After the end of the Infinity Saga, everyone wondered who the next big villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be. Multiple names were on fans' shortlists, including Annihilus, Kingpin, and even Kang (who ended up being the right choice). However, the one character that everyone was eager to meet was none other than Victor Von Doom. The ruler of Latveria is an egocentric genius who believes the ends justify the means and isn't afraid to pave his way with the corpses of those who go against him. He's one of Marvel's most popular villains ever, which is why the internet broke down when it was announced that he would finally appear in the MCU.
While Kang was being built up as the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga, those plans changed a few projects in, and Doom took his place. The only problem? We have yet to see his debut, even with Avengers: Doomsday just around the corner. While everyone knew Thanos and his mission heading into Avengers: Infinity War, the same cannot be said with the new big bad in the block. Fans are worried one movie alone will be enough to establish Doom as a true force to be reckoned with while giving him a compelling background and clear motivations. That's why it has been heavily speculated that we could see him beforehand.
Before Avengers: Doomsday premieres, audiences have a date with two MCU movies: Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, the former seems to have no relationship to the multiverse or its impending collapse, which is why the latter is the only place where Doom could show up before the big crossovers. Unfortunately, it seems that won't be the case, as hinted by the director of the movie himself.
Doctor Doom won't appear in Fantastic Four: First Steps
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director of Fantastic Four: First Steps, Matt Shakman, said that the movie won't deal with either Doom as a character or his origin story. This might come as quite a shock, not only because time is running out for the supervillain to make his MCU debut but also because of his status as the greatest Fantastic Four villain ever.
"Doom's a great character, but he takes up a lot of air. Other film adaptations have done both an origin story and Doom. We're doing neither, and that allows us to look at them from a fresh perspective."
There's no denying that Fantastic Four: First Steps already has a lot on its plate. While it seems the super team will already have their superpowers once the movie begins, we'll learn about their origin story (which is always a time-consuming task). Besides, we'll also see the introduction of key MCU characters such as The Silver Surfer, while Galactus shows up as the main antagonist and Mole Man makes his cinematic debut. Oh, and it seems like we'll also see Franklin Richard's birth. With that in mind, it seems like the right move to leave Doom out of the equation. However, it also begs the question of how the character could be introduced further down the line.
Given that Robert Downey Jr. will be the actor responsible for bringing the Ruler of Latveria to life (even though he used to play the role of Iron Man in the MCU), we can assume that the supervillain will be from a parallel reality. Given that Fantastic Four: Fist Steps will take place in a completely different universe altogether, it was the perfect opportunity to introduce Doom, establish him as a variant, and maybe even allow audiences to see his world being destroyed at the hands of Galactus to give him a compelling backstory. But if he won't appear in the movie, would that mean he's from a universe different from that of the Fantastic Four?
Given how important Reed Richard and Victor's relationship is in comic book pages, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume we'll at least get a nod to it on the big screen. However, for that to happen, the two should live in the same world. If that isn't the case, then Marvel risks failing to adapt their iconic rivalry. But if they do, then Fantastic Four: First Steps would need to address how close the two characters really are. No matter what way you see it, Doom's absence in the movie introduces many important questions about the future of the MCU.
Granted, there's also the chance that Matt Shakman is simply trying to mislead us to keep Victor's appearance a surprise (much like Andrew Garfield did by denying that his Peter Parker would appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home). Fortunately, it won't be long until we figure out what Doom's future looks like in the MCU.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on July 25, 2025.