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Doom Rises: Doctor Villain Emerges in Fantastic Four's MCU Debut
24 Jul
Summary
- Fantastic Four team introduced in retrofuturistic setting
- Post-credits scene reveals Doctor Doom's interest in powerful child Franklin Richards
- Robert Downey Jr. returns as Victor Von Doom, signaling shift from Kang as main villain
The Fantastic Four have officially landed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which opens this Friday, introduces audiences to the iconic team - Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm - in a retrofuturistic, alternate-Earth story.
However, it's what happens after the credits roll that's truly captivating. In a post-credits scene set 4 years after the team's climactic showdown with Galactus, Sue Storm is reading to her young son, Franklin Richards. As she steps away, a mysterious cloaked figure appears beside Franklin, holding a metallic mask - revealing the first formal appearance of Doctor Doom in the MCU.
This signals a major pivot for the franchise. Originally, Kang the Conqueror was slated to be the saga's central threat. But after actor Jonathan Majors' conviction in 2023, Marvel has shifted focus, choosing to introduce Doom as the looming force behind the upcoming multiversal saga. In a bold casting choice, Robert Downey Jr., once Iron Man himself, now returns to the franchise as the villainous Victor Von Doom.
