It’s been two years since Robert Downey Jr. unmasked at San Diego Comic-Con to reveal that he would play Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The moment was immediately met with mixed reviews, but, overall, people were happy to have RDJ back in the MCU. However, it should be noted that things aren’t always as they seem when it comes to Doctor Doom.
Speaking of, Marvel Studios has officially released the Avengers: Doomsday trailer and it was everything a fan could have hoped for. It revealed a lot of the characters that will appear in the upcoming MCU movie, explained how dangerous things are, and finally showed us our first look at the franchise's Doctor Doom - and, more importantly, gave us a glimpse of what he sounds like. And he sounds amazing.
With that being said, I have some thoughts and theories about the trailer. Not all of them are positive, and some of them may have you thinking that this writer is grasping at straws. Let’s start with one that may make some sense.
If you want to understand Robert Downey Jr. as Doom, you MUST read Ultimates 4 on sept 4th. (or whenever it comes out) pic.twitter.com/oHVVeTdNwE
— Deniz Camp (@DenizCamp) July 28, 2024
Who is Doctor Doom?
Marvel writer Deniz Camp previously teased fans on social media by saying: “If you want to understand Robert Downey Jr. as Doom, you MUST read Ultimates 4….” I’ve read and reread that issue looking for clues, and I have a theory, but two culprits. That version of Doctor Doom is, in fact, Tony Stark. But the question I have is who created him? Was it Victor von Doom, or an alternate version of Tony Stark?
In Ultimates No. 4, Reed Richards was tortured into becoming Doctor Doom by his Ultimate Universe counterpart The Maker. Could the same thing have happened in the MCU? The change being that we don’t know who did the brainwashing. Was it Tony Stark looking to create something to save the world (or something nefarious), or was it Doom using Tony as a pawn before his arrival?
Or is this simply just another variant of Tony Stark from the multiverse?
Is Thor going to die in Avengers: Doomsday?
Thor was heavily featured in this Avengers: Doomsday trailer, and with good reason. His closest mortal friends in the Avengers are either dead (Tony Stark) or old (Steve Rogers). That left him in charge of rounding up the troops... which brings him face-to-face with a host of new heroes he hadn't crossed paths with before.
His speech about the upcoming threat must come after he confronts Doom and is easily dispatched. During that motivational talk (and the scenes that appeared throughout it), I couldn't help but feel concerned about the future of the God of Thunder. The most terrifying thought of all that crossed my mind was about the potential, rumored death of Thor.
There’s a reason that he was heavily shown in this trailer. I believe that this is to get fans even more emotionally invested in his character so they’ll be more heartbroken when he dies. And, if we’re being honest, this isn’t a far-fetched thought.
If that's the case, what does this mean for his adopted daughter Love? Does Thor send her away to protect her from Doom, and she later joins the Young Avengers? Or is she one of the casualties in this war? Hopefully, it's not the latter.
Are Namor and Doom working together?
In Marvel Comics, Victor von Doom and Namor have a complicated history. They’ve worked together, both are rulers of advanced cultures, and have respect for one another. However, they don’t trust each other. Nevertheless, war and necessity can make for strange but useful alliances.
In the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, the Atlanteans turn their weapons on Shuri, the Dora Milaje, M’Baku, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. This leads me to believe that Namor has made a deal with Doom. Namor won’t like it, but will bend the knee to keep his people safe. The threat may not come from Doom, but from the incursion that is destroying the world.
Is an unlikely partnership brewing between the pair?
Will Steve Rogers betray the Avengers?
Here comes the theory that people are going to hate, so get your throwing tomatoes ready. Steve Rogers will "betray" the Avengers. Before you continue, notice the word betray is in quotation marks.
Yes, this would seem completely out of character for one of the greatest heroes in history. But there’s one thing that everyone has to remember: Steve Rogers does what’s necessary to keep the world safe. If that means reluctantly working with Doom to save lives during the incursion, then that may be the case. As Doom says in the trailer, they're faced with an unthinkable decision. Rogers may have chosen the lesser of two evils that saves the lives of everyone, including his and Peggy Carter's child.
Just like in both the MCU and Marvel Comics’ Civil War, people have opinions on whether Steve Rogers was right. In the comics, Steve was on the side of what he thought was protecting the many. Eventually, he surrendered once he realized they weren’t fighting for the truth. Instead, they were just fighting. Rather than make that mistake in the MCU, an unlikely alliance may be formed. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to see if that’s right.
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