Summary

• Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's most iconic, recognizable and beloved supervillains.
• Doctor Doom has been played by three previous actors in live-action, and will soon be played by a fourth in the MCU.
• Joseph Culp, Julian McMahon and Toby Kebbell have all played Doctor Doom, while Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as the MCU's Doctor Doom.

As one of Marvel's most iconic supervillains, Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four for decades, but he has also taken on the likes of Doctor Strange, Iron Man, the Black Panther, and the X-Men.

Doctor Doom's six decades in action have made him perhaps the most legendary, recognizable and beloved supervillains in Marvel's history. This has made him a clear threat in previous adaptations of the Fantastic Four's stories, which allowed three actors to portray the villain. This small group will soon be ed by another, as Doctor Doom will be ing the MCU for Phase 6's Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, marking the fourth appearance of the villain in live-action.

Joseph Culp Played Doctor Doom In An Unreleased Movie

The Fantastic Four (1994)

German producer Bernd Eichinger purchased the film rights to the Fantastic Four in 1986, and set to work on producing a low-budget Fantastic Four movie in order to retain the rights in the early 1990s. This culminated in the development of 1994's The Fantastic Four, which Eichinger developed with B-movie specialist Roger Corman for only $1 million. This unreleased movie starred Joseph Culp as Doctor Doom, and this portrayal of the villain was surprisingly rather effective.

Joseph Culp infused his version of Victor Von Doom with a sense of theatricality, grandeur and charisma that perfectly captured the over-the-top essence of the character from Marvel Comics. Of course, the production value of 1994's The Fantastic Four was remarkably low, meaning Doctor Doom didn't exactly have as intimidating a presence as he perhaps should have, but Culp did the best with what he was given. This was the first ever live-action adaptation of Doctor Doom, so there was a lot of pressure that perhaps wasn't entirely lived up to.

Julian McMahon Has Made The Most Live-Action Appearances As Doctor Doom

Fantastic Four (2005) & Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (2007)

After 1994's The Fantastic Four, Eichinger and Marvel legend Stan Lee approached 20th Century Fox about developed a big-budget version of the movie. This led to the release of 2005's Fantastic Four, which starred Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom. McMahon had gained recognition in Home and Away, Charmed and Nip/Tuck, but Doctor Doom was one of his first major film roles. Having appeared as Doctor Doom in both Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, McMahon has portrayed Doctor Doom more than any other actor.

Julian McMahon's Doctor Doom was a more human interpretation of the villain, making him quite relatable, though his ego and arrogance also made him a detestable villain. This version of Doom was sinister, scheming and slimy, especially when it came to his relationship with Jessica Alba's Sue Storm. McMahon's Doctor Doom wasn't comic-accurate, and fell victim to a lackluster screenplay for Fantastic Four and its sequel. However, McMahon still pushed Doctor Doom to the limits, delivering a strong adaptation.

Toby Kebbell’s Doctor Doom Completely Changed The Villain

Fantastic Four (2015)

After both Fantastic Four and Rise of the Silver Surfer underperformed at the global box office, a potential third film and a spinoff focused on the Silver Surfer were canceled. Instead, a reboot of the franchise was put into development, which saw Toby Kebbell cast as Victor Von Doom. 2015's Fantastic Four has come to be widely regarded as one of the worst superhero movies of all time, and the disappointing screenplay certainly had a detrimental impact on Kebbell's iteration of Doctor Doom.

Toby Kebbell is a strong actor, best known for the likes of War Horse, Black Mirror and, more recently, For All Mankind. However, he was given very little to work with as Doctor Doom, making his version of the villain the most hated iteration ever. Fantastic Four changed Doctor Doom significantly, stripping him of what made him such an understandable and empathetic villain. Toby Kebbell deserved better, particularly since he should have been a brilliant casting choice for the villainous role, but the movie fumbled his delivery.

Robert Downey Jr. Will Play Doctor Doom In The MCU

Avengers: Doomsday (2026) & Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)

Following the finalization of Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, the film rights to the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom reverted to Marvel Studios. The MCU's official Fantastic Four cast was confirmed on Valentine's Day, while Robert Downey Jr., best known for playing Tony Stark's Iron Man, was revealed to have been recast as Doctor Doom at July's San Diego Comic-Con. Robert Downey Jr.'s confirmed return to the MCU as Doctor Doom has been divisive, but there's no doubt that he will deliver a remarkable interpretation of the villain.

Robert Downey Jr. has become one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood thanks to his previous role in the MCU, as he was almost written off prior to being cast in 2008's Iron Man. Since then, he has won an Academy Award for his role in Oppenheimer, and has stunned as four different characters in The Sympathizer, proving he has the perfect range to deliver Doctor Doom in the MCU after playing Tony Stark for over a decade. Phase 6's Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars promise to be monumental with Robert Downey Jr. debuting as Doctor Doom.