Marvel Quietly Added A Child Actor To 'Avengers: Doomsday' (And Fans Think They Know Why)
Avengers: Doomsday (2026) is quickly becoming the most anticipated movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in years, with fans watching every update like hawks. A recent update includes the addition of a young actor named Pacino Khan, who fans speculate could be playing Franklin Richards.
Khan is young and hasn’t had many credits, but if he’s playing Richards, his character already has a history in the MCU thanks to The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). But even with a bit of info, there’s more than enough to wonder what’s coming from this new casting.
What Happened To Franklin Richards In The MCU?
The Fantastic Four: First Steps succeeded in not only bringing Marvel’s First Family to the MCU but also in bringing Franklin Richards into the narrative. The entire film revolves around his importance to the larger universe and Galactus’ desire to use him to cure his hunger.
His power is fitting for the cosmic circumstances of his birth. Like the comics, Franklin’s power is limitless, and the baby even brought his mom back from the dead at the end of the film. But The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, set four years later, revealed Doctor Doom in the Baxter Building, letting Franklin touch his face under the mask.
Why Is Franklin Richards So Important?
Franklin Richards has always been a character of immense power, even though he is just a child in the mainline continuity. He has shown promise as a child who can create galaxies in his hands. In Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four run, it’s even explored that, as an adult, his cosmic power allows him to control Galactus.
If anyone can change the face of reality and reverse death, it’s Franklin Richards, and the comics have done a great job in both showing this and also not taking advantage of it. Instead, Franklin is often limited in how much he can use his powers, while the MCU seems to be setting up that he’s going to explore his limits in some capacity.
What Could Franklin Richards Do In ’Avengers: Doomsday’?
There’s no concept of what Doctor Doom could be up to in Avengers: Doomsday, but there are more than a few ideas that could justify Kahn being added to the roster if he’s playing Franklin Richards. The first is the most obvious, as it could lead directly to Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), meaning that Doom could be trying to use Franklin’s power to rewrite the universe in his image and ensure everyone in his world forgets their past.
Doom could also be using Franklin to try to prevent the teased incursions coming in Doomsday already. If so, it would explain why they would need a slightly older actor like Khan to play Franklin, as his role would be more substantial. Ultimately, it’s unclear what capacity Pacino Khan will be used in Avengers: Doomsday, but what is known is that Franklin Richards is powerful and won’t be sidelined either way.
