Summary

• Avengers: Doomsday is set to debut Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, and I would love it to follow the storyline of Marvel Comics' Heroes Reborn: Doomsday.
• Heroes Reborn: Doomsday saw Doctor Doom become a hero in an effort to save an alternate world that had no superheroes.
• This storyline would lead into Avengers: Secret Wars perfectly, as Doctor Doom could cause an incursion between his world and Earth-616.

I know which Marvel Comics story would be perfect to bring Doctor Doom into the MCU in Marvel Studios' Marvel villain Doctor Doom, who will debut under the guidance of directing duo the Russo brothers.

While some have criticized the decision to bring back MCU legend Avengers: Doomsday, which could debut Doctor Doom as early as 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The Fantastic Four May Leave Their Universe In First Steps To Travel To The MCU’s Main Reality

More was revealed about The Fantastic Four: First Steps at Comic-Con, including official confirmation that the movie will be taking place in an alternate, retro-futuristic, 1960s-themed universe. It's unclear whether the MCU's Fantastic Four team will come from this alternate reality, or if they originated in the MCU's Earth-616 and somehow found themselves trapped across dimensions. Either way, popular theories suggest Marvel's First Family will abandon their alternate world in Phase 6 and travel to the MCU's main continuity.

If the Fantastic Four abandon their world in favor of Earth-616 during The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as I think they will, their alternate reality may be left without any heroes at all. This would make the world very vulnerable to attacks from villains such as Galactus and Shalla-Bal's Silver Surfer, but I've worked out how there might still be hope for The Fantastic Four: First Steps' universe. In the absence of the Fantastic Four team, Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom could step up to become a savior, just as he does in one Marvel Comics storyline.

Adapting 2000’s Heroes Reborn One-Shots Would Introduce Doctor Doom To The MCU As A Hero

Following 1996's Heroes Reborn storyline, seven one-shot issues detailed Doctor Doom's actions in a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards, which I think would form the perfect story for the MCU's Avengers: Doomsday. Heroes Reborn took place after the Avengers and the Fantastic Four's battle against Onslaught, which ended with Franklin Richards sending the heroes to a pocket universe, though they were thought dead in the main timeline. This year-long event ended with the heroes returning home, abandoning their alternate world, just like I think the Fantastic Four will in the MCU.

Heroes abandoning this world caused widespread chaos, but Doctor Doom set to work to try and restore order to this world in their absence. This storyline began in 2000's Heroes Reborn: Doomsday, which I was reminded of as soon as Marvel confirmed Avengers: Doomsday's new title. Doom worked alongside Samantha Dunbar's Lancer to save their alternate world, which fell under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Ashema after Heroes Reborn. While this wide-reaching event was divisive for Marvel Comics fans, Heroes Reborn's one-shots would be great to adapt for the MCU's Phase 6.

Avengers: Doomsday Exploring Heroes Reborn Could Debut Many Variant Heroes & Villains

Taking place entirely in an alternate reality, 2000's Heroes Reborn one-shots introduced different versions of many Marvel characters, and featured flashbacks to the main Heroes Reborn event that marked the return of more iconic heroes. Many variants have already debuted in the live-action MCU, including the likes of John Krasinski's Mister Fantastic, Lashana Lynch's Captain Marvel and Henry Cavill's Wolverine. I expect that this will happen more often as the Multiverse Saga nears its massive climax.

Heroes Reborn established new origin stories for many notable heroes in the Marvel Universe, but these were reversed when the heroes returned home.

More variants than ever before could be seen in Avengers: Doomsday if the project takes place entirely in an alternate universe. In Marvel Comics' Heroes Reborn one-shots, this included the likes of Spider-Man, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the Masters of Evil, Captain America, Deadpool and Wolverine, among many others. I would love to see these heroes reimagined for the world of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the MCU, showing the true potential of the multiverse, while also perfectly setting the stage for Doctor Doom's next movie, Avengers: Secret Wars​​​​​​​.

Doctor Doom’s Heroes Reborn One-Shots Would Lead Perfectly Into Avengers: Secret Wars

Adapting the Heroes Reborn one-shots would benefit Avengers: Doomsday massively. Introducing Doctor Doom to the MCU as a hero would bring something new and fresh to the character after two failed attempts to adapt him by 20th Century Fox. This would also give more context to his suspected villainous turn in Avengers: Secret Wars, and Heroes Reborn: Doomsday's storyline could lay the foundations for Secret Wars perfectly. In the comics, these one-shots end with Doctor Doom bringing his alternate Earth into the 616-universe, and claiming complete control over it.

This could be altered to better fit the MCU's Multiverse Saga, as Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom could instead instigate an incursion between his world and Earth-616 in Avengers: Doomsday. This could lead to the destruction of the multiverse and the establishment of Battleworld, with Doctor Doom setting himself up as "God Emperor". Variants from both worlds, and other past Marvel projects, could come together in one epic event, marking the end of the Multiverse Saga, but allowing Doctor Doom to have a significant role in the MCU moving forward.