The Guardians of the Galaxy were a surprising and immediate hit when they were introduced, not just because of the tone of the movie, but also because of the found family aspect at the center of the story. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set to be the last film for James Gunn, and presumably this cast of characters, the MCU has big shoes to fill.

But the MCU also has a very obvious successor to the Guardians of the Galaxy legacy, the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s most prominent super family. Just as with the Guardians, the most important aspect of this group’s dynamic is the found family aspect. Sure, Sue and Johnny are brother and sister, but the dynamics don’t stop there, and it requires a lot of time and growth for all four to become a unit. This is part of what makes them uniquely suited to fill the Guardians of the Galaxy gap. If they were a functional family from the get-go, then it would be less about their relationship, and more about their powers.

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They aren’t, and the MCU can – and probably wants to – spend some time developing not just their origin story, but the beginnings of their dynamics. This was one of the things Guardians of the Galaxy excelled at. The journey towards this ragtag group of characters becoming not just a team, but a family, spawned the entire first movie. Later on, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, even though the bond was already established, the movie delves even deeper into the connections between the members of the team. The plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still largely unknown, but it’s sure to go into how these people have changed after the Infinity War, and how their relationships have evolved.

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Much of the same approach can be taken to the Fantastic Four. Fans have already seen two movies featuring this core cast of characters, but the first one was long enough ago it’s not fresh in most people’s memories, and very few actually watched the second one. This means that though Marvel can probably skip an origin story if they choose to, they don’t really have to. And in this case, the origin story allows Marvel to set up more than just the powers. The dysfunctional family dynamics and the different personalities can be even better established before these characters gain powers.

It’s, after all, one thing for a guy to just decide to take an impromptu trip into space using an experimental rocket he himself designed, another one altogether for him to bring his girlfriend, her brother, and a friend along for the ride. Particularly when the trip leaves everyone with powers. Powers no one has any idea how to control. There are a lot of interesting possibilities to explore just by focusing on those first days, on how the Fantastic Four are formed, and how they decide to move forward. This is especially true considering one of the main attractions of the foursome in the comics was that they didn’t always get along.

The MCU's Fantastic Four logo

A lot like the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Fantastic Four often disagreed, and it was a struggle to find common ground. This means that, with the right casting, there are several interesting relationships that can be explored there. Reed and Johnny, for example, operate from two very different points of view. Ben has to grapple with the changes to his body, and what that means to his relationships. Sue is always trying not to get caught in the middle.

Plus, Marvel also has the possibility to set up something they don’t really have, not at the level they had with Tony and Pepper – a real OTP. The MCU has never needed to rely on one, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t benefit from having an established relationship people can root for. People respond to romance, and there are very few as iconic in the comics as Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm. Just as the movies are setting up the found family aspect, the new Fantastic Four can, just as Guardians of the Galaxy did with Peter and Gamorra, shine the spotlight on one particular romantic relationship.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fun bunch, and it’s hard to speculate on what’s coming next for them, considering there’s still another movie in the works. But it’s never to early for Marvel to start looking to the future, and how to fill the gap these characters will leave. The Marvel comics universe is vast, and there are certainly various possibilities as to what could come next. Even a different Guardians line-up could work. Bu the obvious successor to the tone, and the vibe of the Guardians of the Galaxy, is the already-announced Fantastic Four.

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