Marvel Rumor: Doctor Strange 2 Almost Introduced Doctor Doom (In The Wildest Way)

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Madness" was definitely a lot to digest when it debuted in 2022. Filled with alternate realities, a berzerk Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), and tons of great cameos, "Multiverse of Madness" was Marvel going full bozo in the best way possible. 

Now, insider Alex Perez is suggesting that the infamous Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom was supposed to be a part of the chaotic funhouse. "Ngl...Doctor Doom as part of the Illuminati in Multiverse of Madness would have slapped," Perez shared on X (formerly, known as Twitter). In response to a query asking if he was spilled behind-the-scenes tea, Perez confirmed that Doom's inclusion was originally floated around. 

It should be noted that Doctor Doom's inclusion in "Multiverse of Madness" is a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt, no matter how amazing it sounds. The moderators of  r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers, a subreddit dedicated to discussing the latest Marvel leaks, have given Perez an accuracy score of 86.09%, so take that for what it's worth. Having Doctor Doom be a part of the Illuminati is a novel and sound idea. The Illuminati unexpectedly made their way into "Doctor Strange 2," but their inclusion made for one of the most memorable moments in Marvel Studios history.

Introducing Doctor Doom with the Illuminati could have worked as the entire team was made up of fan-favorite castings and hypothetical scenarios. The appearance of the Illuminati technically isn't canonical to the events that persist on Earth-616, so anyone could have been introduced. While explicit details surrounding this rumor and why Doctor Doom didn't show up are unclear, it's fair to say that Marvel was waiting for a more impactful opportunity for his debut. Showing John Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic was an exciting tease at the time, and debuting two members from the "Fantastic Four" batch of characters could have felt repetitive. 

Beyond that, Doom is a sinister villain and one of Marvel's most powerful — having Wanda obliterate him would have lessened the amount of fear he's supposed to elicit. With that in mind, it's probably fair to say that saving Doctor Doom for a more celebratory debut was a smart idea. Now, all eyes are on the long-gestating "Fantastic Four" reboot, which has an interesting working title. 

The studio has already announced who'll star as the titular four characters, but there's no word yet on who will play Doctor Doom ... or if the character will even show up for the super pic. Marvel reportedly has a wishlist for whom it wants to play the "Fantastic Four" villain, but nothing has been announced at the time of writing.

Doctor Doom will hopefully show up in "Fantastic Four," which hits cinemas in July 2025.