Prior to the one-two gut punch of Avengers: Infinity War en Avengers: singles, Marvel promised fans that things would change. Given the catastrophic losses depicted in both films, that certainly seems to be the case. In Phase 4 and beyond, the Marvel Cinematic Universe must now find a new direction and a new MCU villain.
Thanos is gone, leaving the MCU without a new villain in the long run
From 2012’s The Avengers to, Thanos (Josh Brolin) was the looming threat to which everything in the MCU was built. As Thanos said in Avengers: singles, he is truly “inevitable.” However, his fateful confrontation with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes meant that “the Infinity Saga” had reached its end. The time had come for a new long-term baddie to pose an ongoing threat.
So far, Phase 4 promises the long-awaited solo film for Black Widow and new heroes like Shang-Chi. But there’s not much indication of which villain would make the leap from Marvel Comics to become Avengers’ next mastermind. Now a new rumor claims that a favorite choice for the job may appear in the last place that MCU fans expect from him.
RELATED: MCU Rumor: Cameron Diaz may retire to play a new villain
1 classic Marvel baddie is rumbled to appear in an unexpected way
According to We Got This Covered, Doctor Doom is rumored to play an important role Ant-Man 3. The villain – who rules the fictional nation of Latveria in the comics – will apparently be following Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) technology. It is unclear if Victor von Doom’s signature would give scary duds as a more professional threat.
If the latter is true, it’s easy to see Doom making his debut in a plotline like Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) in Ant-Man. He could have all sorts of harmful plans for Pym Particles. After all, the Avengers have successfully applied them to time travel. And the MCU has previously sown main characters in sequels, such as the debut of Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War.
RELATED: ‘Ant-Man 3’: Here’s what we know so far
Doctor Doom’s debut in ‘Ant-Man 3’ marks the introduction of Phase 5
For now, Doctor Doom appears in Ant-Man 3 should be firmly considered a rumor. But it is someone who makes a certain sense. Until Disney’s recent acquisition of Fox, Doom was still out of bounds for the MCU. Thus, Phase 4 will probably not have much of – as one – of the Fantastic Four and X-Men characters.
Rather, Phase 5 may focus entirely on those former Fox characters. At the moment, Ant-Man 3 will likely hit theaters in 2023. Fans previously expected it to arrive in 2022, but the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) pushed back the MCU scheme. Stay tuned for updates on Doctor Doom’s highly anticipated MCU debut.
