Marvel Officially Positions Reed Richards as the MCU’s Next Stark‑Like Genius

An official Fantastic Four: First Steps art book spells out the comparison, signaling a creative reset ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.

Overview

Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards is described as a Tony Stark–type in Marvel’s published Fantastic Four: First Steps art book, with concept artist Joshua Viers citing a wealthy‑inventor archetype filtered through a retro‑futuristic 1960s aesthetic.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opened to an estimated $218 million worldwide, including $118 million domestic, and finished with roughly $521–522 million globally, the top Marvel total of 2025 yet mid‑tier for the MCU overall.
Avengers 5 was retitled Avengers: Doomsday, replacing Jonathan Majors’ Kang with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, and is scheduled to release on December 18, 2026.
Marketing for Doomsday has featured four short teasers without a full trailer so far, and industry coverage suggests the first full look could arrive alongside Spider‑Man: Brand New Day in 2026.
Anthony and Joe Russo are directing Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), with reporting indicating the films set up a Mutant Saga that brings back X‑Men veterans such as Patrick Stewart and James Marsden.