Summary

• Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine trailer potentially features the appearance of Doctor Doom, a highly anticipated Marvel villain.
• Deadpool & Wolverine, expected to deal with the multiverse, may include cameos from previous Fox-produced Marvel movies.
• Including Doctor Doom in Deadpool & Wolverine could be risky for Marvel, potentially ruining the villain's proper debut in the MCU.

Marvel studios revealed the first Marvel villain as Doctor Doom, there is a chance that the movie has set up the important antagonist for the MCU.

Since the film is dealing with the multiverse, Deadpool & Wolverine is expected to include cameos from previous Fox-produced Marvel movies. There are reports that Jennifer Garner will reprise her role as Elektra as part of the Deadpool 3 cast, and there will likely be some more cameos that haven't been announced.

The possible Doctor Doom appearance can be viewed at the 1:48 mark of the trailer. The character is seen with a metallic mask, wearing a cloak that covers much of his head, obscuring the actor's face. The potential Doctor Doom appears in the wasteland location, where Deadpool is seen elsewhere in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer. Despite the similar appearances, though, it's unclear if this is in fact Doctor Doom.

Why Doctor Doom Could Be In Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine will be hopping around the multiverse and including other characters from Fox's Marvel movies. The X-Men have been expected to appear since the announcement that Hugh Jackman would be playing Wolverine, and the possible inclusion of Elektra would indicate that the movie will include characters from some of Fox's other Marvel movies. This means that Fox's three Fantastic Four movies may be on the table when it comes to potential cameos. Two actors played Doctor Doom across Fox's three Fantastic Four movies: Julian McMahon in the 2000s films and Toby Kebbell in the 2015 movie.

Fox's Fantastic Four movies also seem like the perfect inclusion in a Deadpool movie, since Deadpool often remarks on some of Marvel's least popular properties. For instance, both Deadpool movies included jabs at X-Men Origins: Wolverine, with Deadpool 2 even including a scene of Deadpool traveling to that universe and shooting the much-maligned Deadpool from that movie. Deadpool & Wolverine could easily be using Doom for a similar gag. Doctor Doom's inclusion could also be a way to generate excitement about future MCU projects - since the franchise's first Fantastic Four movie releases in 2025 - though Marvel will have to be very delicate if that is the plan.

Doctor Doom Debuting In Deadpool 3 Would Be A Major Shock

Though Fox's Fantastic Four movies would be good material for Deadpool's fourth-wall-breaking jokes, it would still be a little surprising to see Marvel include Doctor Doom in Deadpool & Wolverine. Doctor Doom's debut in the MCU has been highly anticipated for a while, and there is an expectation that he will become one of the universe's major villains. Including Doctor Doom prematurely, and potentially as the subject of a joke, would have to be handled carefully if Marvel doesn't want to create confusion or ruin the villain's proper debut.

Including a previous version of Doctor Doom could work well in some ways, bringing back either McMahon or Kebbell. Marvel could use this as a chance to send off previous versions of the character, since both franchises ended unceremoniously. Deadpool could easily have some lines joking about why the previous versions didn't work, which could act as a way for Marvel to explicitly say they recognize how to make the character better in the future. This could create excitement for the Doctor Doom, who may appear in Marvel's Fantastic Four.

Alternatively, Deadpool & Wolverine does run the risk of poisoning the well before Doctor Doom appears in the MCU. Reminding audiences of two lackluster versions of the character may be an anticlimactic way to introduce Doctor Doom in the MCU. For example, Kang felt a little less threatening when he was easily defeated by Ant-Man and the Wasp. Seeing Deadpool take out a variant of Doctor Doom could have an equally negative effect on the character's reputation. Though Deadpool & Wolverine could have fun with the character, Marvel might be smart to hold off on any version of Doctor Doom.