Marvel Studios is preparing for a massive year of content in 2022, one which will culminate its theatrical run this November with Ryan Coogler's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Although the sequel has had an incredibly tough time with production since the beginning after the passing of star Chadwick Boseman, Marvel and Coogler appear to be back on track to make Black Panther 2 a reality this year.
Without Boseman's T'Challa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will explore Wakanda as a whole as the mythical African nation opens its borders to the rest of the world. It will also include the long-awaited debuts of Dominique Thorne's Ironheart and Tenoch Huerta's Namor the Submariner. Even with two top-tier characters arriving in the sequel, further rumblings suggest one of Marvel Comics's biggest names could also show face.
Over two years ago, reports teased that the Black Panther sequel was planning to introduce the MCU's Victor Von Doom, who was said to be on the path to conquering parts of Africa before coming to the Wakandans. Although there is still a chance Doom may appear in this movie, a more recent rumor hinted that fans shouldn't expect him to see much screen time yet.
Doctor Doom's Role in Black Panther 2
Bleeding Cool revealed a rumor that teases Doctor Doom's potential role in this year's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
According to this rumor, Doom's role is "very minor" as the movie uses him to "imply that the war between Wakanda and Atlantis was down to Doom's interference." The report doesn't confirm if Doom will actually make an appearance or not, although the production team is reportedly working on a costume as well.
To Doom, or Not to Doom?
All things considered, this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt, especially considering how many major storylines are already set for Black Panther 2. That said, should this prove to be true, fans may be on their way to the start of some epic Fantastic Four-centric stories within the MCU well before Marvel's First Family makes its debut.
Doctor Doom has a connection to the hidden African nation in the comics, having attempted to use his power to take over the Wakandans in multiple runs over the last couple of decades. Additionally, teases for his MCU existence are already out there, specifically the nod to his home country of Latveria in Episode 3 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Right now, there are no signs pointing to when the MCU's Fantastic Four movie will debut, although rumors are pointing to production beginning sometime in 2023. Debuting Doom in Black Panther 2 could take Fantastic Four in a new direction by establishing their iconic antagonist as a world threat before his first on-screen interactions with Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and the Storm siblings.
As noted in the rumor, it's unclear whether Doom will actually appear physically or if his presence will be teased similarly to how Kingpin's was before Wilson Fisk fully appeared in Hawkeye. Should it come to fruition, this could add yet another level of epic storytelling to 2022's final theatrical MCU installment.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to debut in theaters on November 11, 2022.
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