The Marvel Cinematic Universe knows what it’s doing. That’s exactly why we can have a Miles Teller MCU arrival through the introduction of The Maker in the Secret Wars arc. While Phase 4 may have felt out of place at times due to the massive pinnacle reached in Phase 3, the MCU hasn’t lost a step as some may suggest. There is a plan in place when it comes to the multiverse; all of this could very well come together for an event even bigger than that of the Infinity Saga.
In order to reach that point, though, it will take some major crossovers and world-building. This will be the goal through Phases 5 and 6. These phases will set up all that could be had with Secret Wars, which is scheduled for release in 2026.
For comic readers, this is an event that encapsulates a who’s who of heroes and villains all in one story arc—bringing together variants from multiple universes. The less-than-memorable Fantastic Four (2015) movie lays the groundwork for this, and can lead Teller directly into the MCU as the Reed Richards variant, The Maker.
How Fantastic Four (2015) sets up Miles Teller MCU debut as The Maker
This adaptation of Marvel’s first family contains a lot of problems. The choice to follow the Ultimates storyline, however, is not one of those problems.
Teller’s Reed Richards origin unfolds similarly to the version that goes on to become The Maker in the Ultimates universe comics. That’s because the movie follows the Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004) origins. In this run, the group inherits their powers after entering the negative zone, as opposed to mutations from a space storm as they do in the main universe. This eventually sees Reed Richards transform into The Maker in Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011). So how does this all impact the MCU when The Fantastic Four hasn’t been formally introduced yet?
For starters, The Maker, who hails from Earth-1610, is the version of the Earth-616 Reed Richards that uses his intellect and powers in villainous ways as opposed to benefitting society.
This version of Richards strays from the one in the main universe in the losses he suffers, as seen in Ultimate Doomsday. The team splits up, Sue Storm rejects his marriage proposal, and Reed feels responsible for creating Victor Von Doom. All of these things lead him to the path of his evil self, The Maker.
In order for this role to work, they need a major star with some serious acting chops. They’ll have to be able to convince the audience of the struggles that lead this version of Reed to this dark place. Teller would have all the freedom to make this character his own canvas and greatly enhance the MCU.
The 2015 movie doesn’t accomplish much, but the portrayal carried out by Teller is a blueprint for The Maker. The mannerisms that Teller demonstrates in the film are slightly cold at times, and if you rewatch The Fantastic Four, you’ll see enough subtleties from a young Teller to play right into this conflicted arc of the Earth-1610 Richards.
The MCU simply can’t pass on The Maker in Secret Wars
The Maker eventually takes the jump into the comics to be an integral player during the Secret Wars (2015) run by Jonathan Hickman, which sees him brought into the same playing field as the Earth-616 characters (otherwise known as the heroes and villains that have mainly occupied the MCU). In this groundbreaking arc, The Maker creates one of the life rafts that carry various characters away from multiversal destruction, and ultimately onto Battleworld, a planet run by Doctor Doom that consists of different realities. Accompanying The Maker are a handful of heroes and villains, including the Ultimates version of Hawkeye, Iron Man and Namor as well as Miles Morales’ Spider-Man (which could be how the MCU brings him into live-action).
Regarding where Teller fits into all of this: it’s hard to carry out a Secret Wars narrative without The Maker. He plays a major hand in the developments of Battleworld, including teaming up with Earth-616s Mister Fantastic. At this point in the MCU, this Reed Richards will have already debuted in the scheduled 2025 Phase 6 release. Would the MCU really pass up an opportunity to bring in one of the hottest actors in Hollywood after the backstory for this particular character is already laid out?
Giving Teller a chance to add a lasting impact on an iconic role that he barely got to scratch in 2015 would be comparable to what we just saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home with Andrew Garfield. Garfield had the chance to redeem himself by shedding new light on his role. With Teller, he’d be given the runway to play a new version of his character—a villain who ends up appearing to do good before pulling off a double-cross.
What will it take for a Miles Teller MCU debut?
There’s no doubt that the MCU wants to go big with this upcoming slate and the grand-scale events, beginning with The Fantastic Four ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and into Avengers: Secret Wars. With the latter, it’s inevitable that it will become a cameo-fest, just as the nine-issue Hickman series is. Omitting The Maker would remove a large chunk of what unfolds in the pages. By following suit with what Hickman lays out with The Maker origins, the MCU simply can’t pass up this chance to bring in Teller. His rising stardom is a perfect fit for this world.
