Black Panther: Wakanda Forever perfectly laid the groundwork for the introduction of the iconic supervillain Doctor Doom into the MCU.
The character is generally associated with the Fantastic Four, as his origin is closely linked to their own. But Doom does far more than just tangle with Reed Richards and his family.
Another sect of Marvel characters who Victor has a history with is T’Challa and the nation of Wakanda. In fact, the iconic villain even rules his own fictional country, Latveria.
Many fans thought the big bad would end up taking part in Wakanda Forever in some capacity. Clearly, that never came to pass. If the film’s producer Nate Moore is to be believed, it wasn’t ever really considered in the first place.
But could the next entry in the franchise be Doom’s time to shine? He would certainly live up to the expectations of Namor’s warning to Shuri about humanity.
It’s certainly possible, and there's even a comic storyline that could prove to be the perfect foundation to pay off what Black Panther 2 set up.
Doomwar Incoming?
Doomwar was a big comic event that was originally released back in 2010
The story saw Wakanda undergo an insurrection while simultaneously going up against Victor Von Doom, as the iconic villain targeted the city’s supply of Vibranium.
Why is Doctor Doom after the Vibranium? Well, the special metal has a secret: it can amplify energies, and its effects are infinite. For someone like Doom, this is a game-changer, to say the least.
On top of Doom, the storyline also contains the appearance of the Desturi, an ultra-conservative group that briefly takes over Wakanda, leaving Shuri and T’Challa on a mission to re-take their home while also worrying about the power-hungry Doom.
For the purposes of the MCU, a coup within Wakanda might feel too similar to Killmonger’s arrival in the city. In this case, in theory, the capital could be specifically targeted by a rival advanced nation, which would be an interesting direction to go.
Yes, on paper, it sounds like their struggle with Namor. Here, the key difference is that Doom would be an aggressive offender, outright attacking the city to steal their resources—whereas Namor’s actions could be considered defensive (and quite reckless) across the board. This could also prove to be the perfect way to test out Wakanda and Talokan’s newfound alliance.
Why Latveria Is the Perfect Next Step
Just like Talokan has interesting parallels to Wakanda in the film, the creatives behind the scenes could utilize similar comparisons between Wakanda and the fictional Latveria.
Another setup that the recent Ryan Coogler film may have established lies with Lake Bells’ Dr. Graham, who is now dead. But naturally, many fans asked themselves, who exactly does she work for?
Sure, it could be Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Val, but if that’s the case, one would think the movie would have established a stronger, clear connection between the two.
So then, what if it was Doctor Doom who sent Bell’s character to look for Vibranium to bring back to Latveria? Or, at the very least, sent by somebody of importance from the new nation.
Perhaps Latveria is the nation that rises from Sokovia’s ashes and needs Wakanda’s resources to rebuild and make its existence known to the board—and the power its leader brings to the table.
Val’s Pesky Schemes
While Julia Louis-Dreyfus didn’t play a key role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, her involvement was pretty important. It showcased the USA’s desire to get its hands on Vibranium, a goal Val seems to share.
So what’s Val’s next step towards achieving her goals? Sure, she might have arrested Everett Ross, but that doesn’t quite advance her Vibranium goals.
Needless to say, she’s likely far from done. Might she go after Wakanda for their precious resources?
To do that, she’d need lots of help—something Doom might be able to offer if it means access to Vibranium. Though, Val could also easily be competition who the villain aims to eliminate.
All of this tension could culminate in a four-way battle between the United States, Latveria, Wakanda, and Talokan.
Then, add in the Thunderbolts, who seem to be Val’s future strike team, and the audience might be in store for a very eventful project.
The Riri Connection
Riri Williams was introduced in the latest Black Panther film, and actress Dominique Thorne did a fantastic job bringing the character to life for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Coincidentally, she also has a past with Doctor Doom.
In the comics, the Doom she interacts with isn't quite the same one everyone knows—this one has become an alternate Iron Man to fill the hole left by Tony Stark's absence at the time.
If the two of them are destined to meet, it’ll have all started in Wakanda Forever, thanks to Riri’s Vibranium detector getting the world’s attention.
Additionally, the character’s solo Disney+ series is said to focus on magic vs. technology, a theme Doom would fit into perfectly. The Fantastic Four character could end up being yet another massive MCU villain to debut in a streaming series, coming after Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror in Loki.
The World Needs Doom
Doctor Doom is one of the most beloved Marvel villains of all time. So there’s no surprise that fans are itching to see him properly interpreted by Marvel Studios, especially given his previous lackluster debuts.
One of the biggest questions about Doctor Doom’s future in the MCU is if he will potentially be a surprise big bad for Avengers: Secret Wars. The 2015 version of the event in the comics has Doom as enemy number one, with the villain basically making himself a god on a patchwork planet made of multiple realities.
However, if Doom isn’t going to be introduced to the world in 2025’s Fantastic Four, then that means he won’t pop up until way late in the Multiverse Saga; Potentially too late for him to have any significant impact.
Understandably, this notion upsets some fans. Hopefully, whenever Victor Von Doom does arrive in a Marvel Studios project, whether that be Black Panther 3 or another MCU project, the wait will have been worth it.
