It’s a massive moment for Marvel fans everywhere, because the MCU’s Fantastic Four have officially been cast. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will be bringing Reed, Susan, Johnny and Ben to life on July 25, 2025, and it’s safe to say the arrival of Marvel’s First Family in the MCU has been one of the most anticipated events for fans for quite some time. But now that we know who’s playing the titular team, the biggest question left is who is playing their archnemesis, Doctor Doom?
The ruler of Latveria making his MCU debut is something fans have been clamoring for ever since the Fantastic Four rights reverted back to Marvel in 2019. Marvel Studios’ leadership certainly knows how important Victor von Doom can be to their future plans, between their upcoming adaptation of Secret Wars and even reports that the studio considered shifting to Doom after cutting ties with Jonathan Majors as Multiverse Saga heavy Kang the Conqueror. Although we don’t know for sure that Doom is the villain of the film yet, the Fantastic Four’s casting is a surefire sign Doom will be coming to the MCU in some capacity.
But before the fancasts start rolling in, I have a humble suggestion: Doctor Doom should be played by a voice actor instead of a name star.
Doom is one of the most popular villains in the superhero genre, with Magneto being the only other contender for the position of Marvel’s top baddie. Yet the FF villain’s history in live-action movies has been less than ideal. His first appearance was in 1994’s Roger Corman-produced Fantastic Four film, where he was played by Joseph Culp. That picture was infamously never officially released. The 2005 and 2007 Tim Story Fantastic Four films had Julian McMahon as Doom, and he didn’t leave as much of an impression as fans had hoped. Toby Kebbell stepped into the role in Josh Trank’s 2015 reboot, and that version was so far removed from the source material that most who saw it would likely rather forget it. The problems with those incarnations were more to do with the writing and direction than their respective actors, but the way the character was adapted in the past helps to highlight why a new approach is needed.
A major part of what makes Doom such a compelling figure in the comics is the air of mystery surrounding him. Although his repaired visage has been seen in the comics before (mostly famously in both versions of Secret Wars), the allure of not quite knowing how bad his facial scarring was under the mask was a pivotal element of what made him fearsome for so many decades. Is he actually hideously disfigured, or is it a mere imperfection that Victor simply can’t bear to see? It’s the type of dramatic question that helps drive his development, but it also places the mask front and center as a crucial component of what makes him tick. The mask, more than any performer who could be playing him underneath it, is the true face of Doom.
This is why adaptations of the character have worked far better in cartoons and video games, where he’s been played by various voice actors over the years. From Simon Templeman’s theatrical egomania in the second season of the 1990s Fantastic Four show to Paul Dobson’s vengeful bellowing in Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes and Marvel vs Capcom 3, Lex Lang’s even-mannered contemptuousness in Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and Maurice LaMarche’s well-rounded and authoritative take in Avengers Assemble and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, there have been many great performances as Doom in the voice acting space. Any of them, or maybe even a newcomer in the part (perhaps one of Romani descent because of Doom’s heritage in the source material) could do a great job bringing Doom to life. Alternatively, you could get a more well-known actor who steps into the role with the understanding that they’re primarily doing an ADR voice performance and possibly only playing Victor in live-action in flashbacks.
If you’re unsure how such an approach would work, consider how it already did for Darth Vader, arguably one of, if not the, most iconic villains in film history. Vader’s physical performance was provided by David Prowse in the original Star Wars trilogy, while his voice was done by the legendary James Earl Jones. This worked to such an effect that they haven’t even bothered trying to recast Vader’s voice in the modern films and shows (although Scott Lawrence has provided his voice in many video games like Jedi: Fallen Order and the Rogue Squadron series). Like with Doom’s medieval armor, iron mask, and regal green cloak, the iconic image of Vader’s black armor and distinctive helmet is far more ingrained in popular culture than any version of what he looks like without it (no disrespect to Hayden Christensen or Sebastian Shaw).
It’s easy to imagine a Fantastic Four film that places a tall stuntman who is talented in pantomime into Doom’s classic costume, coupled with a voice actor who uses a booming, threatening cadence to truly sell how over-the-top the character is supposed to be. Also, it would be easier to include him in several projects this way instead of having to work around the schedule of a major star, making this avenue an attractive prospect if Marvel decides they want to use Doom as the new antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. Casting a big name also has the downside of the actor likely wanting their face on-screen for much of their performance, diluting Doom’s visual appeal and characterization. Look what happened to Black Mask not wearing his, uh… mask until the finale of Birds of Prey, or Venom constantly peeling back his monster face in Spider-Man 3.
Will Marvel actually consider this route? It’s hard to say. There haven’t really been any names swirling around the part yet, although Ben Mendelsohn, who previously played Talos in Captain Marvel and Secret Invasion, indicated in an interview with GQ that he would love to play the role. It’s also amusing to realize that this way of bringing a character to life has already been done with our new Reed Richards, Pedro Pascal, in his role as Din Djarin in The Mandalorian. Perhaps he could give a Doom voice actor some pointers? No matter who plays the character or what MCU project he first appears in, Doom is exactly the kind of figure who would benefit from the Darth Vader approach. Given his poor track record in film up to this point, hopefully the MCU can finally do justice to this acclaimed Marvel villain.
Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Twitter.
