Avengers: Doomsday will reportedly give Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom a considerable secret advantage in his quest. Marvel Studios may be on its way to delivering its most overpowered villain ever in Downey's Doom, as has already been teased in early trailers for the 2026 sequel. However, even considering how formidable Doom will be on his own, he is sure to be far from alone in this endeavor.
A new rumor hints that Doctor Doom will have a female masked sidekick in Avengers: Doomsday. Reported by John Rocha on The Hot Mic podcast, according to his source, Doom will have "a female sidekick [who] also has a mask." That source believes it will be a "female Doom," giving the sequel both male and female versions of its main villain.
This comes almost two months after scooper Daniel Richtman shared a similar rumor, which stated that Doomsday would reportedly include "multiple Doctor Dooms" in its cast. That rumor also touched on the idea of "female variants" being used, further backing up the newer rumor from Rocha.
As of writing, Downey's Doom is the only officially confirmed villain in Doomsday's cast, which also features more than a handful of other characters with villainous histories in the MCU and other movies. Most recently, the Thunderbolts were rebranded as the New Avengers after almost all of Thunderbolts*' main cast members came into their team-up movie with villainous actions or tendencies in their past. Additionally, legacy X-Men characters like Magneto and Mystique had villain arcs in 20th Century Fox's X-Men saga.
Avengers: Doomsday will be Marvel Studios' third theatrical release in Phase 6 and the fifth Avengers film to hit theaters for the MCU. Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom will be this film's main villain, and 29 total actors from the MCU and legacy Marvel films are confirmed to bring the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and more back into the fray. Avengers: Doomsday will make its debut on December 18, 2026.
Who Will Be Doctor Doom's Secret Advantage in Avengers: Doomsday?
On this rumor's surface, a female Doctor Doom would certainly add a new layer of intrigue to the plot. Downey's Doom is already out to use the all-powerful Franklin Richards in his quest to take over the multiverse, and it would make sense for other Dooms from other universes to join him in that mission once it takes shape.
However, considering Doom is regarded as one of Marvel's most terrifying villains ever, one other name has come up as a potential partner in his villainy. Specifically, Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff is potentially in play for a return in this movie, even with no commentary from Marvel, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, or Olsen herself on the decision.
Other rumors have hinted that Marvel may bring Olsen back to play the Scarlet Witch alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver, uniting them with Sir Ian McKellen's Magneto and potentially positioning Magneto as the ruler of Genosha. Should this happen, Doom could perhaps learn about Wanda's potential power levels and search for another variant of her from another universe, giving him quite an unexpected advantage in his fight against the film's heroes.
This could also bring in ideas from Marvel's Children's Crusade comic run, in which the Scarlet Witch's children traverse the Marvel Universe and clash with the Avengers and Magneto. Multiple Young Avengers stars have been rumored to play roles in Doomsday, which could further hint at Wanda's involvement on that level. Uniting her with Doom in any capacity would only ramp up the level of threat Downey's villain will pose, and he is already set up to be a villain who should outdo previous antagonists like Thanos, Ultron, and Loki.
Doomsday could even directly tie back to the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, using a revamped Wanda Maximoff to help rework Doom's introduction into the MCU and give the Young Avengers a reason to assemble. Doom rescuing or reviving Wanda after her supposed "death" on Mount Wundagore would add a new level of intrigue to his plot by bringing her on board for his undisclosed plans.
While Wanda's potential involvement is sure to be kept a secret for the foreseeable future (the same way her villain turn in Doctor Strange 2 was), this female Doom theory will have fans anxious to see what the antagonist has in store for his enemies.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
