A new rumor indicates Marvel Studios’ next big bads will be Doctor Doom and Galactus.
The rumor comes from Mikey Sutton and his Geekosity Facebook group.
Sutton writes, “According to my sources, the MCU is planning on having two major villains as part of its new Endgame. In the next couple of phases, all roads lead to Doctor Doom and Galactus.”
Sutton notes that neither character will debut on Disney+ indicating they will make their first appearances on the big screen.
Sutton states:
“First, neither character will debut on Disney+. Both are large chess pieces in the acquisition of Fox. These are A-list characters that fans and general audiences will flock to watch in theaters to finally be seen done correctly; they are not quirky minor league players such as She-Hulk and Moon Knight.”
Sutton also explains why Marvel Studios is choosing to go with Doctor Doom and Galactus as their big bads. He specifically highlights Dr. Doom.
“How do you top Thanos and make it fresh? You double to the dosage. Doctor Doom has the tragic human element a la Thanos and Killmonger, the “gray” bad guy in terms of morality issues. He has the emotional depth that Kevin Feige feasts on.”
Sutton then notes that Dr. Doom will be a major player behind the scenes in the upcoming phases for Marvel Studios.
“He will be Easter Egg’d until he debuts on The Big Screen. He is going to have links to other Marvel foes, either politically, mystically, or through business.”
He also believes Marvel Studios will be looking at adapting the classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby and John Byrne runs of The Fantastic Four.
“Both characters are in the “embryo” stage in terms of MCU development but the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby and John Byrne runs on The Fantastic Four will provide the skeleton and soul.”
He elaborates on how Doctor Doom and Galactus will complement each other.
“Doctor Doom will deliver the theatrical drama; Galactus is power, light, and spectacle. What they’ll be leading towards is an epic battle fought on the ground and in space, a secret wars if you will.”
Sutton even reveals that Marvel Studios is rumored to be discussing Lord of the Rings actor Viggo Mortensen as Doctor Doom.
“No casting as of yet. I am told Viggo Mortensen has been tossed around as a potential Doctor Doom. But, to my knowledge, he hasn’t been approached. Again, it’s early. This is the plan for the moment.”
This rumor makes sense, at least one Avengers: Endgame theory already believes Galactus is in play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Related: New Avengers: Endgame Theory Details Thanos Created Galactus As Insurance Policy)
While Doctor Doom and Galactus are likely candidates to be the next big bads given they are probably the most high profile major villains outside of Thanos, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has cautioned fans not to expect anything too soon. (Related: Kevin Feige: “Very Long Time” Before X-Men Show Up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe)
While discussing the X-Men, Feige stated:
“It’ll be a while. It’s all just beginning and the five-year plan that we’ve been working on, we were working on before any of that was set. So really it’s much more, for us, less about specifics of when and where (the X-Men will appear) right now and more just the comfort factor and how nice it is that they’re home. That they’re all back. But it will be a very long time.”
It’s probably safe to assume that the same would apply to Fantastic Four characters like Doctor Doom and Galactus that were acquired alongside the X-Men in the Fox deal.
However, this doesn’t rule out Sutton’s rumor. He implies it will be quite a while before we see Doctor Doom and Galactus on the big screen. Thanos did not appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe until 2012, four years after the first Iron Man film debuted. It could be four years or longer until we see Doctor Doom and Galactus.
What do you make of this rumor? Do you think these two villains are a good choice for the next big bads of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Are there any Doctor Doom and Galactus storylines you would want to see adapted?