Why Doctor Doom Could Be The Key To The MCU's Future

When Robert Downey Jr. was cast to play Doctor Doom in "Avengers: Doomsday," the Marvel Cinematic Universe got something it never had before: A villain that can lead the franchise into something genuinely different. Watch Looper's video above to find out just how this could work.

For the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its movies had a goal in mind: Setting up a conflict that finally concluded with "Avengers: Endgame." The slow arrival of Thanos (Josh Brolin) helped make the villain a walking, talking extinction level event, and his defeat was the ultimate prize. 

With Doom, the MCU is taking a dramatically different approach, both by choice and out of necessity. While the character doesn't have the luxury of Thanos-like multi-movie buildup, Doom is a complex figure whose comic book history and nature as a supersized foe make him the perfect antagonist for the MCU as it stands right now. Thanos ultimately represented an ending, and his defeat marked the beginning of something new. Now, the franchise is heading toward new, exciting directions, and it's clearly entrusting Doom to lead viewers into the great unknown — even though its biggest Doctor Doom question likely won't be answered until "Avengers: Secret Wars." 

Doctor Doom wasn't initially meant to be the antagonist who led the MCU into its next major phase. However, real life impacted the plans after actor Jonathan Majors was deemed guilty of third degree assault and harassment of former girlfriend Grace Jabbari in 2023, and was relieved of his role as intended big bad Kang. Up until then, everything in the MCU was building toward a major confrontation with Kang — or rather, the Council of Kangs seen at the end of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" — but this never came to be.

While Doom tags in as the apparent backup quarterback, it likely wouldn't have been too long before the franchise introduced him. Victor Von Doom is arguably the single best known villain in Marvel Comics, and as an antagonist, powerful versions of Doctor Doom are roughly what the omnipresent Wolverine is for the heroes: Whenever he turns up, readers can be certain that the stakes are high. Because of this, Doom is easy to inject into proceedings with minimum effort, since audiences are already likely familiar with him — and if he isn't, then Robert Downey Jr. definitely will be.

It's obvious that the stakes behind the MCU's plans for Doom are massive, and his arrival coincides with a dire need for new beginnings. As for where the MCU may be taking Doctor Doom, watch Looper's video above for more information.