The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding, folks, which means new movies, new heroes, and new storylines are on its way. Of course, that also means new villains, namely, Doctor Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom. His name has been making its rounds through the proverbial grapevine as Phase Five has inched closer to its big release. With every new character comes a new actor and in this case we’re talking about the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill, who has long been rumored to join the MCU.
Cavill has been linked to a variety of MCU characters in the past, like Captain Britain and X-Men’s Beast. However, his association to Doctor Doom has attracted major publicity in light of Disney’s D23 Expo, where it was rumored that the cast of Fantastic Four would be announced, and with it, Cavill’s involvement.
For those who consider themselves members of the Cavillry, and for the others who simply want to see Doctor Doom raise hell on screen, here’s what you should know about whether or not you can expect this pairing to actually happen.
Is Henry Cavill playing Doctor Doom?
Firstly, it’s worthy of note that Doctor Doom’s place in the MCU has not been officially confirmed by the studio. However, when you look at everything going on in Phase Four and all that is expected to happen in Phase Five, the character’s arrival feels like a matter of when, not if.
In the Marvel comics, Doctor Doom is connected to a variety of characters, like Titania from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, who just so happened to get her powers from him in the comics. Then there’s Namor, the half-human/half-Atlantean Sub-Mariner whom Doctor Doom butted heads with on more than one occasion in the comics. Namor will also play a pivotal role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Let’s not forget Kang the Conqueror, the supposed big bad of Marvel’s The Multiverse Saga, which covers the MCU’s Phases Four, Five, and Six. He’s also someone who’s been quantumly entangled with Doctor Doom in the comics.
All these factors point to the inevitable reveal of Doctor Doom in the MCU, but the real question now is, who will play him? Much about how Marvel will approach the character, if they even do, is still unknown. Some think he will arrive in Fantastic Four, others think he could be introduced in the end credits of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
For that reason, fans have been keeping their eyes and ears wide open for casting news, especially in regard to Fantastic Four, as that’s the first place we’re likely to hear of anything. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an official cast announcement for FF at D23, but fans in attendance claim otherwise.
The above photo made its rounds on Twitter following D23. Many were quick to question its validity, especially since it was published the day before a Fantastic Four announcement was meant to be made and because Seth Rogan of all people is sitting among the bunch. It does bear a striking resemblance to the supposed cast list mentioned by entertainment insider Emmet Kennedy, so fans have used that to cling to the notion that Cavill is indeed playing Doctor Doom.
Nothing regarding Doom and/or Cavill has been confirmed by Marvel as of this writing. That means the Cavillry will have to reign in their enthusiasm for the time being. Until an official announcement is made, the actor remains simply (and possibly the former) Man of Steel and the current Geralt of Rivia.
We will update you with more information as it becomes available.