Marvel Theory: WandaVision Sets Up The MCU’s Doctor Doom

While there has been considerable speculation that WandaVision might bring the X-Men or the Fantastic Four into the MCU, another possibility is the series introducing Doctor Doom. This seems odd and short-sighted, given the connection Victor Von Doom has to some of the principle players of the show in the comics and some of the characters it has been speculated are part of WandaVision‘s story.

Though originally introduced as an adversary of the Fantastic Four and the arch rival of Mister Fantastic, Doctor Doom grew into something much bigger. A master of both science and sorcery, Doom frequently butted heads with both Iron Man and Doctor Strange, and challenged the latter for the title of Sorcerer Supreme. He has also acted as an ally and an opponent of Black Panther on the world stage, in his role as the ruler of the nation of Latveria. Despite often assuming an adversarial role against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Doom possesses a unique code of honor and has played the hero when the fate of the world required it.

Given his status as one of Marvel’s most interesting characters and the failure of every Fantastic Four film so far to do Doom justice, there has been some speculation that Doom might be introduced into the MCU through a different property, such as Black Panther 2 or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While Doom would be a fine adversary for both films, it seems more likely that Doom will make his presence known during the events of Wandavision. He might not make a grand appearance on the field of battle, but there is ample evidence to suggest Doom will have a role to play in the series’ resolution.

Doctor Doom’s Connection To Wanda In Marvel Comics

The biggest piece of evidence that Doom will have a role to play in Wanda Maximoff’s fate lies in the aftermath of the comics that inspired WandaVision. In the Avengers: Disassembled and House of M storylines, Scarlet Witch’s powers were responsible for killing three Avengers (including Vision) and removing the powers of 99.9% of Earth’s mutants, due to Wanda becoming emotionally unstable following the death of her two children she magically wished into existence with Vision. What happened to her after she said, “No More Mutants,” and reality was rewritten was unclear beyond a parting shot showing her in an Eastern European marketplace. Wherever Wanda went, she was still a wanted fugitive due to the damage she had done, much like how she became a fugitive after the events of Captain America: Civil War in the MCU.

Wanda’s fate was revealed in the Young Avengers miniseries Children’s Crusade, when the hero Wiccan (who was the reincarnation of Wanda’s son, Billy) went searching for Wanda after inheriting her unstable, reality-altering powers. Wiccan and his teammates discovered that an amnesiac Scarlet Witch had come to live in Doom’s nation of Latveria and had, in secret, become his fiancée and moved into his castle. When confronted on this point, Doom explained to the skeptical teens that Wanda had come before him to petition for his aid in caring for the Roma families that took her in. Doom recognized her instantly and also recognized she was in a state of shock. Knowing of the conflict between the X-Men and Avengers that had erupted over how to handle Wanda and how that conflict ended in the House of M fiasco, Doom concluded the best thing for everyone would be for him to try and treat Wanda’s trauma privately; an action which apparently led to the two falling in love with one another over the long months spent together in Doom’s castle.

While there’s some debate as to whether or not Doom honestly loved Wanda or if it was all part of a larger scheme to wield her power by proxy, it cannot be denied that his methods were effective. Wanda did recover her memories and full control of her powers, which were revealed to have been temporarily increased after she sought Doom’s help in resurrecting her children before Avengers: Disassembled. The two had attempted to tap the essence of Life itself, only for the power to bind itself to Wanda and increase her powers to the point that she could alter reality. Unfortunately, the power drove her mad. Once Doctor Doom had Wanda’s full cooperation and trust, he was able to safely drain this power from her, restoring Wanda’s mind and her previous power level. Sadly, their romance faltered after the power attached itself to Doom and he refused to give it up when Wanda expressed her fears that he might develop the same madness that pushed her over the edge.

Doctor Doom Is Also Connected To Mephisto

It’s worth mentioning that, in addition to having a history with Scarlet Witch in the comics, Doom also has an extensive history with Mephisto; the demon who many believe may be the ultimate villain of WandaVision. Doom spent years trying to find a way to save the soul of his mother, who had been a witch that fell under Mephisto’s control. He eventually managed that feat with the assistance of Doctor Strange, who agreed to help Doom in order to repay the boon that Doom had earned as part of the contest to appoint a new Sorcerer Supreme. Doom has faced the demon several times since then, humbling him at every turn and further earning Mephisto’s ire. Given that, it is not inconceivable to believe that the MCU version of Doom might take a hand in saving Wanda from the same fate that befell his mother, if only to further irritate Mephisto.

 A Tweet Teased Latveria’s Introduction To The MCU

Perhaps the single greatest bit of evidence that Doom will make an appearance in WandaVision lies in a Tweet that mentioned the show and the capitol city of Doom’s nation of Latveria. ComicBook reported that actress Sheila Knox had Tweeted that she was cutting her vacation short due to having been cast in an episode of WandaVision. The Tweet ended with the words “”Doomstadt! In Helen!” It is believed to be a reference to the town of Helen, Georgia; a small town famous for its traditional Bavarian architecture. Given that WandaVision is filming in nearby Atlanta, it’s entirely possible that Helen could act as a double for the Latverian city of Doomstadt, if there were some reason for it to do so. Indeed, there are some who think that Wanda Maximoff’s home nation of Sokovia might become Latveria, as Doom seizes the reigns of power to stabilize the war-torn region in the MCU.

What Role Doom Could Play In Wandavision’s Finale

Given the vast array of power available to Doctor Doom, there are many ways he can be brought into the story of WandaVision. While it has been suggested the Doctor Strange might be the teased surprise cameo who breaks Wanda out of her fantasy world, Doom would also have the power to do this. It’s also possible Doctor Doom sought out Wanda, not for her own sake, but to acquire Vision’s body, so as to improve his own robotic creations. It’s also possible, given Wanda’s status as a terrorist in the eyes of SWORD and Doom’s general attitude towards the American government, that he might seek her out as a ruler protecting someone he sees as one of his subjects or as a possible recruit for the MCU’s Masters of Evil. With Doctor Doom, many things are likely and nearly anything is possible.

About The Author

Matt Morrison
(1837 Articles Published)

Matt Morrison has been writing about comics since before the word
“blogging” was coined. He got his start writing for the
legendary DC Comics digital fanzine Fanzing,
before receiving his own column, The Mount. Since then he has gone on
to write for over a dozen websites, including 411
Mania, Comics
Nexus and The Cult of Nobody. He holds both an MS in Information
Science from the University of North Texas and a BFA from the
University of Texas at Arlington. Known as a font of comic book
history trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of American
Comic Books, Japanese Manga, Doctor Who, and Cosplay at over a dozen conventions
and served as an Expert In-Residence for a course on Graphic Novels
for Librarians at the University of North Texas. In addition to his
work for Screen Rant, Matt is currently the Editor In Chief of
Kabooooom.com and writes reviews for No
Flying, No Tights – a graphic literature and anime review site
aimed at teachers and librarians. He also maintains a personal blog –
My Geeky Geeky Ways –
which hosts his extensive episode guide for the television series
making up The Arrowverse as well as his
comedic Let’s Play videos. What little spare time he has is
devoted towards acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. You
can follow his adventures on Twitter, @GeekyGeekyWays.

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