During an early montage that fills in the backstory of the four years the Fantastic Four have been protecting the world, we see the team appear on various magazine covers heralding their exploits. One such cover is for a publication named Now Politics, with Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) pictured as a respected diplomat in the world of Earth-828.

That might sound like no big deal, but after 2023’s “The Marvels,” this spring’s fourth “Captain America” movie and “Thunderbolts*” all underperformed by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) standards, the new “Fantastic Four” may offer broader audience appeal by not pulling from other franchises.

This iteration of the Fantastic Four has a standalone adventure without all the burden of the MCU's history and cast of characters.