New Avengers: Doomsday Theory Turns Doctor Doom’s First MCU Appearance Into A Lie

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is building up Doctor Victor Von Doom, a major character from Marvel Comics, potentially played by Robert Downey Jr. As the ruler of Latveria and a famous foe of The Fantastic Four, Doom’s brief appearance after the credits of Fantastic Four: First Steps was a welcome surprise for dedicated fans. This has huge consequences for the current Multiverse Saga. The pressure is on for Doom to become the next major villain, and it’s even more exciting because of Downey Jr.’s potential return. Initially, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) was planned to be the main antagonist of the saga, and his story began in the Disney+ series Loki. But after Majors’ departure, Marvel decided to focus on Doom. Now, Doom isn’t just an enemy of Reed Richards; he’s being positioned as the ultimate villain of the entire saga, and will likely be the central figure in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

This big change has understandably sparked a lot of fan theories, and one is particularly popular: the ‘Doom’ hinted at after the credits of First Steps might not be the real Victor. He could be a weaker version, intentionally presented as a distraction to mislead both the heroes and the viewers, making his much-hyped arrival a carefully planned deception.

The Magnitude of the Multiverse Calls For a More Dramatic Introduction For an Iconic Villain

This theory about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe starts with ideas about the plot of a potential Avengers: Doomsday movie. With Kang no longer a central villain, many believe Marvel will use a concept originally planned for Kang – a council of variants – but apply it to Doctor Doom instead. Instead of a Council of Kangs, we might see a Council of Dooms, featuring multiple versions of Victor Von Doom teaming up (or fighting amongst themselves) against Earth-616 and the Avengers. The recent First Steps episode, being the first official MCU story set on another Earth (Earth-828), lends some credibility to this idea. The Doctor Doom shown with young Franklin Richards in that episode could be from Earth-828, raising questions about whether Earth-616 also has its own version of Doom with different plans. Alternatively, the Doom we see at the end of First Steps might be from a completely different universe altogether.

This theory suggests Doctor Doom isn’t just a ruler of a single country, but a major threat across the entire multiverse, potentially becoming the biggest villain in the upcoming saga. Interestingly, in over twenty years of Marvel movies, the country of Latveria, which Doom rules, has never been mentioned. While Marvel has introduced locations like Sokovia and Wakanda later in the story, Latveria feels different. Given Doom’s strict control and highly advanced technology – comparable to Iron Man’s – it seems unlikely the Avengers wouldn’t have known about him and his country much sooner.

The idea of the Multiverse is central to this discussion, and the fact that this new version of Doom comes from outside the main Marvel universe (Earth-616) raises questions about his debut in First Steps. Traditionally, the Marvel Cinematic Universe carefully builds up its major villains over time – Thanos, for example, was hinted at for years before appearing in Avengers: Infinity War. If this Doom is just a standard version of the comic book character – a ruler of Latveria fighting Reed Richards within a single timeline – it might limit his potential too early. It’s hard to see how that character could naturally evolve into the leader of a multiversal council, taking over the role Kang played in threatening the timeline and the TVA as seen in Loki.

Okay, so here’s what I think is going on with Doctor Doom in the MCU. They haven’t brought in the real Doctor Doom yet – the one we all know from the comics as a major threat. And honestly, that’s a good thing! Introducing a variant Doom in ‘First Steps’ doesn’t ruin the impact of that post-credit scene. It actually strengthens it, because it implies there’s still a single, incredibly powerful Victor Von Doom out there somewhere. The Doom we see could be a version who failed to achieve his goals, or even a surprisingly nice guy working with Reed Richards. Think about it – a refugee from a dying universe, or an ally from another Earth. That adds layers! It makes the Fantastic Four’s introduction to the multiverse much more interesting, and creates a real moral dilemma when the actual Doctor Doom – the one destined to cause serious trouble for the Avengers and everything else – finally arrives. It’s a smart way to complicate things and raise the stakes.

A Doom Variant Creates More Mystique Around the Real Victor

What makes this idea about different versions of Doctor Doom so compelling is how well it fits into the larger story. The entire saga relies on the idea of ‘variants’ – alternate versions of characters we know, who have made different choices and ended up with different lives. Using variants for Doom isn’t just a helpful plot device; it’s essential to make the whole story make sense and stay consistent.

The initial First Steps story presented a Doom who was strong but ultimately beatable, setting the stage for the larger Council of Dooms. This gives readers a baseline understanding when the Avengers confront the full Council – a group containing many different versions of Doom. The danger is immediately raised because they aren’t facing just one Doom, but possibly hundreds, including one that resembles a Doom they’ve already overcome. Even more disturbingly, one variant looks like their fallen teammate, Tony Stark.

As a movie fan, I think the choice to introduce different versions of Doom is really smart. It keeps the real Doctor Doom, the one who truly matters in the main Marvel universe, a bit of a mystery. It leaves you wondering who’s pulling the strings – is it a Doom who looks like Tony Stark, or is there an even more dangerous version out there, maybe a future or younger Doom, who’s been manipulating everything to become the ultimate power? It’s a great way to build suspense because it means they aren’t revealing the main villain too soon. They’re pacing things perfectly, and it keeps you guessing!

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2025-11-23 17:13