Noah Hawley, the creator of FX's Fargo (2014) and Legion (2017), announced at SDCC's Legion panel that he is currently developing a Doctor Doom movie for Fox. Doctor Doom is a classic villain in Marvel comics, and while he is traditionally pitted against the Fantastic Four, he has also faced off with plenty of other Marvel heroes, including the Avengers. In previous incarnations of the Fantastic Four in film, he has been portrayed by Julian McMahon in the 2005 Fantastic Four and 2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and by Toby Kebbell in the 2015 Fant4stic Four reboot. It remains to be seen whether or not the Fantastic Four will appear in the upcoming Doctor Doom film, which could easily serve as a prequel, sequel, or another reboot to the Fantastic Four franchise.
Doctor Doom is from the fictional Eastern European country of Latveria. His parents were a Romani witch and healer. His mother was killed when Doom was young, and his father died fleeing a vengeful Baron. His parents' deaths propelled Doom to combine technology and magic in order to become powerful enough to protect the Romani people in Latveria. He would later study in the United States (where he would meet Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four) and become seriously disfigured after a technological experiment exploded. As a result, Doom wears his signature mask and hood.
Depending on when the story of the Doctor Doom film takes place, the facial features of the actor in question may not matter, as they might be covered by prosthetics or a mask. Similarly, the age of the character could vary depending on the story being told. Because of this, potential actors for this project have a wide array of experiences and strengths that they can offer to the part.
Dan Stevens
If there was a frontrunner to play Doctor Doom, it would have to be Dan Stevens. Stevens plays David Haller, the lead in Hawley's immensely popular and critically acclaimed Legion. David is a complex and dynamic character who may or may not suffer from a severe mental illness. The fast-paced and quirky episodes have given Stevens the opportunity to show off his impressive dramatic and comedic range (as well as dancing, singing, banjo-playing, and accents). Additionally, Stevens' work on Downton Abbey and the blockbuster Beauty and the Beast (as the largely CGI Beast) have shown that he is leading man material. He has the acting ability, he has the mass appeal, and he's worked closely with director Noah Hawley previously.
Hawley has been known to work with the same actors in multiple capacities, using actors from Fargo in Legion (including actress Rachel Keller, actress Jean Smart, and actor Mackenzie Gray), and so it wouldn't be surprising if he picked up Stevens from Legion to play the leading role in the Doctor Doom project. In fact, Stevens is apparently already tied to the Doctor Doom project, although his role remains to be seen.
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Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen is a long-time fan favorite for Doctor Doom. The Danish actor recently revealed that he previously walked out of an audition for Fantastic Four. While he didn't say the part that he was auditioning for, there is little doubt what role he would be called in for. The actor has been type-cast as a villain: he fought James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), he fought the titular Dr. Strange in Doctor Strange (2016), and he is still best known for playing Hannibal Lector in Bryan Fuller's Hannibal (2013). Doctor Doom could easily be added to Mikkelsen's menagerie of villains. Mikkelsen's recent work on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) as Death Star designer Galen Erso also shows that he has some blockbusters under his belt. Mikkelsen's Doctor Doom would not be an origin story, but at a time when cinemas are saturated with superhero origin stories, that might be a breath of fresh air.
Jesús Castro
While Spanish actor Jesús Castro is a relative unknown, he is - like Doctor Doom himself - Romani on his mother's side. The Romani people are an ethnic group originating from Northern India who are found throughout Europe today. As some fans of Doctor Doom and other Romani comic book characters have pointed out, there is a significance to a Romani actor playing the part of a Romani character. In the case of Doctor Doom specifically, his Romani identity is central to his origin story and motivation as a character.
The popularity of superhero films is such that a breakout star could potentially headline a film without jeopardizing profits - Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland, and even Gal Gadot were relatively unknown before they starred as Thor, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman respectively. Jesús Castro is just one of many Romani actors who could contribute a unique perspective to the role of Doctor Doom.
Christoph Waltz
At sixty years old, Christoph Waltz might seem like an unlikely lead for a comic book film. However, Waltz is an incredibly talented multilingual actor who has won two Academy Awards for his roles as Standartenführer Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds (2009) and as Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained (2012). Waltz has universal critical acclaim, and fans of Tarantino often cite him as one of the greatest actors living today. Like Mads Mikkelsen, Waltz has also played a Bond villain, appearing as SPECTRE leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre (2015) alongside Daniel Craig. As Doctor Doom, Waltz would be a sophisticated choice and would elevate how the project was viewed by critics and fans alike. The nuance and humor that Waltz could bring to Doctor Doom could help to humanize the comic book villain in a way that fans have never before seen on screen. While the project would inevitably become focused on Waltz himself, that might not be a bad thing.
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Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan is best known for playing Bucky Barnes (or the Winter Soldier) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stan was born in Romania, and spent his childhood in Romania, Austria, and the United States. The fictitious country of Latveria, which is home to Doctor Doom, appears on maps tucked between Hungary, Romania, and the Balkans. Stan's heritage and understanding of languages and accents could help him add a dimension of realism to Doctor Doom and the country of Latveria. Additionally, his performance as Bucky Barnes is nothing short of exceptional, and he has already proven that he can headline a blockbuster. There's no doubt that fans from the MCU films would be happy to watch Sebastian Stan in more Marvel films... even though it would be in a different Marvel universe. However, depending on what Stan's multi-picture contract with Disney and the MCU outlines, it may not be possible for him to play Doctor Doom for Fox.
Rami Malek
Rami Malek's claim to fame is playing Elliot Alderson, a brilliant and troubled hacker at the center of Mr. Robot (2015). Elliot's blackouts and obsessive behavior have given Malek a dramatic challenge, but Malek has also found humor and sympathy in a character who could easily be turned into a caricature. What's more, Elliot is an anti-hero who operates from his own particular moral compass. Despite his criminal activities, he believes that he is in the right as he attempts to take down an evil corporate conglomerate. Malek would be a strong contender if the Doctor Doom project wanted to complicate the hero-villain dichotomy and make Doom into a sympathetic or likable character.
This past year, Malek won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Elliot Alderson. While he has played small roles in big films before, the Doctor Doom film could help Malek jump from television to blockbusters.
Toby Kebbell
Toby Kebbell played Doctor Doom in the most recent Fant4stic Four flop, but don't hold that against him. Kebbell has given excellent performances in Black Mirror (2011) and Kong: Skull Island (2017), not to mention his scene stealing motion capture work as Koba in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). Kebbell recently said that he was not interested in coming back in a Fantastic Four sequel, saying that he would only appear again in the role if the rights were given to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Kebbell's critique was that Doctor Doom was always pitted against the Fantastic Four (rather than Iron Man, Thor, or any of the other heroes he faces in the comics). Kebbell said:
Doom is an incredible bad guy, they just keep trying to force him into the Fantastic Four, you know? They just need to move it out...
It's clear that Kebbell is passionate about the character, and while the Doctor Doom film won't allow the character to face off with characters from the MCU, it could break the cycle of repeated fights against the Fantastic Four and let the character be explored on his own terms.
Ioan Gruffudd
It's not just because Ioan Gruffudd played Reed Richards (or Mr. Fantastic) in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) that he would make a truly unique Doctor Doom... Although arguably his prior experience would mean that he would already know a lot about the franchise. The Welsh actor has been a leading man since he played Horatio Hornblower back in 1998 and hasn't slowed down since, most recently starring as Henry Morgan in Forever (2014) and playing a romantic lead in UnReal (2015). But Gruffudd's career has never quite returned to Fantastic Four levels of fame in the past decade. Meanwhile, his Fantastic Four co-star Chris Evans has gone on to become Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Ioan Gruffudd's Doctor Doom might be less Chris Evans and more Michael Keaton - if Keaton can make a comeback in Birdman (2014), then Ioan Gruffudd can certainly make a comeback as Doctor Doom.