Doctor Doom is an iconic comic book character whom fans are dying to finally see done justice when he enters the MCU. Though very little is known about when he will once again be seen on the big screen, many fans expect him to show up in next year's Fantastic Four reboot.
As of yet, Marvel has yet to announce any of its cast for the film, leading many fans to take to social media platforms such as Reddit to voice their own opinions as to who should play the classic characters, including the villainous Doom.
Jamie Bell
Reddit user aagaash2001 pulls out all the stops in their assertion that Jamie Bell should be the next actor to take on the role of Doctor Doom, writing that "he deserves a lot more credit for his work," and citing his performances in Rocketman and The Adventures of Tintin as proof of the actor's talent.
Bell certainly is a talented actor and one that isn't completely foreign to superhero films. This would not even be the first film based around the Fantastic Four for Bell, as he portrayed Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, in the 2015 reboot, Fant4stic. Having Bell play the villain role in this movie could be a bit of meta-humor for Marvel Studios, and a redemptive role for the actor himself.
Patrick Warburton
Not all choices for the villainous dictator are obvious selections. Redditor DrHypester commented under a post suggesting several potential Doctor Doom actors: "Patrick Warburton as Dr. Doom would thrill me to no end."
Patrick Warburton is a character actor best known for his distinctive voice, which many fans may recognize from Family Guy, The Emperor's New Groove, and The Bee Movie, among many other things. While this is more of a comedic choice for the normally quite serious villain, it could prove to be the outside-the-box decision that sets the MCU's Doom apart from all other renditions of the character.
Timothy Olyphant
Another Reddit user by the handle of delife suggests Timothy Olyphant for the role of Victor von Doom. They write: "I'm partial to seeing Timothy Olyphant. I think he could pull it off, have swagger and be a menace under that mask."
Olyphant is certainly a skilled enough actor to pull off such a suave yet menacing villain. He also has a bit of experience working under a mask, as seen when he guest-starred in the second season of The Mandalorian, though his helmet eventually came off for that episode. Nevertheless, Olyphant would certainly make waves should he be chosen to be the next Doctor Doom.
Luke Evans
DGenerationMC suggests Luke Evans for the role, stating that they "like the idea of Doom being played by an actor with some serious stage experience." Evans, of course, is an experienced actor both on stage and on screen, making him a quite dynamic choice to play the often-theatrical Doom.
Luke Evans could indeed be a great choice, especially if Doom winds up getting his Disney+ spinoff. The actor also happens to have experience in playing the bad guy, perhaps most famously in the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake, where he played the villainous Gaston. This role could aid him well in preparing for the far more evil Doctor Doom.
Colman Domingo
BigBearChainsaw makes a strong argument for Colman Domingo to be cast as Doctor Doom, stating that "He's an incredible actor with the right height for the role (6"2), and one of the most menacing natural voices in Hollywood."
Domingo is perhaps best known for his role in AMC's Fear the Walking Dead as the too-intelligent-for-his-own-good Victor Strand, where he shows off just how unsavory a character he can play. Domingo would certainly be terrific in Doom's more sinister facets.
Javier Bardem
Reddit user win_the_wonderboy writes "I think you need someone who could believably pull off the character's [European] roots... and also has the presence of a king." As such, they throw Javier Bardem's name into the ring for potential Doom actors.
Bardem is no stranger to playing over-the-top baddies, with his turn in Skyfall cementing his status as one of the all-time great villain actors. And, as the above Redditor indicates, he does hail from Europe, which is also true of the comic book character fans hope he'll play.
Werner Herzog
TheWaylandCycle makes an incredibly interesting case that Doom should be handled similarly to Darth Vader, with an actor filling out the suit whilst another provides an intimidating voice-over. They suggest German filmmaker Werner Herzog, stating that "he's as close as we get to Doom's character outside insane asylums."
Herzog certainly has the frightening voice to pull off so intimidating a character and has shown himself to be willing to commit to more popular media projects, like The Mandalorian, in contrast to his typically more prestigious films. And, as the Redditor expands on in their post, he has the exact attributes that would be found in the perfect adaptation of Doctor Doom.
Adam Driver
Redditor Whistlar writes that "Adam Driver could be an interesting choice" for the villainous Latverian dictator. They go on to joke that the rest of the Fantastic Four should be comprised of Star Wars sequel actors as well.
All jokes aside, Adam Driver could be the perfect choice to play Doctor Doom. As a former member of the military, Driver has the physique to pull off a more physically imposing version of the character. And, given his fan-favorite turn as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars franchise, he has a history of playing unstable megalomaniacs.
Viggo Mortensen
Some wish for actors best known for playing iconic heroes to take on this categorically evil role, with a certain suggestion from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films taking the internet by storm. "Someone suggested Viggo Mortensen [to play Doctor Doom]," writes Reddit user KingKosmo92, "and that'd be dope."
Mortensen certainly has the acting background to prove his worth in playing Victor von Doom, with his turn as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films earning him multiple awards. The actor also has a regal aura about him, which would lend itself perfectly to playing the dictator of an Eastern European nation, as is the case with Doom in the comics.
Cillian Murphy
Perhaps the most common online choice for the next Doctor Doom actor is Cillian Murphy. Above a post containing some convincing fan art of the actor in Doom's iconic garb, Redditor ARquantum includes a comment stating that Murphy "would be great as a sophisticated evil genius."
Cillian Murphy is known for works like Dunkirk, 28 Days Later, and A Quiet Place Part II, all of which prove his artistic malleability. He is also no stranger to playing comic book villains, as his long work relationship with director Christopher Nolan lead to his playing Batman villain Scarecrow in all three films of the Dark Knight trilogy. There is no doubt that Murphy would make a convincing Doctor Doom, leaving fans to wonder if he will indeed be the next man to take on the mantle.