Over almost 20 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown to become a massive entertainment conglomerate. Every new chapter has tried to push the limits, narratively and emotionally. However, none have had the weight, anticipation, or aura of ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘. With less than a year to release, speculation surrounding the film is at an all-time high.
Cast lists have been broken down, leaks have been consumed, and theories have been entertained in the hope of knowing what Marvel Studios has in store in its largest crossover since ‘Endgame’. However, now there is a fast-growing fan theory that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is perhaps drawing inspiration from an unfinished Phase 6 idea, but with a much bolder twist that focuses on one of the most notorious villains of the Marvel universe: Doctor Doom.
MCU Theory Teases A Multiverse Of Dooms
Industry insider Daniel Richtman recently asserted that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will not only have one Doctor Doom, but many. This is not completely far-fetched. As Multiversal Incursions are the main staple of the narrative, the possibility of characters colliding with each other in different timelines is almost a given. However, the most shocking news was the claim that part of these Dooms will be played by Robert Downey Jr.
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Despite the fact that Marvel has officially credited Downey as Victor von Doom, the concept of multiple Dooms has spawned a long-standing theory: What if Downey isn’t playing the “real” Doom at all, but a variant of Tony Stark who became Doom instead of Iron Man? Marvel fans have not forgotten that ‘Endgame’ provided Tony with a final farewell. However, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ co-director Anthony Russo once alluded that the explanation of the return of Downey is part of the story. Is it shocking? Absolutely. Is it possible? Almost anything is in a Multiverse saga.
However, that is not the end of the theory. It is believed that ‘Doomsday’ might bring a full-fledged Council of Dooms, just like the Council of Kangs in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’. This time, the creative potential is even greater. Doom variants across realities, male, female, heroic, tyrannical, could appear in a single conflict that dwarfs anything Kang was meant to deliver. And somehow it is poetic justice.
Why A Doom Multiverse Makes Sense
Doctor Doom’s presence looms large across Marvel Comics history. He is not just a villain; he is the villain, the prototype of all the other major threats that will come after. And there is no better place to see his legacy shine through than in the 2015 Secret Wars storyline, where he becomes God Emperor Doom and remakes reality itself. If the MCU is leading to ‘Secret Wars’ in 2027, the seeds that were planted in ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ must be gigantic. A Council of Dooms does just that.
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Moreover, the genius of this method goes deeper than effect. It gives Marvel Studios an opportunity to celebrate a forgotten yet significant lore: the Interdimensional Council of Reeds. In the comics, Reed Richards, the lifelong arch-rival of Doom, at one point formed his own Multiversal council to address universe-wide crises. It was a brilliant idea that the MCU has not yet used. Enter Doom. By giving him a similar council, Marvel achieves two goals at once: It makes Doom’s threat godlike. And it reimagines a Reed-centric idea by giving it to his greatest enemy.
The emotional impact of a Multiverse of Dooms is just as strong. Doom is a tragic, intellectual, and pride-wounded character. Now consider seeing different variants with different pasts. Some may be noble, some monstrous, and some broken. The story practically writes itself. And if one Doom is a Stark variant? The emotional tension soars. The MCU would be challenging the fans to answer a painful question: What if Tony Stark’s brilliance had saved the world by ruling it?
