MCU Doctor Doom

[MasterCat]

I know Feige has said everything up to Avengers 4 is different from everything after, such that "there may not even be phases", but assuming they DO treat Marvel's greatest villain like the 7-year Thanos arc, here's what I see:

Noah Hawley film: probably cancelled.

Fantastic 4 (summer 2023?): cameo of jealously at Richards being loved by the media.

Doctor Strange and Doom (November 2023): inspired by Triumph & Torment. His technological Hell-viewer exploding in college is shown.

Black Panther 3 (February 2024): Doom levitates Wakanda's vibranium mound away, similar to Ultron's levitation device. T'Challa dies trying to stop him (this film would be past the end of Chadwick Boseman's 5-film contract). Shuri!Panther goes for revenge. Let Doom win, creating massive hype for a BP4 that fixes Wakanda.

Avengers/Fantastic 4 (summer 2025 or 2026, depending on when Avengers 5 is released): Doom delegates saving his world from the Devourer of Worlds to the Avengers, briefly dropping in to sabotage Richards so he doesn't get the credit.

Second Fantastic 4 film (2026 holiday season): Doom is their main villain. The 4 stop his plot to take over the world, which could be blackmailing the UN member states with a doomsday weapon, a PR campaign, or whatever.

Secret Wars (summer 2028 or 2029): Doom gains the quasi-omnipotence of a Beyonder of Battleworld. There are 1984 and 2015 versions of this basic story, but the key players to set up first are Doom, Galactus, the Molecule Man (first F4 villain?) and the X-Men. If they go with the 2015 version where he rules the universe, consider adding a film where he takes over just Earth (like Emperor Doom) to his character arc.

 

[MasterCat]

So what do y'all think is the ideal arc/contract length for the Doctor Doom actor?
Thanos was introduced in a 2012 stinger and gets three real appearances (that we know of) beginning with 2014's GotG. Just getting teased after 2014 and then winning made him as big a pop culture phenomenon as Darth Vader.
Loki was a villain in three films and his fourth time out became comic relief like everyone else in Thor: Ragnarok. So what's the proper length for Doom without becoming a joke?

I suggested teaser -> co-protagonist -> villain who wins -> villain who loses -> Victor of the Secret Wars. But this would leave out some great stories from the source material. So maybe 5 contract films, not counting a mid-film cameo in the Galactus story?

 

[GoblinScrier]

Finally a page devoted to the future of the MCU version of Doom...well besides comic book accuracy in terms of looks of his armor, would like his " mankind would be better off under my command" mantra, that he is better than Richards, his love for his mother, and that his care for Latveria extends to the whole world/universe...and of course dominion!!!!

 

[Silvermoth]

I hope when they eventually bring doom in they get Hickman to write him. He writes the best doom I’ve seen in ages I reckon.

Plus, how cool would it be to see a visual like this

 

[Neptune]

Hell yeah! Bring on Doom! I wanna see him as the over arching villain too. Doomwar is one of my favorite Doom stories and would be awesome to see on the big screen. There's only 2 things i hope regarding Victor. 1: the actor has to be top notch. We all know Victor is larger than life, i wanna see RDJ/Heath Ledger level character acting. 2: I would like a more serious tone in the movie he's in. Skimp on the comedy and make us feel that he is a planetary level threat. Victor is extremely skilled and outsmarts 9.5 out of 10 advisaries. The audience should sense this and feel a sort of dread whenever Victor is around, knowing he can beat almost anyone.

Can't wait for Victor to finally show up in the MCU. I think he's way more awesome and interesting than the likes of Kang, Annihilus and Galactus (who are rumored to be the next big villains).

@Silvermoth, yes Hickman's Doom is amazing but don't forget about the og version. Stan Lee writes an excellent Doom and to be compeltely honest, Kirby's Doom ( he also wrote FF) is even better.

 

[Abudefduf]

I just really want him to speak in third person.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

This may seem a little off-the-wall, but I was watching Pirates of The Caribbean, the other day, and I was thinking Jack Davenport (who plays James Norrington) might make an interesting Doom.

He reminds me a bit of Alan Rickman.

 

[Smurphftw]

This may seem a little off-the-wall, but I was watching Pirates of The Caribbean, the other day, and I was thinking Jack Davenport (who plays James Norrington) might make an interesting Doom.

He reminds me a bit of Alan Rickman.

I like him. I think he's a good actor with great comic timing (see: Coupling), but I'm not sure he has the gravitas to pull it off. Doom should feel intimidating. I think he might make a better "Loki" style villain.

 

[Protar]

I'd love to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Doom. Imo, Doom's role in the MCU should be a cross between Thanos and Loki. Like Thanos, he should be the overarching Big Bad over the next several years of Marvel films. But like Loki, he should appear more frequently, mostly in adversarial roles, but sometimes as a begrudging ally. Obviously, no redemption arc for him, unlike with Loki.

He could pop up across various franchises - F4, X-men, Avengers, Black Panther.

 

[Smurphftw]

I'd love to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Doom. Imo, Doom's role in the MCU should be a cross between Thanos and Loki. Like Thanos, he should be the overarching Big Bad over the next several years of Marvel films. But like Loki, he should appear more frequently, mostly in adversarial roles, but sometimes as a begrudging ally. Obviously, no redemption arc for him, unlike with Loki.

He could pop up across various franchises - F4, X-men, Avengers, Black Panther.

I like that idea.

 

[MasterCat]

As I noted, Loki was reduced to comic relief in his fourth appearance. Darth Vader and Thanos got/are getting huge gravitas out of three.
Now I don't see three major appearances being enough to do a Doctor Doom character arc, so what outline do you see for that?

To reiterate my idea:
Doctor Strange and Doom (co-protagonist)
Black Panther 3 (villain who wins)
Fantastic 4 2 (villain who loses)
Mumble mumble
Secret Wars (how this finishes his arc would depend on whether it's the simpler 1984 version or 2015 "God Emperor Doom").

 

[HBarnill]

Doom’s Romani. They should at least cast someone from South Asia for the role.

 

[MasterCat]

Doom’s Romani. They should at least cast someone from South Asia for the role.

... whoa, good idea. There are very few such actors in Hollywood, though. I wonder if they'd actually look to India, like that time Aishwarya Rei had a Hollywood career (for like two weeks).

 

[HBarnill]

I think Shah Rukh Khan is a good choice. He’s the most popular Bollywood actor, and one of the most acclaimed.

 

[Melpardus]

This all sounds fun. The idea of him being Romani (didn't know that; I thought he was Dutch or something because of his name) and played by someone like Khan is quite alluring for some reason.

Not the most contributive post, I know; I know next to nothing about Dr. Doom aside from one short F4 comic I had for a summer when I was little. I remember finding him goofy because of his third person tendencies and general larger-than-life quirks. (Plus, "Dr. Doom" is such a cheesy name to me. )

 

[Abudefduf]

^ But that's exactly what makes him so fun! He's such an over-the-top, pompous jerk that you can't help but love him. He's probably one of the most entertaining characters in the entire Marvel universe.

I think Shah Rukh Khan is a good choice.

Is that a Mortal Kombat character?

 

[Melpardus]

Those caught me completely off-guard.

He comes across almost as a parody of evil villains.

 

[Abudefduf]

Doom can be ridiculous but he's actually a pretty complex and even tragic villain... one that just happens to speak in third person.

 

[Silvermoth]

I’m dying to see the Illuminati/the cabal appear in the MCU.

My dream for an after credits sequence is we open on a nice banquet hall, surrounded by all the phase 4 villains. Mysterio, Nightmare, everyone. And they’re all wondering who invited them to the party. All they know is they were invited by mr 1 and they want to know who it is.

Then the door opens and we see the silhouette. We get a blast of Doom’s music score, like the imperial march or a latverian anthem. We only see him from behind, his long coronation robe dragging behind him and then he sits at the head of the table. We get a shot of the back of his head with everyone on either side looking like they’re going to s*** their pants.

Then we swing around. Doom is in the traditional pose of head resting on his gauntlets looking furious. And he speaks “so it looks like Doom will need to come up with an even more foolproof plan”. And then it ends and everyone screams with happiness.

I like him. I think he's a good actor with great comic timing (see: Coupling), but I'm not sure he has the gravitas to pull it off. Doom should feel intimidating. I think he might make a better "Loki" style villain.

Yeah I feel like he might be sort of weak chinned for Doom.

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

I really wish actors like Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix were as excited to play Doom as they are to play the Joker.

Don't great actors want to challenge themselves? *cough* daniel day lewis *cough*

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I really wish actors like Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix were as excited to play Doom as they are to play the Joker.

Don't great actors want to challenge themselves? *cough* daniel day lewis *cough*

Well in fairness, we're still a long way from casting, and I feel like if Marvel is willing to pay for a top talent, there will be top talents willing to do it.

… but will Marvel pay big money to someone who won't even be seen?

There are 1000 great actors we've never heard of who could absolutely kill it.

 

[MasterCat]

… but will Marvel pay big money to someone who won't even be seen?

Well Disney pays celebrities to do voice acting.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Well Disney pays celebrities to do voice acting.

They have, but Doom is somewhat unique. They'll likely want to use him in more films over a longer period than most characters. It will be a lot harder to get a big-name to sign on for that sort of open-ended contract for a reasonable price than an outstanding but relatively unknown actor.

 

[MasterCat]

They have, but Doom is somewhat unique. They'll likely want to use him in more films over a longer period than most characters. It will be a lot harder to get a big-name to sign on for that sort of open-ended contract for a reasonable price than an outstanding but relatively unknown actor.

Right, right. They should probably scout the top Shakespeare companies in the UK and US, as DOOM! is very much Victor's stage persona. Though I'm intrigued by the Indian suggestion too.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Right, right. They should probably scout the top Shakespeare companies in the UK and US, as DOOM! is very much Victor's stage persona. Though I'm intrigued by the Indian suggestion too.

Exactly! James Earl Jones was a great actor before he voiced Vader. Ian McKellen was a great actor before he played Gandalf. Patrick Stewart was a great actor before he landed the role of Picard.


Those roles raised their profiles and asking prices, but talent and classical training made them great actors.

There's a great, unknown actor doing Shakespeare right now who could be an amazing Doom.