The problem with villains is that they want all the power for themselves. In the MCU, many bad guys have failed because they can't keep an open mind or ask for help. Doctor Doom isn't trying to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors. Ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, he's bringing together a group of remarkable people, seemingly in an effort to put some distance between himself and Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Of course, Doom's first MCU appearance came in The Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits scene. He visited the Baxter Building and introduced himself to Franklin Richards. When it came time to discuss spoilers for the movie on social media, a theory emerged that Doom planned to kidnap Franklin to use the child's incredible abilities.
Doomsday's marketing has poured water on that fire, as it hasn't mentioned Franklin. In fact, Reed Richards seems to be on good terms with Doom until something makes the hero question his ally's actions. But just because Doom left Franklin to his own devices doesn't mean he's acting alone.
Doom's second MCU appearance comes in one of Avengers Endgame: Encore's post-credits scenes, when he appears before Bruce Banner, who locked himself away in a government facility following the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The villain makes his intentions known, informing the former Avenger that he needs him and using magic to transport him to an unknown location.
The interaction between Doom and Banner proves, without a shadow of a doubt, that Doomsday's big bad is building a team. Unfortunately, Doom won't have many more chances to give his sales pitch before the movie hits theaters in December. That means it's time to play the speculation game and identify potential candidates for the evil roster.
Potential Members of Doctor Doom's Avengers: Doomsday Team
Maestro Hulk
Hulk decided he was over the whole mind control thing in Brand New Day. With that in mind, Doom might have trouble influencing the Jade Giant to do his bidding. Doom's only hope of getting Hulk on his side is to turn him into the tyrannical leader Maestro Hulk, who has a deep appreciation for Latveria's monarch in the comics. Of course, there's hardly anything magic can't achieve in the MCU, and Doom happens to be a Master of the Mystic Arts.
Clea
Speaking of magic, there's a powerful sorceress on the loose in the multiverse: Clea. Charlize Theron's character made her MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, recruiting the titular hero to stop an incursion. It's possible Doom caught wind of Clea's plans and decided to turn her into one of the Latverian Witches featured prominently in Doomsday's marketing.
Jean Grey
Marvel Studios has big plans for Jean Grey. After wreaking havoc across New York in Brand New Day, she's already confirmed for the X-Men reboot film. However, fans won't have to wait until 2028 to see her again. The Hollywood trades reported that Sadie Sink has a role in Avengers: Secret Wars. Doom is clearly keeping tabs on the multiverse's most powerful beings. And with the Phoenix Force in her corner, Jean is as much of a threat as anyone.
Thanos
Marvel Studios hopes that Doctor Doom is half the villain that Thanos was. The Mad Titan terrorized the Avengers for three phases. And even after his death, his presence still loomed large. One easy way to give Doom credibility is to have him give orders to a variant of Thanos. If seeing Tony Stark's face isn't enough to shake the MCU's heroes to their core, sharing the battlefield with Thanos again will surely do the trick.
Loki
The God of Mischief has turned over a new leaf after his adventures at the TVA. There's just no way he would go back to his villainous ways after giving up his life to hold the multiverse together. However, Doom may not give him a choice. Doomsday's villain is going to need the Asgardian off the board one way or another. Turning him into an asset offers more potential than killing him outright.
Mephisto
Doom isn't the only new villain on the block. Ironheart introduced Mephisto, a demon who can grant any wish in exchange for someone's soul. He made a deal with Riri Williams at the end of the show, but he's been known to go big-game hunting in the comics, even making a deal with Doom's mother, Cynthia. With Doomsday already teasing a major loss in Doom's life, the movie certainly has room for a deal with the devil.
The Leader
Brain matters just as much as brawn when dealing with a villain like Doom, who always wants to be a step ahead. To make sure he has enough mental firepower on his side, Doom should reach out to Samuel Sterns, aka The Leader, who basically predicted his arrival in Captain America: Brave New World's post-credits scene. The Avengers will have little chance of outmaneuvering a team with Doom and Sterns on it.
