Given that he is the Fantastic Four’s foremost rival, I’m convinced that Robert Downey Jr. will appear as theMCU’s Doctor Doom inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, despite what the movie’s director has to say. Marvel’s official line is that Doctor Doom will make his MCU debut inAvengers: Doomsday, following the bombshell revelation that Robert Downey Jr. would be playing the role at San Diego Comic Con 2024. Although specific story details are still forthcoming, RDJ will presumably reprise therole in 2027’sAvengers: Secret Wars.
His arch-rival, Reed Richards, will meanwhile make his MCU debut inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. It was revealed relatively early on thatthe main villain in the Fantastic Four’s MCU debutwould be Galactus, portrayed by Ralph Ineson. Teasers and trailer footage have already given some exciting insight into how the gargantuan cosmic entity will factor into the movie, and it’s safe to say that scale and design are promisingly comic-accurate. Still, if comic accuracy is of particular importance toThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, then I’m convinced thatDoctor Doom will appeardespite Matt Shakman’s claims.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Director Addressed Whether Doctor Doom Appears
Matt Shakman Casts Doubt On Doom’s Debut
While on the media circuit promotingThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, director Matt Shakman spoke toEmpire Magazine. In the interview, a snippet of which was posted toComicBookMovie, Shakman addressed the prevailing theories that Doctor Doom will make his MCU debut at some juncture inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, with the post-credits scene being most likely.His response seems to put the issue to bed entirely, as he resolutely stated:
Doom is not a part of my film, and therefore not a part of my purview.
Shakman’s comments raise some important questions. Presuming he is not saying this to misdirect audiences (a tactic that is not beyond Marvel Studios, it should be stated), thenwe are forced to wonder if the Fantastic Four have even encountered Doom at this point in their careers. With the character being so inexorably tied to the titular team, this would be a risky move from Marvel Studios, to say the least. Alternatively, I believe Shakman’s short comment suggests that while Doom isn’t part of his purview, he could still appear in his movie.
Why I’m Convinced Doctor Doom Could Still Appear In The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Post-Credits Scene Might Not Technically Be A Part Of Shakman’s Film
I thinkThunderboltsshows us how Doctor Doom can fall outside Matt Shakman’s purview but still be a part of the movie in another way. WhileThunderboltswas largely self-contained, to the extent that New York’s many superheroes did not respond to the looming threat of the Void in the streets of Manhattan,theThunderbolts*post-credits sceneconnected it directly toAvengers: Doomsdayas the Fantastic Four’s spaceship was seen entering Earth’s orbit from another universe. The scene looked decidedly different from the rest of the movie becauseit was directed by the Russo brothers.
If Doctor Doom were to appear in another post-credits scene directed by the Russos, then Shakman is still correct in stating that Doom is not part of his purview.
The Russo brothers were revealed to be directingAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsat the same time as theAvengers: Doomsdaytitle and Robert Downey Jr.’s return were announced. Given thatThunderboltswas directed by Jake Schreier, theThunderboltspost-credits scene isn’t technically part of his film, and I think the same could be said for Matt Shakman andThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. If Doctor Doom were to appear in another post-credits scene directed by the Russos, then Shakman is still correct in stating that Doom is not part of his purview.
Why Doctor Doom Needs To Appear In The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The MCU Is Running Out Of Time To Debut The Multiverse Saga’s Arch-Villain
The necessity of Doctor Doom’s debut inThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsextends beyond the fact that he is Reed Richards' nemesis.The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis the penultimate movie beforeAvengers: Doomsday, andaudiences haven’t heard so much as a peep from the Multiverse Saga’s arch-villain until now. By contrast, at the parallel point in the Infinity Saga, Thanos appeared three times, mostly inMCU post-credits scenes, but also as a secondary villain in the main bulk of the movie inGuardians of the Galaxy.
Thanos appeared in the post-credits scenes ofThe AvengersandAvengers: Age of Ultron, which may indicate why the Avengers-deprived Multiverse Saga has yet to tease Doctor Doom.
WhileThe MarvelsandThunderbolts*directly connected toAvengers: Doomsdaywith their post-credits scenes, the arch-villain was notably absent. While it could be argued that incursions, which are brought about through multiversal meddling, are perhaps a bigger threat than Doom,the more tangible villain would be severely underserved if not teased in eitherThe Fantastic Four: First StepsorSpider-Man: Brand New Day, or both. I’m hopeful, asfilming forAvengers: Doomsdayis well underway, which makes filming a Doom-led post-credits scene forThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsentirely feasible.
