A wild Doctor Doom theory was posed four years ago that theMCUis about to vindicate with the release ofAvengers: Doomsday. Over one decade afterDoctor Doom’s most recent live-action appearance, the MCU is finally going to debut what may be the most comic-accurate version of the character to date inthe story ofAvengers: Doomsday, if not earlier in 2025’sThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. As one of Marvel’s most beloved villains, the pressure is on forupcoming MCU releasesto do right by Doom - but that pressure could have been felt as early as 2022.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis one of the first Multiverse Saga movies inthe MCU timelineto directly deal with the eponymous multiverse, as Strange finds himself visiting 22 universes in his attempts to escape the Scarlet Witch and protect America Chavez. This brought him to Earth-838, where he encountered the Illuminati and, more pertinently, Doctor Doom’s arch-rival, Reed Richards. This is the closest the MCU has gotten to debuting Doom, but storyboards forDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessteased that it might have gotten much closer still.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness' Doctor Doom Fight Theories Look Far More Likely For Avengers 5
Early Storyboards Seem To Depict Doom’s Debut In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Soren Bendt Aaboe Pedersen is a storyboard artist thatworked onDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.He released his work for the movie via hisSorenBendtwebsite in 2022, depicting several shots that made it to the final cut as well as many that did not.Among them was a scene that seems to depict Doctor Strange facing a conspicuously Doom-like enemyon a spiral staircase, which@MarvelUpdatesrecently shared again via X.
Soren Bendt Aaboe Pedersen also worked as a concept artist onThor: The Dark World.
The illustration shows Strange wielding a sword against the figure, who stands cloaked in a hooded robe while using sorcery of their own and sporting what looks suspiciously similar to Doctor Doom’s iconic mask. As several comments have pointed out, however,this is more likely to be Nightmare- the extradimensional ruler of the Dream Dimension and the reportedfirst choice forDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' arch villain. Still, the Doctor Doom rumors may be realized inAvengers: Doomsdayas Doctor Strange faces off against the iconic Marvel foe.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Made The MCU’s Impending Doctor Doom Debut More Likely
Reed Richards Was Using Some Familiar Tech
Doctor Strange’s jaunt to Earth-838 debuted several of the MCU’s most exciting variants. John Krasinski’s Reed Richards was foremost among these, paying off a popular fan cast that was years in the making despite being killed off unceremoniously moments later. His presence was nevertheless the clearest sign yet that the MCU was on the cusp of delivering its very own Fantastic Four team and Doctor Doom along with them.
One convincing MCU theory suggests that the empty chair among the Illuminati may have belonged to a Tony Stark variant that became Doctor Doom.
This was compounded by the tech that Richards used to make his exciting entrance, which allowed him to materialize from a pair of glowing squares. Afterthis was swiftly likened to Doctor Doom’s time platform from Marvel Comics,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessproducer Richie Palmer confirmed that this was precisely the case in the movie’s audio commentary. Suffice it to say, this all but confirmed thatDoctor Doom existed somewhere in Earth-838, and therefore the MCU, ultimately making Doctor Strange the herald for Doom’s arrival down the line.
Why Doctor Strange Is So Likely To Fight Doctor Doom In Avengers 5
Doctor Strange Is A Main Character In The Multiverse Saga
Now that Doctor Doom has been confirmed as the arch-villain of the next Avengers movie, having him go toe-to-toe with theMCU’s new Avengersis inevitable. Doctor Strange is now a veteran of the team, despite only having two solo movies to his name, after he joined up to fight Thanos and steer them toward the single timeline in which he was defeated. The fact thatDoctor Strange remains the most intimately acquainted with the multiverse and its intricaciesalso makes him squaring off against the Multiverse Saga’s arch villain stand to reason.
Doom is also a master of sorcery in Marvel Comics, and the promise of him and Strange replicating some of the best fight sequences in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be remiss of Marvel to avoid.
Aside from Strange now being a central figure in the Multiverse Saga, his duel with Doctor Doom also promises one of the biggest spectacles inAvengers: Doomsday. Doom is also a master of sorcery in Marvel Comics, and the promise of him and Strange replicating some of the best fight sequences inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswould be remiss of Marvel to avoid. Compounding this is the fact that, as yet, Benedict Cumberbatch is the only MCU actor to confirm that he has begun work onAvengers: Doomsday, suggesting he will play an important role.
