THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Director on Why Doctor Doom Won’t Be the Villain in the Marvel Movie

The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman recently opened up about why we won’t see Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom as the main villain in the film.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Shakman explained the reason behind holding Doom back in this movie, saying:

“Doom’s a great character, but he takes up a lot of air. Other film adaptations have done both an origin story and Doom. We’re doing neither, and that allows us to look at them from a fresh perspective.”

It’s a sharp pivot from how Doom has been handled in previous films, where he was pretty much inseparable from the team’s origin story. Shakman, instead, is steering this version toward uncharted territory.

There’s no origin rehash here, and Doom isn’t lurking in the shadows. Instead, Marvel is saving him for something bigger.

Downey Jr., stepping into the role of Victor Von Doom, will make his first appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, which is set for 2026, and it will also bring back the new Fantastic Four cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

It's all part of Marvel’s broader reshuffling of its Multiverse Saga plans, especially after the rebranding of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday. But, I do think there’s a chance that Doom could show up in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four.

For Shakman, avoiding Doom opens up space to focus on a new threat, Galactus, the cosmic giant who is played by Ralph Ineson, and I can’t wait to get a proper look at this epic Marvel villain!

With no Doom to overshadow the team’s debut, the movie looks to give Marvel’s first family room to breathe, and possibly redefine how their story is told. The film hits theaters July 25, 2025.