Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.2015’s Fantastic Four was far from ideal, but I was shocked to learn recently that its version of Doctor Doom could have been even worse due to a controversial change. The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Marvel references include Victor von Doom’s home of Latveria and more, ushering a new era for Doctor Doom and the team in the MCU.
While Robert Downey Jr. is the latest actor to don the cape and mask as Doctor Doom, he was not the first to do it in live-action. Before the MCU star debuted in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ post-credits scene, the last live-action take on Doom came from Toby Kebbell in 2015’s Fantastic Four, the reboot directed by Josh Trank.
Doctor Doom’s future beyond the end of the MCU Fantastic Four movie is bright, but the same can’t be said about his past. I was sad to see an actor like Kebbell, who has shown great range in projects like Apple TV+’s Servant, not be given exciting material as Doctor Doom. However, I’m thankful that a controversial Doom change did not happen.
The 2015 Fantastic Four Movie Is Easily The Team’s Most Disappointing & The Same Goes For Doctor Doom
The Other Live-Action Fantastic Four Movies Were True To The Characters
I remember being excited when the cast for the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot was announced. With actors like Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan now major stars, it is easy to see how the movie was filled with potential. However, any potential it had was ultimately squandered. As a result, Fantastic Four sits at a negative 9% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score.
The start of the movie, showing Reed Richards and Ben Grimm’s backstory, worked well. However, everything after that was disappointing on different levels. For a superhero movie, 2015’s Fantastic Four is surprisingly light on the action and its use of the heroes’ powers. I also don’t feel like multiple characters were portrayed at their best. The Thing is an example.
That extended beyond the main team, with Doctor Doom also negatively impacted.
Making him a killer for the military, with 43 confirmed kills, was completely against who Ben Grimm is. That extended beyond the main team, with Doctor Doom also negatively impacted. A changed backstory, a confusing goal of destroying Earth to protect Planet Zero, his new home, rather than Latveria, and Doctor Doom’s uncharacteristic design made the classic Marvel villain quite disappointing.
The Fantastic Four Reboot Almost Made An Even Worse Change To Doctor Doom
The Marvel Character’s Idenтιтy Was Almost Stripped Away
After all the things that had been done wrong with Doctor Doom in 2015’s Fantastic Four, I thought nothing else could surprise me. However, that was proved wrong when I recently learned that another Doctor Doom change could have been part of the movie, and that would have been its biggest. Toby Kebbell’s Doctor Doom could have had a different name.
During an interview with Collider in 2014, the Doctor Doom actor revealed what was seemingly the initial idea for his character. According to Kebbell, his version of Doctor Doom would have been called Victor Domashev, not “von Doom,” as the villain is popularly known in Marvel Comics and other adaptations, though there was a catch, saying, “On blogging sites I’m Doom.”
There were already quite a few things wrong with 2015’s Fantastic Four movie, especially when it comes to Doctor Doom. However, changing one of the most iconic villain names in all of comics would surely have been a step too far for the reboot. Interestingly, there was no mention of Domashev in the film, so the change was correctly nixed.
The MCU Is Doing Right By Doctor Doom From The Start
Robert Downey Jr. Has Proven He Can Be The Perfect Victor Von Doom
Thankfully, Doctor Doom is now home at Marvel, who knows exactly how to treat the villain right. A look at the MCU’s best movies and TV shows can serve as proof of how the franchise has perfectly brought to life complex villains like Thanos, Loki, Kingpin, and many more. If Doctor Doom gets the same treatment as them, he’ll be beloved.
When it comes to MCU villains, Thanos is often the blueprint, as he was the main threat of the Infinity Saga. While he will have less time in the spotlight due to Marvel’s late pivot from Kang the Conqueror, Doctor Doom is the main villain of the Multiverse Saga, starring in the next two Avengers movies.
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That is quite a change, going from a controversial part of the most disappointing Fantastic Four movie to the main villain of the MCU’s new Avengers movies. On top of that, Marvel cast the franchise’s biggest star, Robert Downey Jr., as Doctor Doom. With Downey cast, being called Victor von Doom, and looking comics-accurate, the MCU is doing right by Doom.
How Toby Kebbell’s Doctor Doom Could Be Redeemed
The Multiverse Saga Offers A Potential Solution
While 2015’s Fantastic Four movie did not work, a few of its characters could still be redeemed. The MCU’s Multiverse Saga allows Marvel to use those characters again in a new context. For instance, Miles Teller’s Reed Richards could meet Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic as part of the multiversal Council of Reeds or turn into the evil Maker.
As for Kebbell’s Doctor Doom, the MCU’s upcoming Avengers movies could find a couple of ways to feature him. If the Council of Reeds is present, so could be the Parliament of Doom, the villain’s version of a multiversal team of variants. Another possible return is if the Avengers need help from a Doctor Doom. Perhaps he has changed since Fantastic Four.
