The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits explained – Does Doctor Doom appear?

There have been strong rumours online suggesting that any post-credits scene could see former Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr appear as Doctor Doom for the first time, not an especially far-fetched idea given he's currently filming for his part in Avengers: Doomsday and the character is the Fantastic Four's most famous foe.

So, what's the story? Are Marvel fans in for a nice surprise after the ending for the new film? And if so, how many post-credits scenes can they expect?

Read on for everything you need to know.

How many post-credits scenes does The Fantastic Four: First Steps have?

There are two extra scenes after the main film finishes – one mid-credits scene just before the rolling credits, and then another bonus post-credits scene at the very end.

The first of those is one that will be of major interest to MCU fans – teasing the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday – so it's definitely worth sticking around for.

The second falls more into the "bit of fun" category, but if you're a longtime fan of Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics more generally and the fun '60s aesthetic that the film has adopted, you won't want to miss out.

Scroll down for more detailed explanations of both scenes – with the warning that there are *major spoilers* from here on.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps mid-credits explained – Does Doctor Doom appear?

As mentioned above, there had been strong rumours ahead of the release that Robert Downey Jr would be making his second MCU debut as villain Doctor Doom - six years after he last appeared as Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame.

So, does Doctor Doom appear? Well, yes – but we only see him from behind, so there's no glimpse of Downey Jr's face yet.

Still, his threatening appearance certainly sets the stage for upcoming events in pretty spectacular fashion.

The scene is set in the Baxter Building penthouse four years after the events of the main film, and finds Sue Storm taking care of the now four-year-old baby Franklin – who is implied to have some pretty sophisticated reading habits, if HERBIE's suggestions are anything to go by.

Anyway, when Sue briefly leaves the child's side to go and fetch a new book, she returns to a terrifying sight: a cloaked man is standing over Franklin, holding an instantly recognisable silver mask in his hand.

You don't need to be an expert to know that this is Doctor Doom.

The film then cuts to the main credits, but this little glimpse will certainly do a lot to whet the appetites of fans ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.

Presumably, the villain is interested in harvesting Franklin's cosmic power for his own ends – and this sets things up nicely for the new film.

Now, we just need to find out how these characters all leave Earth-828 and end up in the existing MCU continuity...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits explained

There is one final scene at the end of the film, albeit one with a little less narrative significance.

The scene is a retro cartoon which shows the quartet battling a number of classic villains from the comics, including Puppet Master, Diablo and Red Ghost – the latter of whom was notably cut out of this film after John Malkovich shot several scenes as him.

At the very end, we then see a quote from comic legend and Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby – whose trademark colourful style inspired both the new film's aesthetic and especially the post-credits scene in question.

The quote reads: "If you look at my characters, you will find me. No matter what kind of character you create or assume, a little of yourself must remain there."

It is then revealed that Earth-828 was so named as an homage to Kirby's birthday, on 28th August – 8/28, if we use the American dating system. A nice touch!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now showing in UK cinemas.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.