10 MCU Heroes Doctor Doom Could Face After His Inevitable Debut

Following his inevitable debut in the MCU, Doctor Doom could battle any number of Marvel Studios’ powerful superheroes. Introduced to Marvel Comics back in 1962’s The Fantastic Four #5, Doctor Doom has since become one of the most recognizable, long-lasting and powerful supervillains in the Marvel Universe. While he is most notably associated with the Fantastic Four, and has cultivated a rich personal vendetta against the team’s leader, Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic, Victor Von Doom has battled many heroes in the Marvel Universe, so this could see him become a prominent fixture in the live-action MCU after his highly-anticipated introduction.

Doctor Doom has recently been the subject of a huge amount of speculation, as many have come to believe that he will make his first MCU appearance in Marvel Studios’ upcoming The Fantastic Four. This could see him battle Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm, but rumors suggest that Doctor Doom won’t have a major role in the Phase 6 reboot. Instead, Doctor Doom may be set up for a larger role in a future MCU project, which means he may face off against any number of pre-established superheroes.

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10 Doctor Doom Tried To Recruit Spider-Man In Marvel Comics

Peter Parker’s Spider-Man Debuted In Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Doctor Doom and Peter Parker’s Spider-Man seem like an unlikely partnership, but the Latverian ruler has attempted to recruit the New York City wall-crawler several times, most notably in the 1960s. After the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is in a vulnerable position, which may make him susceptible to Doctor Doom’s machinations following his potential Phase 6 debut. This could lead to Spider-Man becoming something of a villain in the MCU’s future, though it’s likely he’d see through Doom’s schemes and eventually work to defeat the powerful villain.

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9 The Scarlet Witch & Doctor Doom Have A Love/Hate Relationship

Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch Debuted In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Following Marvel Comics’ intense House of M storyline, Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch found herself allied with Doctor Doom, and the pair unexpectedly struck up a strange romance. With no memory of who she was previously, Wanda had genuinely fallen in love with Doom after making her way to his nation, Latveria, though she began to doubt this relationship soon after. Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch is assumed to be dead after 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though there has been a great deal of speculation regarding her return, so perhaps she has been in hiding with Doctor Doom.

8 Doctor Doom & The Hulk Have A Long History In Marvel Comics

Bruce Banner’s Hulk Debuted In The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Doctor Doom and Bruce Banner’s Hulk have a long history dating back to the 1970s, which began with Doom trying to use the Hulk as his slave. Instead of being staunch enemies, however, Doom and the Hulk have often helped each other in Marvel Comics, most notably in the battle against Onslaught and after Doom was taken captive by Intelligencia. Mark Ruffalo’s future as the MCU’s Hulk is unclear after his last appearance in 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but he could bring out the more heroic sides of Doctor Doom, as the character isn’t always depicted as a villain.

7 Doctor Doom Tried To Steal Control Of Wakanda From The Black Panther

Shuri Became The Black Panther In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Doctor Doom was heavily-rumored to be introduced in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, specifically because of his ambition in Marvel Comics to seize control of the African nation from the Black Panther. While this didn’t come to fruition, Marvel Studios is set to put more attention on Wakanda with the development of animated series Eyes of Wakanda, an Okoye-focused series, and a potential Black Panther 3, so Doctor Doom could still make this dream a reality. This would see him go toe-to-toe with Letitia Wright’s Shuri, the MCU’s new Black Panther, following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa.

6 Thor Battled Doctor Doom Many Times In Marvel Comics

Thor Debuted In Thor (2011)

As the ruler of Latveria, Doctor Doom has opposed many other nations in Marvel Comics, including the Asgardians in Thor’s city of New Asgard on Earth. Rumors suggest that Marvel Comics’ Siege storyline, in which Doom stresses his loathing for Thor and the Asgardians, could be adapted for the MCU. Doctor Doom also found himself allied with Loki, with the pair plotting schemes to bring down Loki’s brother, the God of Thunder, though after 2023’s Loki season 2, this partnership is unlikely. With Thor needing redemption after 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, Doctor Doom would make a very substantial foe.

5 Doctor Doom’s Mastery Of Magic May Bring Him At Odds With Doctor Strange

Doctor Stephen Strange Debuted In Doctor Strange (2016)

While the Fantastic Four are Doctor Doom’s most notable opponents, Doctor Strange is also a prominent enemy to Doom. The pair are connected as Doom, too, has mastered the Mystic Arts. They have, on occasion, aided in each other’s exploits, but they have also contributed to some of Marvel Comics’ most dramatic battles. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has already walked the line between hero and villain, so he could team up with Doctor Doom. This pairing is hugely important to Doom’s rise to power in 2015’s Secret Wars event, so many play a role in the MCU’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

4 Doctor Doom Would Be The Perfect Villain For Sentry’s MCU Future

Robert Reynolds’ Sentry Is Set To Debut In Thunderbolts (2025)

Lewis Pullman is expected to debut as Robert Reynolds’ Sentry in the MCU’s Thunderbolts, which could set up a huge battle between him and Doctor Doom in the MCU’s future. Sentry and Doom have battled on many occasions in Marvel Comics, with the former usually coming out on top, even at one point tearing off Doom’s mask to expose his face beneath. The Sentry has been referred to as Marvel’s version of DC’s powerful Superman, so Doctor Doom is surely no match for him, though it remains to be seen what the future holds for Sentry in the MCU.

3 Doctor Doom Is A Big Enough Threat For A Future Avengers Project

The Avengers First Came Together In The Avengers (2012)

Being connected to so many iconic heroes in Marvel Comics means that the MCU’s Doctor Doom could be set up as the primary villain of an Avengers project. So far, the MCU’s Avengers have teamed up to take on massive villains, including Loki, Ultron, Zemo and Thanos, so Doom would be a powerful addition to this list. If The Fantastic Four teases a bigger role for Doctor Doom in the MCU’s future, it’s possible this could quickly come to fruition in 2026’s Avengers 5, which previously had Kang the Conqueror as the focus, or potentially even Secret Wars and beyond.

2 Doctor Doom Has Teamed Up With Another Iconic X-Men Villain

The X-Men Haven’t Yet Been Seen In The MCU

While the X-Men usually face mutant enemies in Marvel Comics, Doctor Doom has also been a significant foe to the powerful team, especially in recent years as Doom compiled his own Latverian mutant team. Doctor Doom has battled the X-Men using Doombots, has manipulated Storm in creating a major storm system across the East Coast, and battled the mutant team Excalibur on a journey to Limbo. With the X-Men soon to make their MCU debut, Doctor Doom as one of their first villains would give the new team a huge amount of gravitas, and connect them to the wider MCU.

1 Iron Man Is Another Of Doctor Doom’s Most Famous Foes

Tony Stark’s Iron Man Left Several Legacy Heroes After Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Aside from the Fantastic Four, Iron Man is perhaps Doctor Doom’s second-most-iconic enemy in Marvel Comics. Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom share many traits in common, which has brought them at odds continuously over the years, and even saw Doctor Doom masquerade as the Infamous Iron Man. While Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark sacrificed himself in Endgame, Iron Man’s legacy heroes, including Dominique Thorne’s Ironheart and Don Cheadle’s War Machine, could face Doctor Doom. The iconic villain has been rumored to appear in the MCU’s Ironheart and Armor Wars projects, so this battle may come sooner than anyone expects.