Marvel)
- Andrew Guest (Hawkeye, Wonder Man)
- Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Star Trek: Lower Decks)
- Brian Lynch (Minions, The Secret Life of Pets)
This eclectic team blends Multiverse experts, comedic writers, and grounded character-focused voices, suggesting that The Fantastic Four will not only be cosmic and consequential, but also funny and human — much like Loki or WandaVision.
🌀 How Does This Connect to the Multiverse Saga?
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set on a different Earth, which explains why they’ve been absent from past MCU events like the fight against Thanos. But it’s been confirmed that they’ll play a major role in Avengers: Doomsday, which pits heroes from across the Multiverse against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
So how will they get from “their Earth” to Earth-616?
💡 Enter the Multiverse.
Michael Waldron’s presence all but confirms that the Multiverse’s rules, loopholes, and narrative mechanics will be leveraged in the plot.
Just like Deadpool & Wolverine is using the TVA to merge timelines and move characters into Earth-616, Fantastic Four could use similar logic to:
- Pull the team into the main MCU
- Introduce their variant-specific history
- Connect to Loki’s Sacred Timeline
- Foreshadow the Kang/Multiversal War fallout
🎬 A Quick Recap of the Fantastic Four Creative Team
Director: Matt Shakman (WandaVision)
Main Writers:
- Eric Pearson (Black Widow, Thor: Ragnarok, Thunderbolts**)
- Josh Friedman (Avatar: The Way of Water)
- Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer (Disaster Wedding)
- Kat Wood (Arthur & Martin)
Confirmed Cast:
- Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic
- Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman
- Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing
📅 When Does Fantastic Four: First Steps Release?
July 25, 2025 — mark your calendars.
This movie not only kickstarts Phase 6, but also sets the stage for the MCU’s final Multiversal war in Avengers: Doomsday, releasing December 2026.
