What to Expect from Doctor Doom in the MCU
He is the old trunk, filled with ancient mysteries. He is the explosion in the college laboratory. He is the mask that burns with the fires of vengeance. He is the legend that unites this nation. He is… DOOM! Yes, Doctor Doom will finally appear in the MCU after 18 years since his last appearance in the form of the late Julian McMahon in the 2005 & 2007 Fantastic Four movies (for obvious reasons, we don’t talk about F4ntastic). Now, Robert Downey Jr. will play a new incarnation of this iconic villain, no doubt with plenty of twists to the character. So the main question is, what can we expect from his Doctor Doom in the MCU? How will he differ from other incarnations? What is the future of the character after Secret Wars?
Avengers: Doomsday and The Multiverse Saga’s next big villain
There are few Marvel villains with such a huge presence, legacy, and complexity as Doctor Doom. While there were rumors, leaks, and speculations about how Marvel Studios might introduce him some time ago, we now know the answer. As the MCU moves towards a new era with the Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars, with the multiverse being on the verge of collapse, Doom’s arrival is inevitable.
And not just because he’s a fan favorite, but because the structure of the MCU is in desperate need of a new kind of threat, and who else is perfect to be that threat than one of the most dangerous villains from the comics? Doctor Doom isn’t just the next villain. He will earn his place in the hearts and minds of fans, but Marvel has to approach him with respect, ambition, and logic.
Doctor Doom’s iconic presence and importance to the story in comics and live-action
Victor Von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom has been one of the most unique villains in Marvel Comics for around 60 years. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962’s Fantastic Four #5. He immediately stood out as not a madman or a criminal mastermind, but as a monarch, scientist, sorcerer, and philosopher. Doom was written as a man shaped by his tragedies and obsession. His brilliance was only matched by his pride. What’s always made Doom so fascinating for me is the fact that his ’s main goal is not just to conquer the world or to defeat the Fantastic Four. It’s the fact that he genuinely believes he can do it better than anyone else.
In his mind, Doom’s superiority is a solution to humanity’s flaws, not the cause of them. He is so full of himself that he believes every decision he makes is the best one to make, as long as it matches his goal of doing “greater good.” Across the comics, Doom has stood toe-to-toe with nearly every Marvel hero. He’s fought Black Panther, he outsmarted Tony Stark and Reed Richards many times, he challenged the gods of Asgard, he stole the powers of cosmic beings, and he even cheated Death many times.
But the ideals of Victor Von Doom that are mentioned most often are his loyalty to Latveria, his fractured friendship with Reed Richards, his problematic desire for peace and order, and his big ego. Some of the best Marvel stories ever told, like Books of Doom or the first Secret Wars run, focus entirely around him, not as a regular villain, but as a man burdened by genius, ego, and personal tragedies.
In live-action, there was only one adaptation that did him justice. In 2005, the late Julian McMahon created his own charismatic, troubled, and iconic version of Victor Von Doom. The first Fantastic Four movie showed Doom’s origin story by making him a businessman who is constantly hungry for power. Later in Rise of the Silver Surfer, he was a full-on Doom who had a master plan, always caused chaos, and manipulated people around him. But now, 20 years since his first (released) live-action appearance, Marvel has the opportunity to show us a different version with Robert Downey Jr., and later, after the reboot, to give us yet another version of Doctor Doom.
[Warning: major spoiler for Fantastic Four: First Steps discussed below!]
What to expect from Doctor Doom in the MCU
The MCU has always taken its time teasing threats like Thanos (Josh Brolin), evil Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Avengers splitting, or an unfortunate tease of Kang (Jonathan Majors). Thanos, for example, appeared in after-credit scenes, was mentioned, and had a cameo before Infinity War. The same kind of long-form setup would work beautifully for Doctor Doom. Unfortunately, Marvel couldn’t do those teases, but it doesn’t mean they need to introduce him with a bang right away. Instead, they can show what the MCU’s Doom could look like, what traits RDJ’s version has, and in the end, post-Secret Wars, present to us the true MCU Doom.
The most obvious entry point is Fantastic Four, but thankfully, it’s a movie focusing on Fantastic Four vs. Galactus (Ralph Ineson), so no Doom in the main story there. But, since Doom is so central to the team’s story, he has a connection with them, leading to Doomsday. In the post-credits scene of First Steps, he kidnaps baby Franklin Richards, likely to use him as his own Molecule Man and create a perfect Battleworld. The true purpose is, unfortunately, unknown, but it is the most logical thing based on the lack of a “real” Molecule Man, no Beyonder, or anyone available with that type of power to create that world.
As far as we know, RDJ’s Doom will use his face and knowledge to play games with other heroes. He is from the same world as this Fantastic Four, Earth-828. So, in the 4 years between the end of the movie and the post-credit scene, there must be some background and story there we should learn more about in Avengers: Doomsday.
What sets him apart from villains like Kang, Thanos, or Ultron (James Spader) is how he uses his intelligence. He may not be that impulsive or aggressive, but he plans carefully to avoid flaws. This version also probably understands time travel and multiversal physics so that he can cast spells, bind demons, and could even manipulate reality itself.
If Marvel’s smart, they won’t treat RDJ’s Doom as a typical antagonist but as a complex rival to each hero. He’ll be someone who believes he’s the only one capable of saving the world because he can sacrifice everything, which is a very Tony Stark thing when you think about it. What also makes Doom special is his weird moral compass. He’s not fully evil. When it comes to Doom playing hero or “a savior of humanity,” his motivations often come from his perfect vision of creating stability, order, and peace, but on his terms. That’s why RDJ’s version may resonate so much with today’s world. He’s not out to destroy everything just because he can. He’s there to replace the current systems, to rule the multiverse with what he believes is a superior structure, so only he can rule with logic, discipline, and strength.
In Doctor Doom’s mind, democracy is flawed, heroes are not saviors because they couldn’t save anyone from his universe, and the world suffers because it lacks the defense mechanism, the suit of armor around the world. He sees himself as the answer to that problem. That kind of villain can convince others to follow him, who might even agree with him about some things. Especially with Doom being a villain who wants no one to stop him , so he can create his own Doomverse/Battleworld, where there can be only one ruler for everyone. And where no one can stop him.
Doctor Doom after Avengers: Secret Wars
Avengers: Secret Wars will be the next most important MCU event film. It will lead to rebooting the whole universe, which has been anticipated and speculated about for a few years now. Some characters will look the same, while others will be played by other actors/actresses, and of course, one of those will be Doctor Doom. After Secret Wars, Doom doesn’t have to disappear. The comics often show him transitioning into a stoic villain who lives in Latveria, or the kind of villain who wants to possess the powers of the gods once again.
But I believe that to not make him a first-plan villain again, they will avoid repeating everything over and over. The way they’ll write him and recast him will be used to make him lurk in the shadows. He will use his secret organizations, special emissaries, and thugs to obtain alien technology, resources, and more power to rule. Since all heroes and villains will be on the new “Earth-616,” The Fantastic Four will have more opportunities to fight Doom, this time the real one, not Robert Downey Jr’s.
After that, Doctor Doom probably wouldn’t be “the main villain,” but since the next saga is the Mutant Saga, we may see him intervening in mutants’ rights, building jails for them, or hunting them. What’s also possible is that he and other heroes/villains will create either the Illuminati or their own Council of Doom. There are many opportunities to tease his involvement in various events by showing glimpses of him or simply mentioning his name. Just like in the comic books, he doesn’t have to be constantly in the center of the events for people to be afraid of him.
Doctor Doom isn’t just a villain waiting to make his debut in the MCU, but he’s the future of the franchise. If Marvel plays their cards right with RDJ as Doom, we can get yet another unique villain. One full of tragedy, intellect, and the potential to reshape the multiverse so fast and so easily that if you blink, you won’t notice it. Fans want to get the full Doom experience, and they deserve it.
By carefully building Doom’s story with the two Avengers projects after Secret Wars, they can give us an entirely new and overhauled villain who will be an icon in the new MCU for years. If done right, Victor Von Doom could become the anchor of the next MCU era. Not just as the antagonist, but the sole fear for everything to come if you oppose him. And that’s exactly the kind of villain the MCU will need after Secret Wars.
Also check out: 5 Best Doctor Doom Comic Books
