At Comic-Con, I spoke with a prominent Hollywood VFX artist who broke down the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credit scene and explained what’s really happening—something that might have flown under the radar for some fans.
Note: This may have already been discussed online. I’ll admit, I missed it when I watched the scene.
Warning: Spoilers follow.
Franklin Richards Heals Doctor Doom
The end of the movie sees the infant Franklin Richards use his powers to heal Sue Storm, bringing her back to life. But in the post-credit scene, the VFX artist revealed there’s another subtle moment with major implications.
If you look closely, young Franklin is shown with his hand on the face of Doctor Doom—confirmed to be played by none other than Robert Downey Jr.—and he’s healing him, too.
Why Doom’s Face Matters
According to the VFX artist, who is a massive Fantastic Four fan (he loved the movie and especially the powers of Sue Storm and the look of Galactus), this moment is key to understanding the new version of Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
The healing is tied to Doom’s obsession with vanity. In the comics, Doom’s hatred and insecurity are deeply rooted in his disfigurement, so showing Franklin healing his face directly plays into that psychology.
Marvel Wants You to See RDJ
We also discussed how the explanation for this scene was a way for Marvel to show Robert Downey Jr.’s face. Just like The Mandalorian eventually revealed Pedro Pascal’s face due to his star power, Marvel likely didn’t want RDJ hidden behind a metal mask for long, especially with this major new role in the MCU, which is actually now rumored to continue following Avengers: Secret Wars.
Lots of unanswered questions
The Fantastic Four post-credit scene also leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Why would Franklin heal Doom? Is that the same Doom they teased earlier in the movie with the mention of Latveria?
I actually threw it out there that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom is Franklin Richards grown up from the future. I asked the VFX artist not to give me spoilers if he knew, but he suggested it’s not Franklin.
Release info
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theaters.
Avengers: Doomsday hits December 18, 2026. Avengers: Secret Wars gets released December 17, 2027.
Confirmed cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Tom Hiddleston, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Danny Ramirez, Hannah John-Kamen, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, Channing Tatum, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Lewis Pullman, and Robert Downey Jr., with 33 more are rumored.
