Say what you will about the Multiverse Saga, but there's been a noticeable disconnect between Marvel Studios and fans since it started. Now, as Kevin Feige sets out to get this franchise back on the right track, a Doctor Strange star could be about to make their MCU return.
The question is, will Marvel Studios make fans happy and cast him as Doctor Doom?
We are, of course, referring to Mads Mikkelsen. The actor, who has become known for his work portraying villains in everything from Hannibal to Casino Royale and Fantastic Beasts, was largely wasted back in 2016 as another of those MCU baddies that serves a purpose but is largely forgotten once the credits roll.
It may not come as any great surprise then that scooper Daniel Richtman is reporting that Mikkelsen is now in talks for a new MCU role that won't be Kaecilius. We don't currently know which character he's being eyed for but the actor remains a fan-favourite choice to play Victor Von Doom in Fantastic Four and his name has been linked to the villain several times in recent months.
Cillian Murphy is another actor fans would love to see in the role but given how selective he is in terms of acting gigs, it's highly doubtful he'd entertain the idea of signing a multi-year contract to play a comic book supervillain (even if it is someone as layered as Doom).
It's probably best not to get too excited at this stage as there are countless other characters Mikkelsen could be in the running for; heck, for all we know, perhaps he's the new Kang the Conqueror!
Unless an announcement is made within the next week - which is unlikely now it's the holidays - we won't end 2023 knowing which actors will play Marvel's First Family in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. Not too long ago, it was widely reported that The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal is being lined up to play Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, with Vanessa Kirby still the frontrunner to play Sue Storm/Invisible Woman.
As for the rest of the team, rumour has it Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach have been eyed for the Human Torch and The Thing, respectively.
Doctor Doom was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and is the arch-nemesis of Reed Richards and Marvel's First Family. A brilliant scientist and ruler of the fictional country Latveria, he wears a powerful suit of armour to mask his scarred visage and is one of the Marvel Universe's most iconic villains.
Do you think we could see Mikkelsen as the MCU's Doctor Doom?