Marvel Just Made Your Doctor Doom Secret Wars Theories Less Likely

Doctor Doom was not in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which suggests a massive Avengers: Secret Wars change from the comics. Following Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2019, audiences cannot help but anticipate when the X-Men and the Fantastic Four as well as their villains will properly join the MCU. That includes Doctor Doom, one of the most important villains in the Marvel universe and that, despite appearing in three Fantastic Four movies, has yet to be featured in the MCU. Given how none of the previous Doctor Doom versions lived up to the character’s potential, the expectations for the MCU’s Doctor Doom could not be higher.

Victor von Doom, the Fantastic Four’s most famous villain, made his big screen debut in the Fantastic Four (2004). Doom returned for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer once again as the main villain despite the Fantastic Four sequel also featuring Silver Surfer and Galactus. Doom was also the main villain in the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot. Now, despite John Krasinski’s Reed Richards having appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Fantastic Four are expected to join the MCU only in 2025. Still, given how Doctor Doom is more than just a Fantastic Four villain, his role in the MCU could, in theory, begin earlier.

Why Doctor Doom Was Theorized To Appear In Wakanda Forever

There were several theories connecting Doctor Doom’s MCU debut with Wakanda Forever. As the leader of Latveria, an element of Doctor Doom’s story that the movies never explored, Doctor Doom was theorized to be a third party in the conflict between Namor and Wakanda. Manipulating two major nations into war would have been very on-character for Doctor Doom, especially considering that Wakanda opened itself to the rest of the world after Captain America: Civil War and the first Black Panther. Other elements supported that theory, such as the prospect of the Dora Milaje wearing a version of the Midnight Angels armor. In the comics, the Dora Milaje wore the Midnight Angels armor against Doom.

Doctor Doom has also invaded Wakanda in the comics looking for Vibranium, which many assumed to be the reason why Doom would interfere in the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Though it was clear that Doctor Doom would not be in Wakanda Forever in a major capacity, the prospect of a Doctor Doom post-credits scene in the Black Panther sequel seemed very likely. That said, there was never any official tease by Marvel regarding Doctor Doom in Wakanda Forever. In Wakanda Forever’s ending, Namor alerted Shuri that other nations could engage in war against Wakanda, but there was no mention of Latveria or anything Doctor Doom-related.

What Doctor Doom Not Appearing In Wakanda Forever Means For The MCU

Black Panther 2 Villain Namor Not Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom not being in Wakanda Forever despite all the story reasons that could have led to his addition strongly suggests that Marvel’s plans for Doctor Doom are not too immediate as many had theorized. Doctor Doom will join the MCU at some point, but his role in the Multiverse Saga will likely be smaller than many imagined once Marvel announced a Secret Wars adaptation. Compared to the X-Men, which received two decades of movies with highs and lows, the Fantastic Four has yet to have a definite movie version – and the same applies to Doctor Doom. That is why the MCU should indeed take its time with Doctor Doom.

Kevin Feige has the chance of redefining Doctor Doom as a character, at least in terms of movie adaptations. Doctor Doom is one of the most important Marvel characters in general, not just in terms of villains, and his comic-book background is far more impressive than that of Thanos. If the MCU was able to turn Thanos into a pop culture phenomenon, Doctor Doom’s potential in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is almost limitless. However, if the MCU wants to repeat its 10-year buildup to Thanos with Doom, then the Fantastic Four villain cannot be the main antagonist for the Multiverse Saga. Doom has to be properly developed first.

Though a Doctor Doom post-credits scene in Wakanda Forever would have made a lot of sense in terms of the story, revealing such a massive villain after an already convoluted movie might not have worked. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was one of Marvel’s biggest movies both in terms of scope and runtime, and it had the difficult mission of telling a Black Panther story without T’Challa. While Wakanda Forever feels connected with the MCU and sets up future storylines such as Valentina’s Thunderbolts team, the Black Panther sequel is a more intimate story compared to other Marvel solo films. As such, not dealing with Doctor Doom in Wakanda Forever was the right choice.

Doctor Doom’s Most Likely MCU Debut Is Now Fantastic Four

fantastic four reed richards doctor doom

Now that Doom did not appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Victor von Doom’s most likely MCU debut is now in the Fantastic Four movie. Though Marvel has announced its Fantastic Four reboot in 2019, Fantastic Four will release in 2025 as part of Marvel’s Phase 6. Not much is known about the MCU’s Fantastic Four reboot, only that WandaVision director Matt Shakman will helm the film following Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy director Jon Watts’ exit. The MCU already introduced a Mr. Fantastic, John Krasinski in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, although nothing guarantees that Krasinski will be the MCU’s Reed Richards. Therefore, the actual Fantastic Four and Doom might only appear in 2025.

Doctor Doom’s introduction in Fantastic Four is a tricky challenge for the MCU. On one hand, there is no better movie to introduce Doctor Doom than Fantastic Four. Doom is the Fantastic Four’s greatest nemesis, and his history with Marvel’s first family of superheroes is complex and personal. Doctor Doom’s rivalry with Reed Richards defined at least two decades of Marvel comic book arcs, including but not limited to the 2015 Secret Wars. Doom may work as an Avengers villain or even as a solo character, but his best moments are always linked with the Fantastic Four on some level. Therefore, Doom in Fantastic Four (2025) seems an obvious choice.

However, Doctor Doom has been the main villain in every Fantastic Four movie. When the MCU had the chance of crafting a new Spider-Man franchise, the "Homecoming trilogy", Marvel preferred to avoid villains that had already been used in the Maguire and Garfield Spider-Man films. Granted, Spider-Man: No Way Home brought back previous villains, yet they were the same versions from previous Spider-Man movies instead of new renditions of previously used villains. Both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home featured Spider-Man villains that had never appeared in live-action, which is something the MCU may try to replicate in Fantastic Four (2025).

Doctor Doom As Secret Wars’ Main Villain Is Becoming Less Likely

It is difficult to imagine an MCU Secret Wars adaptation without Doctor Doom, especially if it borrows more from the 2015 Secret Wars comic book arc. However, as of now, Doctor Doom as Secret Wars’ main villain doesn’t seem that likely now. In the comics, Secret Wars was the culmination of a decade of Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four stories. Doom had been a central character in most of those stories, and his rivalry against Mrs. Fantastic and the Fantastic Four set the tone for what would be Marvel’s most ambitious crossover. Replicating that in the MCU ahead of Avengers: Secret Wars is just not possible.

Fantastic Four (2025) will premiere right before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which by itself will likely lead to Secret Wars. Although the MCU is incorporating multiverse elements like Incursions, which were central to Secret Wars, the franchise has made Kang the Conqueror into its biggest multiverse threat. In the comics, Kang has more to do with time travel than the multiverse, although Kang did have a role in both versions of Secret Wars. Kang as Avengers: Secret Wars’ main villain would make sense given what the Multiverse Saga has set up so far, leaving Doom with a different role in the story.

More: Marvel’s Multiverse Saga Can’t Ignore The MCU’s Largest Multiverse Story