When Disney acquired Fox in their ongoing quest to own all of entertainment fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe rejoiced because this brought the Fantastic Four and X-Men properties into that fold. Now the most iconic villain to ever grace the pages of Marvel comics, Doctor Doom can be used in the MCU. While he is primarily a Fantastic Four foe, the ruler of Latveria has had memorable confrontations with just about every hero in the Marvel Universe. His brilliance as a resistance fighter in his homeland got Victor Von Doom noticed by an American university who gave him the opportunity to study with them. It was here he began his rivalry with Reed Richards which would last the rest of his life. Returning home to Latveria, Doom used his brilliance, ruthlessness and expertise with the occult to takeover the country. Now Doctor Doom seeks revenge on the Fantastic Four and in the process has become one of the most iconic and compelling villains in comics. Since he will inevitably show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sooner rather than later, here are some choices who could bring Doctor Doom to life.
Jason Isaacs: From his voice to his cold stare to his overall condescending demeanor, everything about this Harry Potter-alumni drips of villainy. In both the Potter franchise as well as films like The Patriot, Isaacs carries himself with a sort of evil regality. Even with this pompousness, the baddies Isaacs has played have the ruthlessness needed to maintain their spot on the pecking order. For a character who is not only vengeful and cunning but also the ruler of his own nation, Isaacs would be perfect as doom. Even if the iconic metal mask covers his face, Isaacs has a sinister George Sanders-esque voice that could chills if he were just reading a cake recipe.
Giancarlo Esposito: As both Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian and in Breaking Bad, Esposito already has two of the best baddies from TV in recent years on his CV. While vastly different characters both of these villains are intelligent, cunning, and command the respect of everyone around them. There is a reason Esposito has emerged in recent months as the favorite choice to don the green cowl and plot against the Fantastic Four. A Doctor Doom who has the dangerous intellect of Gus combined with the bloated arrogance of Moff Gideon would immediately make him one of cinema's greatest supervillains.
Ben Mendelsohn: He may already have a part in the MCU but it would be great to see his face go from being covered in green prosthetics to being covered in a metal mask. His performance in Star Wars Rogue One shows he has no issue donning a cape and ordering underlings around. Over the past few years this gifted character actor has become one of the go-to performers for bringing theatrical villains to life on the big screen. Mendelsohn himself has stated in interviews he would love to play the Latverian ruler who he sees as a man who wants revenge on those who he believes wronged him but still has a since of pathos.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: It is very true that Doctor Doom is a supervillain, but over the past 60 years, he has been a villain who has displayed a deep and complex morality. It was only a few years ago that Victor Von Doom attempted a complete turn in alignment by taking on the mantle of Iron Man. From 2011 until 2019, audiences saw Nikolaj Coster-Waldau play one of the most complex characters on television as Jaime Lannister. While he may have been introduced to viewers by having an affair with his own sister and pushing a small child to his possible death but over time he evolved into a character who was almost a good guy at moments. Should Kevin Feige and the people at Marvel want a Doctor Doom who shows more shades of grey Coster-Waldau would be an interesting choice.
