This Comic Could Explain How Tony Stark Becomes Doctor Doom In The MCU

This Comic Could Explain How Tony Stark Becomes Doctor Doom In The MCU

Key Takeaways

  • Robert Downey Jr. confirmed as Doctor Doom, sparking theories on how he will play the villain in the MCU.
  • Multiple comic versions of Doctor Doom offer flexibility for MCU adaptation.
  • One storyline involving Reed Richards becoming Doctor Doom presents a believable route for Tony Stark’s transformation.

As a seasoned gamer and lifelong Marvel fan, I’ve seen my fair share of comic book adaptations, but the recent announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Doctor Doom has me scratching my head in intrigue. The idea of Tony Stark turning into one of Marvel’s most iconic villains is as mind-boggling as seeing Captain America wield Mjolnir or Spider-Man team up with Venom.


With Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom in the MCU now official, it’s no wonder people are intrigued about how this transformation will unfold. There are essentially two plausible scenarios for Downey to convincingly portray Doctor Doom, given his past role as Tony Stark and Iron Man. The first possibility is that Tony Stark himself returns (or perhaps he comes from another dimension) or the character is not actually Tony Stark but just shares a striking resemblance with him. While the latter theory seems less probable.

The general assumption is that the portrayal of Doctor Doom in this version closely resembles Tony Stark. Fans find it implausible that Kevin Feige would expect viewers to accept such a stretch of disbelief, asking them first to believe it’s Tony Stark and later revealing it’s not. However, it seems unlikely that Tony Stark could embody the level of villainy that Doom has consistently shown in the comics. Given his role as the main antagonist for this version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he will undoubtedly exhibit a great deal of wickedness.

Comics Have Offered More Than One Explanation

This Comic Could Explain How Tony Stark Becomes Doctor Doom In The MCU

Thanks to numerous comic book stories featuring various character arcs, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) enjoys a degree of flexibility when it comes to maintaining consistency with its characters. This is especially true since Feige and his team have incorporated the concept of the multiverse into their films. Over time, we’ve seen multiple iterations of Tony Stark and Doctor Doom, making it relatively simple for the MCU to select versions that align with their creative vision.

It’s not hard to find versions that fit the desires of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

One theory that’s out there came directly from a storyline in What If…? This story had Victor Von Doom and Tony Stark essentially switch bodies. Both men were roommates of Reed Richard of Fantastic Four fame, but this time, Stark was the one who was close to Richards, who was disfigured and donned the Doctor Doom mask. That theory is certainly a decent one but there is another Marvel Comics story that involves Reed Richards that the MCU could lean on if it wants to explain a version of Tony Stark becoming the big bad.

The Ultimates Is The Key To Tony Stark As Doctor Doom

This Comic Could Explain How Tony Stark Becomes Doctor Doom In The MCU

At present, a comic series titled “The Ultimates” is running. This series places some of Marvel’s most renowned superheroes and villains, such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Doctor Doom, in the heart of the 21st century. The narrative ignores the extensive history that has been built up over the years, allowing writers to reimagine characters like these three whenever they wish.

The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has previously drawn inspiration from this concept, as the film featuring Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury was developed based on it. It’s plausible that Kevin Feige and his team might revisit this idea once more. Interestingly, Marvel has restarted a new series of The Ultimates, which could potentially lead to Tony Stark becoming Doctor Doom, and this wouldn’t come as a shock to comic book fans.

This updated version of “The Ultimates” deviates from the initial series in some significant ways. Instead of following the original character origins, it rearranges the starting points, attributes, and allegiances of many comic book characters. In this iteration, the antagonist called The Maker employs time travel and other methods to prevent the origin tales of several heroes, such as Peter Parker not being bitten by a radioactive spider or the Fantastic Four never embarking on their fateful voyage that granted them their unique powers.

In issue #4 of “The Ultimates,” I found myself deeply moved as Johnny, Sue Storm, and Ben Grimm (the Fantastic Four) lost their lives in heartbreaking ways, leaving Reed Richards utterly devastated and alone. Eventually, under the influence of The Maker’s manipulative mind games, Richards succumbed to his darker side, transforming into the infamous Doctor Doom – donning the armor, the faceplate, and all the trimmings. It’s an intriguing direction that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could choose to explore in future instalments.

In essence, the idea of the multiverse is crucial in stories because it allows writers to rework the pasts of characters like Tony Stark and Doctor Doom through retconning. This method provides a more realistic way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to adapt Doctor Doom’s origin story without making it seem out of character or jarring for fans, given that he doesn’t necessarily have to come from Latvia with an European accent. The approach taken by Marvel in this regard will undoubtedly be intriguing to observe as they weave the tale.

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2024-09-27 21:03