Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom & Pedro Pascal's Mister Fantastic Get Fantastic Four Concept Poster Teasing Their MCU Rivalry

A new concept poster for The Fantastic Four: First Steps pits Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom against Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic by parodying the new poster for Daredevil: Born Again. Scheduled to be released on July 25 as part of Phase 6, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will mark the debut of Marvel’s First Family in the MCU. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will portray the members of the highly-anticipated Fantastic Four team, and they could come to blows with one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic supervillains.

Following the release of the first trailer and poster for Daredevil: Born Again, which will also premiere in 2025, arifinity shared a parody concept poster that features Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards opposite Doctor Doom, in place of Daredevil and Kingpin, respectively. Robert Downey Jr. has been confirmed to be appearing as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, though there’s speculation he could debut sooner. Marvel Studios now has the perfect opportunity to bring this iconic Marvel Comics rivalry into the MCU.

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What The Doctor Doom Vs. Mister Fantastic Concept Poster Means For The MCU

Doctor Doom Could Debut In The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Currently, Robert Downey Jr. hasn’t been confirmed to be appearing as Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, though there have been rumors that he could pop up in the movie’s post-credits scene. This concept poster suggests that Doom could play a larger role in the upcoming reboot, perhaps being depicted as a villain alongside Ralph Ineson’s Galactus, Julia Garner’s Shalla-Bal and possibly more. This would provide Marvel Studios with the best opportunity to explore the complex relationship between Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic.

Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic have strong connections in Marvel Comics that date back to their time studying at university, so it would be great to see this explored in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This would provide some backstory and context to Doctor Doom’s actions in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, which are both expected to feature Robert Downey Jr.’s new character as the primary villain. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is already one of Marvel’s most anticipated movies, and Downey Jr.’s inclusion as Doctor Doom would make this even more prevalent.

Our Take On Doctor Doom Vs. Mister Fantastic In The MCU

Doctor Doom & Mister Fantastic Have A Rich Marvel Comics History

Reed Richards' Mister Fantastic fighting Doctor Doom in Marvel Comics' Secret Wars

Doctor Doom is the Fantastic Four’s archenemy in Marvel Comics, so it would be a dire shame to have Marvel’s First Family debut in the MCU without including the Latverian King. There have been concerns that Marvel Studios will rush the introduction of Doctor Doom and force his long-running connection to the Fantastic Four into Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Including Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps creates the opportunity to ᴀssuage these fears by developing Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic’s rivalry gradually, which will be far more impactful.