Fantastic Four's Vanessa Kirby has been researching near-death experiences to help get into character for Avengers: Doomsday

The Fantastic Four has just saved the planet from Galactus, but their MCU journey doesn't end there.

Next up, Marvel's First Family will have to deal with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom (and possibly some X-Men) in Avengers: Doomsday – but don't expect the group to emerge unscathed after their grueling showdown with Ralph Ineson's world-eater in Fantastic Four: First Steps.

"I love that I get to continue with Sue because it's so interesting," Kirby told MovieWeb of the character's evolution in Avengers: Doomsday, most notably after she returned from the dead in the Fantastic Four ending due to her son Franklin's use of the Power Cosmic.

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Kirby continued, "I've been thinking a lot doing Avengers and stuff about how someone that's been through, in the space of basically a week, someone who has given birth and has died and come back to life... how a death experience like that would change you."

To that end, the Fantastic Four actor has reached out to those who went through near-death experiences – and that research is something that could very well be reflected in Avengers: Doomsday.

"I've been listening to a lot of people that have had those [kinds] of experiences and what they learn, and therefore how different they are after they come back from that," Kirby said.

Fantastic Four may be appearing in the Marvel Phase 6 crossover, but little is known about the role they will actually play in Doomsday.

The Thunderbolts post-credits scene heavily hinted that Fantastic Four had arrived in Earth-616, though First Steps (and Kevin Feige's own less-than-clarifying comments) suggested otherwise. The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene involving Doctor Doom encountering Franklin is another piece of potential connective tissue but, beyond Robert Downey Jr. himself appearing in the scene, it remains to be seen how it all joins together next year.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18, 2026. For more, here are our guides on upcoming Marvel movies and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.