I’ll say it: Doctor Doom has been Marvel’s crutch for too long. Every time the Fantastic Four gets rebooted, Hollywood drags Doom along like emotional baggage from a messy breakup. But this time? Matt Shakman is cutting the cord.
In a recent Entertainment Weekly interview, The Fantastic Four: First Steps director made it clear—no Doom, no origin story. Just a clean slate.
“Doom’s a great character, but he takes up a lot of air,” Shakman said. “Other film adaptations have done both an origin story and Doom. We’re doing neither.”
Translation: Marvel is finally breaking the cycle.
For decades, adaptations have tethered the Fantastic Four to Doom like he’s a GPS signal they can’t live without. From Julian McMahon’s slick industrialist to Toby Kebbell‘s… whatever that was in Fant4stic, Doom has been omnipresent—and overpowering.
But let’s be real: he’s never worked. Not really.
Marvel seems to agree. Instead of cramming Doom into yet another reboot, they’re saving Robert Downey Jr.‘s long-awaited Victor Von Doom debut for Avengers: Doomsday (2026). That gives him room to breathe—and lets the Fantastic Four finally stand on their own cosmic feet.
Doom Who? Meet Galactus.
With Doom benched, First Steps brings in a different kind of chaos: Galactus. Played by Ralph Ineson (a man whose voice sounds like it could split planets), Galactus isn’t just another villain. He’s a force. A cosmic horror show in slow motion. The kind of threat that demands a wide-angle lens.
This is bold. Galactus isn’t easy. He’s not quippy. He doesn’t monologue in a Latvian accent. He eats worlds.
Shakman isn’t just sidestepping Doom—he’s flipping the table on the formula. No tragic genius turned tyrant. No accidental radiation mishap. Just a legendary superhero team dropped into a crisis already in motion.
And that’s the trick: by skipping the usual playbook, Marvel’s betting we’re smart enough to catch up. That’s a gamble they haven’t made since Spider-Man: Homecoming said “nah” to Uncle Ben.
Pattern Recognition: Marvel’s Rewrite Culture
Let’s zoom out. This move isn’t just about storytelling—it’s about strategy. After Avengers: The Kang Dynasty morphed into Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel’s clearly rethreading the entire Multiverse Saga. Kang’s fizzling. Doom’s ascending.
We’ve seen this before.
When Guardians of the Galaxy dropped in 2014, most moviegoers couldn’t name a single team member. Now Rocket Raccoon has merch in Target. Marvel knows when to play the long game.
And with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach forming the new Fantastic Four, they’re stacking the deck for redefinition. No more clunky exposition. No more nostalgia traps. Just story—forward.
So What’s the Risk?
Let’s be honest—ditching Doom in a Fantastic Four film is like making a Batman movie with no Joker. It’s brave. And dangerous.
But it might be exactly what this franchise needs. By refusing to relive the past, First Steps could actually live up to its name. A fresh launch. A real beginning.
And if Doom does pop up in a post-credits scene? Even better. Let him haunt the story until he’s ready to dominate it.
Would you rather fight Galactus without Doom… or wait for Doom to destroy the multiverse? Sound off below.
