Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom might not arrive in the MCU’s main timeline as a full-fledged villain, if a theory that connects Avengers: Doomsday to The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* is true. Downey’s Doctor Doom is set to make his MCU debut in Avengers: Doomsday, where he’ll face the combined efforts of the Avengers, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. There are many burning questions around Doctor Doom’s MCU introduction, however, as Doom’s origins, motivations, and potential resemblance to Iron Man remain unexplained.

Ahead of Avengers: Doomsday‘s December 2026 release, Thunderbolts* dropped the clearest crossover set-up so far in the form of the Fantastic Four’s ship arrival on Earth-616, plus the confirmation of an ongoing “space crisis” fourteen months after the events of Thunderbolts*. Thunderbolts*‘ post-credits scene seemingly confirms that the Fantastic Four will travel to the MCU’s main timeline after facing Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, there might be more to the Fantastic Four’s ship than it may seem at first sight.

Doctor Doom Might Be The One Traveling To The MCU’s Main Timeline In The Fantastic Four’s Ship

Thunderbolts* Doesn’t Confirm Who’s Aboard The Fantastic Four’s Ship

Yelena Belova spots the “4” logo on the ship that approaches the Earth in Thunderbolts*‘ post-credits scene, but nothing confirms the Fantastic Four are the ones aboard the ship. For all we know, somebody else could have stolen the Fantastic Four’s spacecraft and escaped to Earth-616 while the ship’s original owners are still in their home timeline. When Yelena and the New Avengers see the spaceship arrive in Thunderbolts*, they might as well be watching Doctor Doom enter the scene. Since all theories about The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ ending also remain unconfirmed, anything goes at this point.

Kevin Feige himself has dropped a hint that supports the theory that the Fantastic Four are not aboard the vehicle seen in Thunderbolts*. Speaking to Empire, Feige addressed Thunderbolts*‘ post-credits scene and its potential ties to The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ ending, saying that “The name of their ship is the Excelsior, and there is a Fantastic Four ship entering the MCU in the tag. But I’m not sure they’re the same ship.” Indeed, the Fantastic Four spacecraft featured in the trailers is much bigger and flatter than the one that appears in Thunderbolts*‘ credits tag.

The Fantastic Four’s Destroyed Timeline Might Be What Makes Doctor Doom A Villain

A Multiversal Incursion Might Motivate Doctor Doom To Conquer Other Universes

Rather than being an evil supervillain right off the bat, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom could inhabit the Fantastic Four’s alternate timeline as Reed Richards’ lifelong friend and friendly rival Victor von Doom. Only when the Fantastic Four’s timeline is threatened by an incursion may Doom get the idea to escape and conquer other timelines. Along the way, Doom could either suffer the injuries that lead him to wear a mask and a hood, or he may already sport his traditional appearance in his timeline but intend to present himself as an innocent multiversal visitor from a dying universe once he arrives elsewhere.

Either way, Doctor Doom could be an ally to the Fantastic Four in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ alternate universe, which would explain why he doesn’t appear in the Fantastic Four’s first MCU movie and why the тιтular hero team don’t seem too concerned with him. But once he finds an exit, he could launch the conquest plans he may have been crafting all along. Always under Reed Richards’ shadow, Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor von Doom may have prepared himself for an eventual trip across the multiverse.

Doctor Doom Might Pretend To Help The Avengers Fix A Multiversal Crisis In Doomsday

Doctor Doom’s Plans Make More Sense If He Doesn’t Attack Straight Away

When Doctor Doom first arrives in the MCU’s main timeline, it may be a better strategy to pose as a well-informed refugee of a multiversal incursion and an ally to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. That way, Doom could manipulate all active heroes and place them right where he needs them in order to gain access to higher sources of power. Otherwise, Doctor Doom’s regular abilities and weapons might not be powerful enough to match the combined power of heroes like Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Thor.

The space crisis mentioned in Thunderbolts*‘ post-credits scene may not be a result of Doctor Doom’s plans. On that note, the potential destruction of the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom’s alternate timeline may also be the side effect of a widespread multiversal crisis rather than Galactus’ work. But in traditional Doctor Doom fashion, Doom may take advantage of his timeline’s decimation and turn it into the first stage of his multiversal takeover.

Doctor Doom’s Fake Hero Act Would Solve 1 Fantastic Four Problem

Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards And Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom May Go Way Back After All

With The Fantastic Four: First Steps taking place in a separate timeline and Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom potentially being multiversal in nature, the MCU appears to be distancing both characters from each other. Reed Richards and Victor von Doom’s lifelong rivalry is a key part of their story in the comics, but Marvel might skip it to add new multiversal twists to both characters. However, it’s possible that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom comes from the same universe as Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, with all their backstory intact, and Doom only follows through with his supervillain turn when an incursion gives him the opportunity.

Reed Richards and Doctor Doom’s feud is the emotional center of Marvel Comics’ 2015 Secret Wars storyline. In fact, Reed and Doom are the ones who end the conflict. With the help of Molecule Man, Mister Fantastic exposes Doom’s insecurities, gains the Beyonders’ power, and uses it to rebuild the multiverse, healing Doom’s face along the way. Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will likely adapt a big part of the 2015 Secret Wars comics, so keeping its main two characters’ dynamics untouched would be useful for the MCU.

It Makes So Much Sense For Doctor Doom To Create A False Hero Persona

Doctor Doom Is The Kind Of Villain Who Loves To Pose As A Hero

Doctor Doom has a huge ego. He tends to do his best to make Latveria a utopia just to be seen as a generous ruler, and he often offers his help to save the world or defeat other villains just to satisfy his vanity. In Avengers: Doomsday, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom might present himself as a hero at first in order to gain an advantage, but also to come across as a foreign hero with an admirable goal. Doom could also go one step beyond and paint the Fantastic Four in a negative light in order to create conflict between the heroes.

With few exceptions like Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, purely evil villains such as Kang the Conqueror, Malekith, and Red Skull tend to be less compelling than antagoinsts driven by personal flaws or unique motivations. Doctor Doom, while unapologetically villainous, isn’t evil just for the sake of evil. Doom’s actions are often rooted in his vanity and insecurities. Doctor Doom’s attempt to pose as a hero would add a complex layer to Robert Downey Jr.’s take on the character and place him on the same level as Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Josh Brolin’s Thanos.

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