While The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces a fresh set of heroes for the MCU, there’s a lot of chatter about a new villain that’s set to shake up the story in a huge way.
Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps and possible future MCU content below – the latest Marvel film is out now.
As the main villain of Marvel’s Multiverse saga, everyone is anticipating Victor von Doom’s arrival.
Marvel has already made it clear that Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to play the character, but apart from that, Kevin Feige and co. have remained tight-lipped about when we can expect to see one of the OG bad guys.
As a specific villain to this series, many are expecting Doctor Doom to make an appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. But did that actually happen, or was it wishful thinking? Keep reading to find out.
Does Doctor Doom appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene?
Yes, Doctor Doom appears in the post-credits scene. The scene is set four years after the events of the film. Sue Storm is reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Franklin before handing her son a different book.
When she turns back around, a mysterious cloaked figure is face-to-face with the child, holding Doctor Doom’s iconic silver mask.
There was speculation that this could be a double bluff and that it’s someone else with Doom’s costume, but a recent interview with director Matt Shakman seemingly dispels that theory – more on this below.
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Wait, who is Doctor Doom?
Doctor Doom, who is also known as Victor von Doom, is one of the Fantastic Four’s most fearsome enemies.
He was first introduced in 1962 as a scientist from fictional Eastern European country Latveria. Doom and Richards go way back, with the pair meeting as students. But since then, it’s fair to say that Doom took a different path.
He ended up getting horribly scarred after a machine he invented exploded, which led to him wearing a mask and a suit of armour. He later returned to Latveria as its monarch, but after that taste of power, he decided he wanted world domination. Hence, his conflicts with the Fantastic Four and other Marvel heroes.
What’s interesting about the MCU’s Doom is who’s playing him. Though, to be clear, we never see this actor’s face in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Why is Robert Downey Jr. back in the MCU?
When Tony Stark was killed off back in Avengers: Endgame, nobody expected to see Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU again. However, this all changed in 2024, when it was announced that he was the man behind that iconic-as-ever mask.
While it might seem like a random choice, it actually makes a lot of sense if you dig deeper. One of the biggest changes in the Multiverse Saga was the introduction of Variants, which resulted in some of our favourite characters taking on entirely new super-identities in different realities.
If we can have Peggy Carter taking up the iconic shield used by Steve Rogers, and Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, it makes perfect sense for a Variant of Tony Stark to become Doctor Doom — especially if he never has the redemption arc that led to him becoming Iron Man in the first place.
It’s worth remembering Stark and Doom have a lot in common — they’re both tech geniuses with extremely powerful, armoured suits. They just took very different paths to get to that point, and use their powers differently.
Indeed, in the 2016 comic, The Infamous Iron Man, Doom actually becomes Iron Man, donning his armour and attempting to turn over a new leaf following Stark’s (temporary) death. Feige may be working on a twistier version of that storyline.
Matt Shakman was asked directly on the Phase Hero podcast about whether the Doom we see in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is played by Downey, to which he replied. “Yes, yes.”
So, the decision not to show Downey’s face is interesting. Doom is known for having a scarred face, so perhaps they’re just keeping the look a surprise until Doomsday?
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What Doctor Doom means for the MCU
Thus far, the Multiverse saga has been all about world-building and establishing a new generation of Avengers. But with the arrival of Doctor Doom, things are set to gear up a notch.
He’s expected to make his first appearance in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, which is largely based on the Doomsday comic book storyline. This explores the concept of incursions, where different universes collide. Naturally, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men set out to stop things from happening, as confirmed by the insane cast list:
The upcoming movie differs from the comics because Doom is expected to play more of an expansive villain role to set up his final conflict with the Avengers in Secret Wars.
So, in short, Doctor Doom represents the main antagonist of the entire Multiverse Saga, much like Thanos did in the Infinity Saga.
Why The Fantastic Four are key for the next Avengers film
Given that Doctor Doom is technically a Fantastic Four villain, it’s fair to say that Marvel’s first super-family is set to play a significant role in the movies to come.
As established in the post-credit scene, Doom is enamoured by Franklin’s reality-bending powers. While his villainous motives seem unclear for now, the comics have always depicted Doom as wanting to use Franklin’s powers for his own gain. Naturally, we can expect some pushback from his parents, Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Perhaps the inevitable kidnapping of Franklin is what puts everything into motion.
© 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.
Richards also plays a pivotal role in the Secret Wars comic storyline. It’s he and Doom who clash in an epic battle to determine the fate of the multiverse. Reed also plays a big part in putting reality back together.
While they have Professor Hulk on-side, one of the things the Avengers is lacking is a strategic mind — and with Richards joining the fray, the multiverse may well end up being saved after all.
Ultimately, the arrival of the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom ushers in a new era for MCU, and it looks like it’s going to be the most exciting one yet.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is out now in cinemas in the UK and the US. UK readers can book tickets on Vue, Showcase, Odeon or Cineworld. US Marvel fans can pre-order them from AMC Theatres, Fandango and Atom Tickets.
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Author: Charlotte Colombo, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Charlotte Colombo is a freelance journalist with bylines in Metro.co.uk, Radio Times, The Independent, Daily Dot, Glamour, Stylist, and VICE, among others. She previously worked as a Staff Writer for entertainment outlet The Digital Fix and with Business Insider and Dexerto on their digital culture desks. She’s also appeared on BBC Radio 5 and The Guardian podcast to share her expertise on technology, influencers, and niche internet subcultures. She holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London.