Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
While an outright debut for the MCU's Doctor Doom was not in the cards for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, there are still some pretty big ways in which the film sets up the ruler of Latveria to become the villain of Black Panther 3. Originally a foe of The Fantastic Four and a personal rival of Reed Richards, Victor von Doom has become a significant supervillain to many heroes in Marvel Comics. Case in point, Doom has quite the history with Wakanda and its Black Panthers, something Wakanda Forever subtly alludes to in various ways while potentially teasing Doom as the next film's big bad.
While Black Panther 3 has yet to be officially confirmed, there are plenty of narrative possibilities established by Wakanda Forever. Doctor Doom becoming a primary villain is certainly one of them with many of the teases having to do with the focus on vibranium and its geopolitical effect. Combined with references to the iconic Doomwar storyline and the debut of relevant new heroes such as Riri Williams' Ironheart, it's not a stretch to imagine Doom leading an invasion into Wakanda in the MCU's future.
Wakanda Forever Debuts The Midnight Angels Armor
One of the biggest teases for the MCU's Doctor Doom is Princess Shuri's creation of the Midnight Angel armor. Resembling the armor used in 2016's Black Panther run from Ta-Nehisi Coates, the "Midnight Angels" codename was actually established in 2010's Doomwar by Jonathan Maberry and Scot Eaton. Formed as an elite sect of Dora Milaje by King T'Challa himself, The Midnight Angels were effectively a black ops squad with their debut mission being the assassination of Doctor Doom during his invasion of Wakanda in search of vibranium.
Used in the final battle against Namor and his undersea kingdom of Talokan, it stands to reason that the suits worn by Aneka and General Okoye will be seen again. To that end, it would certainly be fitting if the Midnight Angels were deployed in defense of Wakanda against Doom and his legions of powerful Doombots. Regardless of Doom, the suits are far too impressive for audiences to only see them once.
Namor Predicts More Nations Will War With Wakanda (Doom's Latveria?)
Following Shuri's defeat of Namor as the MCU's new Black Panther, Wakanda and Talokan agreed to a truce. Serving as one of Wakanda Forever's final moments ahead of one of the MCU's best post-credits scenes, Namora was angered that Kulkulkan surrendered and agreed to a ceasefire. However, Namor justifies his actions with the belief that more nations will come for Wakanda in the near future. When that happens, Talokan will be seen as an ally and source of strength by Wakanda, giving Namor and his kingdom a great amount of influence and power.
Keeping that in mind, it stands to reason that Doctor Doom's European nation of Latveria could be such a country with its eyes on Wakanda. It's certainly possible that Doom is simply waiting for the right moment to strike before he attempts to claim one of the most valuable and protected resources on the entire planet. As such, Black Panther 3 could easily feature a major battle led by multiple rulers with Wakanda, Talokan, and Latveria all going to war in the MCU.
Vibranium Could Massively Upgrade Doctor Doom's Powers
In the original Marvel Comics, vibranium is revealed to be incredibly unique not only for its durability and variety of applications in the material world, but also for its ability to amplify and channel the powers of the supernatural. This is the primary reason for Doctor Doom's invasion of Wakanda in Doomwar. One of the reasons Doom is so formidable in the Marvel Universe is the fact that he has a foot in both the realms of science and magic. While he's a verified evil genius with an intellect rivaling Mr. Fantastic, he's also an accomplished sorcerer who's gone toe to toe with the likes of Doctor Strange.
Keeping all that in mind, Doctor Doom could do a ton of damage with his own stores of vibranium, ing the idea that he'd be the perfect villain for Black Panther 3. Likewise, Wakanda Forever's subplot about the increasing global desire for vibranium primes the MCU for a new arms race following the Super-Soldier serum. Latveria could emerge as a major player should they boldly choose to go to war with the Wakandans.
Ironheart Can Debut Doctor Doom's Infamous Iron Man
It should also be noted that the debut of Riri Williams' Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a good sign for Doctor Doom's arrival as well, albeit with a more unique characterization compared to the expected supervillain archetype. In one of Riri's first solo outings as a successor to Iron Man's legacy in the comics, she encountered Victor von Doom who'd taken Tony Stark's mantle (known as the Infamous Iron Man). Coming from the decision to redeem his past following his corrupted godhood in 2015's Secret Wars, Doom tried to be a hero but was ultimately thwarted by Mephisto and The Hood, causing him to revert back to his typical supervillain status in the Marvel universe.
Interestingly, The Hood is confirmed for the Ironheart series and Mephisto has been heavily rumored. With Riri no doubt having to grapple with sorcery using science, there's at least a logical narrative for Doctor Doom's debut, potentially adapting his brief time as the Infamous Iron Man before making him an outright villain for Black Panther 3. It would certainly be an interesting route to take for one of the MCU's most anticipated antagonists. While many were disappointed that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever did not feature a direct tease or cameo from Doctor Doom, the film certainly sets the stage for him to become a big player not only in a potential Black Panther 3 but also in the MCU at large.
