The MCU would be smart to not use Doctor Doom as the main antagonist in Avengers: Secret Wars and save him for the next great saga. Audiences have been waiting eagerly for Victor von Doom to finally make his MCU introduction, and the days seem to be waning given what’s on the horizon. Rumors and theories have persisted as to how and when he may come into play and what his role may look like, including premonitions that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would introduce him in a post-credits stinger as the puppet master manipulating the war between Wakanda and Talokan. While false, such ideas do portend Doctor Doom’s vast potential.
It’s still too early to predict the exacts just yet, but it’s highly expected that the MCU will incorporate Doctor Doom still as part of the ongoing Multiverse Saga leading up to Avengers: Secret Wars. Aptly, Doom is incredibly central to the Secret Wars comic series as a major antagonist in both, so it would be logical to presume he’d fulfill a similar function in the MCU, especially considering how much of the set-ups are drawing from Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 run. Intriguingly, Avengers: Secret Wars’ logo hints at Doom’s role in said series, possibly teasing his prominence as the main antagonist, yet there may be better ways to use him.
Avengers: Secret Wars Is Too Early For Doctor Doom (So Kang’s A Better Fit)
In Hickman and Ribíc’s Secret Wars run Doctor Doom becomes practically omnipotent after using Molecule Man to steal the power of the Beyonders as the multiverse collapses around them. He used this incredible power to save a sliver of reality and restructure it as his own Battleworld with him ruling as God Emperor Doom. The introduction of incursions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a clear precursor that the MCU is leading toward this sort of transformation in Avengers: Secret Wars.
If theories connecting Doom to the vibranium storyline are well-founded, there’s a chance he could be introduced in Captain America: New World Order or Thunderbolts as they will presumably expand on this narrative. However, currently, his best shot is in Fantastic Four in Phase 6, and that would not give them nearly enough time to build up Doom to his most powerful self in Avengers: Secret Wars. This isn’t like Loki going from Thor to The Avengers, being a main antagonist for a single phase. It wouldn’t make any sense to use Doom as Avengers: Secret Wars’ final antagonist when he’s been absent for most of the saga.
The biggest reason why Doom wouldn’t work here is that the MCU has already chosen another to replace him. He might’ve been taken off the game board in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with his variants are now leading the charge, but Kang the Conqueror is clearly the Multiverse Saga’s big bad. He’s even got his name in a movie - Avengers: The Kang Dynasty - to reinforce this. Therefore, when Kang returns in Avengers: Secret Wars, he can become God Emperor Kang and reshape the multiverse as he sees fit, neatly culminating an overarching arc that started when Loki introduced He Who Remains.
Doctor Doom Could Easily Be The Next Overarching Villain
The writing’s on the wall, but that doesn’t mean Doom should be ignored. He can still serve an important purpose, just not as the main antagonist. Cleverly, his arc could mirror Loki’s with Doom being introduced more as an anti-hero or ally working with the Fantastic Four and other heroes to stop Kang and his variants. They can subtly establish his ulterior motivations and antagonistic nature, setting up a future as a major villain in the future. He’s quite like Kang in this way. Doom is such a major Marvel villain that he deserves a devoted, long-term arc rather than something rushed like using him as Avengers: Secret Wars’ villain.
As the MCU explores his intricate relationships, especially with Reed Richards, powers, and function as Latveria's dictatorial ruler, Doom can easily be built up to be a major crossover antagonist. He shouldn’t be diminished to only being a Fantastic Four villain, and he deserves to oppose other heroes like Black Panther, Doctor Strange, the X-Men, and the Avengers too. As such, Doctor Doom can be in Black Panther 3 as easily as he can be in a Fantastic Four movie, and the MCU shouldn’t shy away from such an opportunity. If they’re smart, Doom’s role would be intricately connective, helping to unite disparate storylines to make a more cohesive narrative.
The MCU will only get more expansive and complicated after Avengers: Secret Wars, but Doctor Doom may be the perfect villain to ensure everything remains connected and grounded. He’s an incredibly reliable antagonist, which is why he could easily Thanos and Kang as the next saga’s big bad. With such a vast and impressive history in the comics, there’s so much the MCU can draw from for inspiration, and his captivating cunning would keep audiences deeply engaged as they try to deduce his plans and motivations. All in all, The MCU can better tap into Doctor Doom’s sheer potential if they save him for after Avengers: Secret Wars.
