Much has been said about Marvel Studios' plans for Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. We've heard that the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer star has written a backstory for the villain, and it's been widely reported that he'll be a sympathetic figure in the movie.
According to multiple scoopers, Doom lost his family when an Incursion destroyed his planet. The injuries from that incident left him encased in his armour, and Earth-616's Steve Rogers is believed to be responsible due to the damage he caused to the Multiverse by returning to the past for his happy ending with Peggy Carter.
We've also heard that Victor Von Doom might be concealing the truth about his past, so we'll see.
Now, fans are sharing their theories about the villain's lost wife and child after a new photo of a costume display in AGBO's headquarters has surfaced on social media.
As you can see, the costume that Downey wore at last year's San Diego Comic-Con has been placed alongside those for Sue Storm and Franklin Richards. It's a strange mix, and one that's left many convinced that, in Doom's world, Sue and Franklin were his wife and child.
This would explain The Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits scene, where Doom appeared to lift Franklin's hand to his face. Plus, the costume Downey donned at Comic-Con may actually be what he wore before his planet's destruction.
Throw in that leaked concept art of Sue and Franklin in Doom's court on Battleworld, and his having a past with their Variants means it makes far more sense for the villain to steal Mister Fantastic's family (the fact that his old rival has them on Earth 828 could be the basis for Doom's hatred of Reed Richards).
It's all just a theory for now, but we can hopefully expect the curtain to be pulled back on Doom in the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer, which is set to be released next month.
Avengers: Doomsday officially stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make their Avengers franchise debuts in the movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, and Ryan Reynolds are also set to appear, according to reports from the trades. Many actors are similarly rumoured to show up, including Tobey Maguire, Hugh Jackman, Brie Larson, Elizabeth Olsen, and countless others.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron is also working on the script.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.