For a time, it looked like rising star Jonathan Majors was on track to establish himself as the best MCU villain since, well, Thanos. However, when Marvel Studios fired the actor after he was found guilty of two misdemeanour counts of assault and harassment, the MCU lost its Kang(s).
We'd assumed the role might be recast but with the Multiverse Saga struggling to strike a chord with fans, it was clear something needed to change. That something is the return of Robert Downey Jr., not as Tony Stark/Iron Man but as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom!
As exciting as this news may be, it also raises a lot of big questions about what this means for Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and beyond. Fortunately for you, we're now taking a deep dive into that in the hope of figuring out what Marvel Studios has planned for us.
For a full breakdown of what Doom means for the MCU, click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. He's Victor Von Doom, Not Tony Stark
It's important to note that at Comic-Con, in press releases, and across social media, Downey has been referred to as playing Victor Von Doom. He's not an evil Iron Man or a a version of Tony who gets shrapnel in his face rather than his chest: he's Victor, a.k.a. Doctor Doom.
It's a crucial distinction because even though the Multiverse will likely come into play, Downey has been cast as a different character the same way Gemma Chan was Minn-Erva and Sersi. Heck, even Josh Brolin portrayed Thanos and Cable in the same year!
Doom's face is hideously scarred and he never takes his mask off, meaning this may even be a voiceover role for Downey. Sure, he can eventually take it off to reveal a familiar face but that predictable plot beat might not be one Marvel wishes to deliver in these movies.
Marvel Studios, the Russo Brothers, and Downey have all said Iron Man will remain dead, so the fallen hero being absent from the next Avengers movies is possible. However, Doom - in his own advanced armour - can take his place in a twisted turn of fate only the Multiverse can deliver.
4. Kang Is Out, Doom Is In...
Jonathan Majors was introduced as the MCU's new big bad in the season 1 finale of Loki. We learned He Who Remains had won a Multiversal War with his many Variants that left him to rule over a single, Sacred Timeline.
Desperate to break free from the history he had written and eager to stop any more diverging timelines from being pruned, Sylvie killed the villain. We'd later learn that not all his Variants are bad as Victor Timely helped save the day in Loki season 2.
Then, in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror - surely the ultimate Kang Variant - was revealed to be trapped in the Quantum Realm (where he was ultimately defeated by Scott Lang). However, Immortus, Rama-Tut, and Scarlet Centurion assembled a legion of Kangs to take the fight to The Avengers after what Ant-Man had done to their banished Variant.
Now, Majors' legal issues and the tepid response to the Ant-Man threequel have seemingly led to Marvel Studios changing course and ditching Kang to instead focus on a new big bad with Doctor Doom.
3. ...Or Perhaps Not
While Marvel Studios is clearly moving on from Kang - that's evident from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty being retitled Avengers: Doomsday - it feels like we'll never get any sort of satisfying resolution to the time-traveller's story.
It would be easy enough to make it so that the all-powerful Doom kills the Kangs off-screen, though we do wonder whether the villain will be recast, even if he only ends up playing a very minor role in the remainder of the Multiverse Saga (which feels like a more satisfying resolution).
It's also worth noting that, while never confirmed, the comics have frequently hinted that Kang is a distant descendant of Victor's. In the new Ultimate Universe, Tony Stark has even been established as that reality's future Kang after taking on the Iron Lad mantle.
Marvel Studios can combine those elements to ensure Kang is still relevant to what's on the way, even if it's not in the way they originally planned. For example, if we meet The Beyonder, then he could be a Kang Variant!
2. What This Means For The Multiverse Saga
For the answer to this question, we're better off turning to the comics. There have been two versions of Secret Wars; in the first (which was basically an excuse to sell action figures but remains a classic), heroes and villains are pitted against each other on The Beyonder's Battleworld.
Doom steals The Beyonder's powers and is ultimately defeated. However, in the 2015 version, when an Incursion destroys the final two realities in the Multiverse (Earth-616 and the Ultimate Universe), Doom uses The Beyonder's powers to recreate a new world in his image which he rules over. Following his defeat, a new Earth-616 is created.
You can probably figure out how this could be adapted for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars!
Still, the key difference here is that the MCU's Doctor Doom has no history. Thanos had no more than a few minutes of screentime before Avengers: Infinity War, so Doom can still be an effective villain. Marvel Studios would be wise to make good use of future post-credits scenes, though!
1. What About The Fantastic Four?
The three previous Fantastic Four movies have featured Doctor Doom in a lead role...and they've all been pretty lousy. Heading down that route again would arguably spell doom (pun most definitely intended) for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The reboot won't be an origin story, so we'd like it if this is their Doom and they have a shared history with the villain established through exposition or a last-minute reveal that he's the reason Galactus has targeted their Earth.
When Marvel's First Family appear in Avengers: Doomsday, it would be a crime for them to have never encountered Doom and for this to be their first and only clash with Victor. Unfortunately, we have a bad feeling that could be the case as Downey surely won't stick around for a Fantastic Four sequel...right?
You never know, particularly if the money is right. For now, though, there's nothing to indicate that Reed and Victor will have a history and that robs us of a huge part of what makes the villain so special.