Later in 2025, Marvel and DC will finally cross over again for the first time in decades, and while there are no concrete details yet about what the story will entail, it's possible that Fantastic Four one more time. The characters, whose first appearances kicked off their respective shared comics universes, met up back in 1999.
The Fantastic Four and Superman also forged a deeper relationship than typically happens in an intercompany superhero crossover. Instead of fighting one another in a confusing initial encounter - a longtime staple of first-time superhero encounters - the characters were pretty immediately sympatico, particularly since Superman was established as a fictional character in the Marvel Universe - and Franklin Richards was a fan.
Franklin, the son of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman, was featured in the one-shot crossover by Dan Jurgens, who later went on to create the character of Superman's son Jon Kent.
Superman and the Fantastic Four Was an Obvious Crossover, Done Right
Superman / Fantastic Four #1 by Dan Jurgens, Art Thibert, Gregory Wright, Digital Chameleon, and Bill Oakley
While DC and Marvel have had a number of high-profile crossovers, there was definitely something special about Superman / Fantastic Four #1. Jurgens, one of the most influential Superman writer/artists of the last 40 years, not only had a strong grasp on all the characters involved but had already created the perfect foe in Hank Henshaw. Cyborg Superman's origin was a pastiche of the Fantastic Four's, so pitting him against Reed Richards was kind of like giving Marvel's biggest brain a view into a cracked-mirror version of his own life. Galactus, meanwhile, is one of the few Marvel villains on Superman's power level.
In the years since DC and Marvel last crossed over, a lot of things have changed.
In the years since DC and Marvel last crossed over, a lot of things have changed. For example, Franklin Richards, once little more than a kid with weird powers, has become one of the most significant characters in the Marvel Universe. Meanwhile. Superman has a son, Jon, who was around Franklin's age during some of his best-loved adventures in the DCU. Taken together, these two elements could deepenthe relationship between Superman and Franklin, which was already the backbone of the original crossover. Last time around, Superman even left Franklin with one of his capes.
Superman's cape is obviously a pretty significant symbol, including for Superman's actual son, Jon Kent, who held his dad's iconic red cape as he learned to fly for the first time. Years and a number of world-ending crises later, it would be interesting to see whether the iconography - or even just the gift itself - still holds the same meaning for Franklin as it did before. And seeing Franklin having come into his own could be a great experience for Clark, too.
The Real World Is Focused on Superman and the Fantastic Four, Too
2025 Is the Year of Superman and the Fantastic Four
DC Comics has already branded the summer of 2025 the "Summer of Superman," playing into the attention that the Man of Steel will be getting as a result of the new Superman movie coming out in July. Just two weeks later, Marvel will introduce the Fantastic Four to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Fantastic Four: First Steps. The next DC / Marvel crossover, set to be released some time later in 2025, is likely to be timed perfectly to sync up with a huge swell of enthusiasm for both Superman and the Fantastic Four.
Brace Yourselves, Marvel and DC Just Announced Its Next Big Crossover Event
That’s right, over two decades after the last Marvel and DC Comics crossover, the Big Two are finally coming back together for two new stories.
Based on the popularity of their respective trailers, the movies are set to be the biggest installments in their respective cinematic universes in a while, which is likely good news for comics. While it's difficult to get moviegoers into comic shops to buy the source material, characters like Superman and the Fantastic Four are likely to generate a lot of buzz within comics fandom when a new iteration starts up - if only so that fans can debate what the movies got right and wrong.
Though details are slim, the Marvel Comics and DC Comics crossover comics will be available later in 2025.
- Created By
- Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
- First Appearance
- Action Comics
- Alias
- Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent
- Alliance
- Justice League, Superman Family
- Race
- Kryptonian
- Franchise
- D.C.
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
- Created by
- Jack Kirby
- First Film
- The Fantastic Four
- Latest Film
- Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero franchise centered on Marvel Comics' first family of superheroes. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the team made its comic book debut in 1961 and quickly became a cornerstone of Marvel's success. The franchise follows four astronauts—Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm—who gain superpowers after being exposed to cosmic radiation. Over the years, Fantastic Four has been adapted into several live-action films, animated series, and video games. The films have seen multiple reboots, with varying levels of success, and are now set to be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with a new film slated for release in 2025.
- First TV Show
- The Fantastic Four
- First Episode Air Date
- September 9, 1967
- Cast
- Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
- TV Show(s)
- Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes
- Video Game(s)
- Fantastic Four (1997), Fantastic Four (2005)
