Many fans are eager to see the iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but his debut received a disappointing update amid the long-awaited casting of the cast of Fantastic Four's main characters.
Back in 2022, there were rumors that Doctor Doom would appear "very briefly" in Black Panther: Viva Wakanda. While these rumors never materialized, the sequel may have secretly set the stage for his debut.
With the dismissal of Jonathan Majors and the backlash against the Conquistador storyline, there have been calls for Doctor Doom to step up and take over the main villain role of Avengers: Secret Wars and the multiverse saga.
Doctor Doom's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may not be imminent
A new report from Variety magazine detailing the cast of Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four presents a disappointing update on Doctor Doom's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After years of rumors, Fantastic Four has finally found its cast, which is Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible: Deadly Reckoning), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) and Eben Moss-Rah (Edge of Crisis).
With this announcement, the film's first official key visual followed, showing a first look at the official Fantastic Four costume.
The news comes with a Valentine's Day announcement from Marvel Studios, and Variety's report on the news states that Victor von Doom (aka Dr. Doom) is currently "yet to be cast."
Doctor Doom first became known as Mr. Fantastic's sworn enemy, appearing in three of Fox's live-action films, starring Julian McMahon in the 2005 and 2007 films, and Toby Kebell in the 2015 reboot film.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Doctor Doom will appear in Fantastic Four, but rumor has it that he will not be the main villain, and that duty will fall to the Devourer of Planets.
Ben Mendelsohn, who plays Talos, recently expressed his desire to reappear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom in Secret Invasion, telling GQ that he was "almost willing to give up my eyes and teeth" to play the villain:
I'm almost willing to give up my eyes and teeth to play Doctor Doom. I think Doctor Doom is the great untapped Marvel character who can and should do so. ”
Die-Bad veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito also revealed interest in the role, noting that Doctor Doom is one of the characters he has discussed with Marvel Studios.
Other fan-popular casting and rumors about Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe include Cillian Murphy for Bloody Gangsters, Max Mikkelson for Doctor Strange, Nicolas Coste-Waldau for Game of Thrones, and many more heavyweights.
When will Doctor Doom debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Fantastic Four reboot has undergone several rewrites from different creators in recent years. So even if the rumored Devourer of Planets is written as a villain, we can't be sure if it will still be the case for some time.
Since the first two Fantastic Four live-action adaptations both began with the Mister Fantastic family facing Doctor Doom, it would be refreshing to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe take a different approach and tackle the team's other villains.
But since Doctor Doom is particularly close to the Fantastic Four and Reed Richards, it makes sense for him to cast with the superhero team and make a cameo at least in the movie.
Now that Pedro Pascal has been cast as Reed Richards, Marvel Studios will be looking for a Doctor Doom who can play with the "The Last of Us" star. The studio may also be looking for an actor who is about the same age as Pascal, who is 48.
As a report from Variety magazine suggests, Marvel Studios will be looking for its Victor von Doom for Fantastic Four, where Doctor Doom could make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, even if it's just an end-credits cameo.
But those who want to see Doctor Doom replace Kang the Conqueror as the main villain of the multiverse saga should lower their expectations, as the studio is reportedly looking for a replacement for Jonathan Majors to move forward. The new version of the Fantastic Four cast Marvel fans are looking forward to it! The official concept poster for Fantastic Four reveals a new superhero outfit! Marvel Studios readjusts: two blockbusters change gears, and the first movie in the sixth phase is postponed! The Marvel Universe has made waves again, the future of the Hulk has become a mystery, and Mark Ruffalo's remarks have sparked heated discussions.