CGI image of Galactus from Marvel Studios
In Marvel Comics, there has only been one “Devourer of Worlds,” an ancient cosmic being so immense that he can dwarf a planet and cast a shadow over it blocking the sun. Indeed, the comic book-accurate Galactus has been conspicuously absent from the MCU for decades. Let us not forget his appearance as a smoky cloud in “The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” (2007), which was a monumental mistake. Whoever thought of doing that to Galactus must have had rocks or something else for brains. Seriously, how can you botch Galactus? Have they ever read the Marvel Comics where Galactus was in them? Don’t they have eyes to at least see what Galactus looks like? Those questions were never given any answers which only left a lot of us frustrated.
Well, anyway, despite the terrible decision to do that to Galactus, moviegoers are forgiving of that huge miscalculation and have long since moved on from it. Perhaps one reason why moviegoers are finally getting a comic book-accurate Galactus (designed by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee) in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which was revealed at the recently concluded SDCC 2024, is because of the passion of moviegoers.
How lucky are we that a few people were able to record an exclusive sneak peek of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and upload it to YouTube when it premiered in Hall H during the Marvel Studios presentation of their upcoming movies at the recently concluded 2024 San Diego Comic-Con. We all saw Galactus’ face peeking through the windows of what must have been the Baxter building (HG of The Fantastic Four), and what a chilling sight that was! I got goosebumps from watching that simple CGI clip that was anything but ordinary, as it showcased what can be achieved when done correctly.
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Marvel Comics’ image of Galactus from Marvel Entertainment
There was a time when it would have been nearly impossible to create a genuine or realistic depiction of Galactus in movies during Marvel’s early years in the movie-making business when they worked with limited budgets, primitive special effects, and the earliest stages of CGI technology.
Now, there are no more limitations, no more reasons to fail, and no more excuses because the budgets are millions of dollars. Everything and anything can be done with CGI, blurring the line between what is real and what is fake, what is natural and artificial, and what is impossible and possible. This advancement is greatly beneficial for the movies and the MCU.
Galactus is, and always will be, the one Marvel Comics character that has evaded the big screen, despite being the most likely to be well-received by moviegoers. The cosmic being is well known outside Marvel, being parodied, mentioned, and mimicked in various forms of popular culture. This means that Galactus has been ingrained in the psyche of the youth and anyone familiar with him.
Of course, we all know Galactus because of The Silver Surfer, The Fantastic Four, and other space-bound adventures that any of the Marvel superheroes might find themselves in. However, it is long overdue for him to penetrate the hearts of people enamored with the superheroes and supervillains from Marvel Comics that are part of the MCU. It is long overdue. Let’s put it this way. If you believed Thanos was impressive, with Galactus you haven’t seen anything yet!
Sadly, I wish that the creators and artists of Galactus, which are Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, could have lived to see the day when one of their greatest creations finally came to life on the big screen. This cinematic feat would have meant a lot to them to see Galactus in the MCU. On a brighter note, I commend Marvel Studios for finally realizing that when you give the people, the fans, and moviegoers what they want — Galactus has always been one of them — they will support you again. Introducing a comic book-accurate Galactus is a way of correcting things and bringing more attention back to upcoming projects at Marvel Studios, as comic book-book-accurate depictions and portrayals have always been the right thing to do. I mean, let’s take, for example, what happened with Wolverine in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The overwhelmingly positive results speak for themselves: record-breaking box office earnings and the numerous entertainment articles written about it from all around the world.
Include “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” as one of the must-watch movies from the MCU because Galactus is in it.
Galactus is coming. Is the MCU prepared? Better yet, are you ready for the “Devourer of Worlds”?