My Largest Implausible 4 Concept Flips Robert Downey Jr.’s Physician Doom Casting On Its Head (Strap In)

Warning! This publish accommodates SPOILERS for Implausible 4: First Steps

After seeing Implausible 4: First Steps, I am having bother shaking a reasonably wild MCU principle about Robert Downey Jr.’s “casting” as Physician Doom. At the moment, it is anticipated that RDJ’s Doom would be the major antagonist of Avengers: Doomsday and sure Avengers: Secret Wars as properly. Nevertheless, I am questioning if Marvel Studios is definitely in the course of a significant lengthy con.

Confirmed final yr at SDCC, Marvel Studios turned the web the wrong way up with the announcement that RDJ will play Physician Doom within the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday. Nevertheless, I can not assist however marvel if there’s extra to this reveal than meets the attention, particularly now that Physician Doom has made his first display screen look within the MCU.

Physician Doom Makes His First MCU Look In Implausible 4: First Steps

Showing Earlier than Younger Franklin Richards

As seen in Implausible 4: First Steps’ preliminary post-credits scene, Sue Storm is proven studying to younger Franklin 4 years after the film’s occasions. Returning to the lounge with a brand new guide, Sue sees none aside from Physician Doom kneeling in entrance of the boy.

Positioned away from the digital camera, all we see is Doom coated by a inexperienced hood whereas holding his iconic steel masks at his aspect. In the meantime, Franklin is seemingly unafraid, touching Doom’s face earlier than the display screen fades to black. As such, Franklin Richards’ stunning demeanor looks like it would convey a level of familiarity to Doom (which naturally acquired me pondering).

Marvel Studios Could Be Utilizing RDJ To Disguise The Actual Physician Doom

An Elaborate Lengthy Con To Protect A Main Casting Twist

The concept Franklin is aware of and is unafraid of the person beneath the masks is stunning, particularly on condition that Physician Doom and Franklin’s father, Reed Richards, have been rivals and enemies since faculty. Nevertheless, that is assuming that Doom and Reed’s historical past is similar within the comics, and that Robert Downey Jr.’s Physician Doom additionally calls Earth-828 residence.

In spite of everything, we nonetheless do not know why RDJ was forged, and if he is enjoying a real Victor von Doom, a multiversal variant of Iron Man who grew to become Doom, or one thing in between. All of the Russos mentioned of their SDCC announcement was that casting RDJ as Physician Doom was “proof of the unimaginable prospects of the Marvel multiverse“.

Nevertheless, I am now questioning if RDJ’s casting is simply an elaborate con on Marvel Studios’ half, particularly after watching Doom’s debut in Implausible 4. To place it merely, I believe there is a very actual chance that Robert Downey Jr.’s “casting” was meant to obscure the reality concerning the actual actor enjoying Physician Doom in Avengers: Doomsday: Pedro Pascal.

Why I Suppose Pedro Pascal May Additionally Be Enjoying Physician Doom (As a substitute Of RDJ)

An Evil Reed Richards Variant

There are a number of completely different the reason why I believe Pedro Pascal is enjoying each Mister Implausible and maybe an evil variant of Reed Richards that grew to become Physician Doom in one other actuality:

• Franklin Richards would not appear to be afraid of the face beneath Doom’s masks, maybe as a result of it is the face of his father (not Robert Downey Jr).
• Pedro Pascal makes use of a better vocal register for Reed Richards in Implausible 4: First Steps, that means it could be simpler for the actor to undertake a decrease and extra intimidating voice when enjoying Physician Doom (suppose Din Djarin in The Mandalorian).
• There are some intriguing references to twins in Implausible 4: First Steps, just like the pair of twins watching The Implausible 4’s launch on tv, or the RKO Palace exhibiting Walt Disney’s The Emperor’s Twin, a faux film solely present on this actuality, which could possibly be alluding to Secret Wars’ God Emperor Doom.
• Avengers: Doomsday’s composer, Alan Silvestri, did the post-credits rating, entitled “Doom?”. The query mark could possibly be hinting that this Doom will not be the Doom we assume.
• An evil Reed Richards as Physician Doom may function a nod to the Final Universe’s The Maker, the comics’ most well-known evil variant of Mister Implausible (who was additionally concerned in 2015’s Secret Wars).
• Final Comics debuted a brand new Reed Richards who was tortured and compelled to turn into Doom by The Maker in 2024, not lengthy after the RDJ announcement at SDCC. Whereas one among Marvel Comics’ writers (Deniz Camp) joked concerning the problem having a connection to Doomsday and the way Downey is Physician Doom, maybe he is near the reality.
• When requested straight if that was Robert Downey Jr. as Physician Doom within the post-credits scene, Implausible 4: First Steps director Matt Shakman hesitated earlier than answering within the affirmative, and we all know from Andrew Garfield’s interviews pre-Spider-Man: No Manner House, that Marvel Studios and its actors are prepared to lie for the sake of preserving a significant twist/reveal.

It is also value mentioning that an evil Richards as Physician Doom would clear up the MCU’s lack of a longtime Victor/Reed rivalry. As a substitute, we might have a Good Reed clashing with a Dangerous Reed variant, one who maybe does extra than simply “invite the horrible outcomes into his thoughts,” a core flaw Reed Richards admits to in Implausible 4: First Steps.

Maybe a darker Reed Richards variant makes use of these horrible outcomes as a Physician Doom and not using a household, embracing the darker aspect of his genius to remake the MCU multiverse as he sees match (presumably with the ability of one other Reed’s son).

That is all pure conjecture, however it appears like there’s sufficient that we must always at the least be open to the likelihood that RDJ could be returning as Iron Man, whereas Pascal pulls double obligation. Marvel could also be going for a significant shock-and-awe second the primary time Doom’s masks is eliminated, and we see Pedro moderately than Downey.

Implausible 4: First Steps is now enjoying in theaters from Marvel Studios.