How A ‘Doctor Doom In The MCU’ Setup Has Already Been Ruined

As one of Marvel’s most feared and revered characters, it’s no surprise that the MCU has twice failed to bring Doctor Doom to life on

By Mabel Judith Andrady
March 14,2022
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As one of Marvel’s most feared and revered characters, it’s no surprise that the MCU has twice failed to bring Doctor Doom to life on the big screen. Doctor Doom’s dual nature as a scientist and a sorcerer is one of his most endearing qualities. However, this aspect of his character has been completely ignored in previous film adaptations. It’s possible, thanks to Doctor Strange, that Doom’s science and magic will be delivered to its fullest extent. There’s a risk that the MCU’s sloppy approach to magic will bite them in the rear with Doom.

A true crossover villain, Doctor Doom first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 (1962) and has since become one of Marvel’s best-known villains. After his first appearance, Doom was just as likely to appear in an issue of Spider-Man or The Avengers. Doom was the easy pick for past efforts to acclimate the Fantastic Four to the big screen because of this popularity.

Both attempts by the Fantastic Four fell short. Indeed, Stan Lee himself lamented the failure of the films as a result of Doom’s poor adaptation. Doctor Doom is an egotistical villain. An inflated sense of self-worth can be explained by looking at his record of accomplishments. He’s an expert in both science and magic. This makes him a contender for the title of Sorcerer Supreme and the world’s smartest man.

Doctor Doom Deserves An Appropriate Place In The MCU

Doctor Doom Marvel Comics
Doctor Doom Marvel Comics

In previous film adaptations, this detail was overlooked. When it comes to Doom, the 2005 Fantastic Four film reimagines him as a generic evil businessman, while the 2015 Fantastic Four depicts Doom as an angry brilliant computer scientist. If you’ve ever read a comic book about a self-absorbed, megalomaniacal dictator, you’ll recognize both of these characters.

Making Doom an expert in science isn’t a problem, since Victor has been linked to science in both previous iterations. It’s the lack of magic that causes both iterations to fail. It’s a good thing that, thanks to Doctor Strange, the MCU has a magic angle covered. Since the first film, the MCU has been extremely secretive about the true nature of magic in its stories. The film also implied that magic in the MCU is basically just alien science that humans cannot understand. This has been due in large part to the Thor franchise. Doom’s core duality could once again be shattered if this assertion is not retconned, which could lead to a muddled depiction of the two forces.

Doctor Doom Without Magic?

Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom

Not only would it harm his dual nature, but it would also have reverberating effects. Doctor Strange and, later, WandaVision appear to contradict Thor’s assertions, but the definitive answer has not yet been given. Doom’s mastery of both could become less remarkable if Marvel follows Thor’s lead and focuses more on Thor’s ideas. Doom’s successes could almost solely be credited to his intellect. This reduces the scope of how impressive he is and weakens his justification for that massive ego if the two things are treated as the same. It’s possible that he’ll be mistaken for a more intelligent, egomaniacal version of Iron Man as a result.

The character of Doctor Doom cannot be fully realized without magic. For this reason, his character lacks bite because he is less adaptable. Furthermore, he seems incapable of fitting into nearly any kind of plot like his comic book counterpart. It also serves as a reminder of the character’s most enduring quality – his ego. This in return is the source of his strength. Fans can hope the MCU solves the magic issue so that Doom can show up in the future. Because otherwise, Doctor Doom’s future in the MCU is already doomed.