Avengers: Doomsday‘s story is entirely under wraps, but there is plenty of speculation about what to expect in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)‘s most exciting entry to date. Since 2008, the MCU has grown to become the single largest and most ambitious franchise ever made.

And over the course of the Infinity Saga, the MCU went from strength to strength, earning billions of dollars, and creating a cinematic universe that people engaged with on a number of levels. However, Avengers: Doomsday is arriving in a considerably different landscape to its predecessors, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Despite this, the film promises to be one of the highest-stakes entries in the saga, and one that could potentially redefine the MCU ahead of its next chapter. And there is no shortage of theories about what to expect from the film.

Doctor Doom Hunts Down The MCU’s Anchor Beings

In ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, the idea of Anchor Beings was introduced to the MCU. The film outlined how the Wolverine seen in the Fox universe of stories was the Anchor Being of that universe, and with that character’s death, the universe would slowly break down over thousands or millions of years.

Clearly, Anchor Beings appear to have incredible significance, and a connection to their reality that has yet to be defined, but one theory suggests that this power may attract Doctor Doom, and potentially serve to charge up the villain with extraordinary power, such as the Power Cosmic.

This theory goes on to suggest that Doom would then use this power to build a new universe, which could lead into the Battleworld concept that is likely to play a role in Avengers: Secret Wars. While this theory has some solid foundations, the idea that Anchor Beings will take center stage appears to be less likely.

There are several potential paths set up for Doctor Doom to increase his powers, and Anchor Beings were never confirmed to have anything like the Power Cosmic, despite being positioned as central to their realities. That being said, it is possible that this could play some role in Avengers: Doomsday or a future MCU release.

Doctor Doom Is A Count Of Monte Cristo-Style Twist

Next up, one Redditor has proposed a theory focused on how the plot of Avengers: Doomsday could actually closely tie in with the classic story of The Count of Monte Cristo. Essentially, the story follows a man who was falsely imprisoned, escapes, and reinvents himself to get revenge against the man who betrayed him.

The theory builds on the idea that casting Robert Downey Jr. to play Doom is instrumental to the story, and the character is actually very similar to the Tony Stark of Earth-616. However, at some point, such as when he created Ultron, Tony was imprisoned and punished for his actions. Which leads to the character resenting his old allies.

This leads them to take on a new idenтιтy, and become the villain known as Doctor Doom, who will then reveal himself to his old friends as he seeks to take revenge on the people who wronged him. Unfortunately, I do think something like this could be possible.

It has been confirmed by Joe and Anthony Russo that RDJ playing Doom is important, and it has connections to the version of Tony Stark that the audience is familiar with. However, it seems unlikely that it will be this connected, and hopefully the reveal is far less dramatic and theatrical than what is outlined in the above theory.

Tony Stark Is A Doctor Doom Variant

The next theory outlines a subtle but important distinction about the character of Tony Stark. Specifically, it challenges the idea that Doctor Doom is a Stark variant, and flips that to suggest that the Tony Stark seen in the MCU was actually a Victor von Doom variant all along. This carries significant implications with it if true.

If, in every other reality, the man who looks like Earth-616’s Stark is actually the mastermind supervillain, Doctor Doom, it would be considerably more intriguing for the future of the MCU. Not only is the hero who is foundational to the MCU actually an anomaly, but he is a variant of the most nefarious villain to ever exist.

Earth-616 saw Tony discover the awful reality of his work as a weapons dealer, and choose to use his incredible intelligence for good. He took up the mantle of Iron Man, and became one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, eventually sacrificing himself to save the entire world. But in other realities, this man is much less noble.

This would be a great way to explain the link between these characters, which would also enhance Tony’s legacy by showing how he was able to overcome what appears to be his destiny in every other reality. And it’s a pretty simple story to integrate into the MCU, which could make things more meaningful and interesting.

Doctor Doom Is The Puppet Master Pulling The Strings

One of the most credible theories is that Doctor Doom will be playing the role of puppet master throughout Avengers: Doomsday. The cast in Avengers: Doomsday is expansive, with several teams already slated to appear, including Sam Wilson’s Avengers, The New Avengers, The Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.

With several teams established in the same story, there needs to be an explanation and means for these characters to interact and engage with each other, and that is likely to be influenced and guided by the cunning Doctor Doom, who probably plays a role in bringing these characters into contact.

Along with gathering teams of heroes together, Doom may well be whispering lies and rumors into each team’s ears, creating paranoia and distrust that could lead them to fight and compete. And with that in mind, it could then serve Doom’s purposes and lead to him acquiring significant power that could help him achieve his goals.

All of this makes a lot of sense for the character of Doom, who uses his intelligence to manipulate and influence others repeatedly in the comics. And with the charismatic RDJ playing the role, it makes all the more sense for him to use every advantage and push others into doing his will through various means.

Franklin Richards’ MCU Post-Credits Scene Kicks Off Avengers: Doomsday

Finally, one common theory appears to be that the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is likely to be a starting point for Avengers: Doomsday. At the end of the film, Doctor Doom appears in the home of Sue Storm, and when Sue steps away for a moment, Doom appears next to her son, Franklin Richards.

While this scene doesn’t include any dialogue from Doom, and doesn’t even include his face, it is very likely to tie in to Avengers: Doomsday, and kickstart the story. Especially as Doom would have been curious about the young boy after Galactus came to Earth-828 and tried to exchange the survival of the planet for the boy.

In the four years since that event, Doom likely spent time meticulously studying the child and figuring out the extent of his powers, potentially even finding footage of him saving his mother’s life as a newborn baby. In addition, this scene was directed by the Russo brothers, who were simultaneously working on Avengers: Doomsday.

It just makes sense that this scene will be a part of the upcoming film. Doctor Doom will almost certainly try to form a connection with Franklin, and if he is aware of his powers, he will do whatever it takes to use the boy for his own nefarious means. Inevitably, Avengers: Doomsday is likely to build on this scene.