Doctor Doom just made his MCU debut — but there’s a catch

Doctor Doom just showed up in one of Marvel’s newest projects, but this doesn’t technically mark his official introduction into the MCU.

Doctor Doom is not an unfamiliar figure. He’s technically already had his debut in the world of superhero movies, with 2005’s live-action Fantastic Four.

He would also appear in the ill-fated sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer. He also turned up in the really ill-fated 2015 reboot, however, he’s been yet to show up in the official MCU since it launched with 2008’s Iron Man, and fans have been waiting for his appearance eagerly.

Now, he’s finally made his way into Marvel’s new era… kind of. It might have only been a cameo, but Doom does show up in Episode 8 of X-Men ’97. Doom’s inclusion in the Disney+/Marvel superhero TV show could be seen as his official entry into the MCU as we know it, but technically speaking, X-Men ’97 isn’t canon.

Still, this could be a sign of things to come. Doctor Doom has been a closely-studied figure over the last year. There’s potential for him to become a greater player in the grand scheme of the MCU, mostly due to Marvel’s likely reshuffle following their firing of Jonathan Majors.

Majors was convicted of assault in 2023, and was promptly removed from Marvel’s slate, despite having already been set-up as the prominent villain of the upcoming Kang arc.

Now, many are theorizing that Doctor Doom is the likely replacement for Kang, if Marvel decides to go in another direction. Doom is one of the classic Marvel villains, and is also due to appear in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie.

As the long-standing nemesis of Reed Richards, Doom will no doubt be playing a significant part in the film, though the main “villain” role is said to be going to Galactus.

It’s HeroFest here at Dexerto, so be sure to check out our guides to every Marvel movie ranked, and find out why Guardians of the Galaxy is the perfect MCU trilogy.