The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Summary
After 63 yr of establishedMarvelComics story , one possibility aboutThe Fantastic Fourchanges everything . Since the movie ’s announcement , barf determination for the first adaptation of the iconic team inthe MCU timelinehave steadily emerged . This began with the main cast , where a promotional image released on Valentine ’s Day unveiled whichactors would be portray The Fantastic Fourspecifically . Other actor have been linked to the labor since then , though not all of them have had their function bring out .
supposition over which characters the three role player with unrevealed roles will be portraying has been ramping up . The Fantastic Four ’s Story detailshave yet to emerge , so theories about the plot ofThe Fantastic Fourhave mostly derive from clue within official images . While there has been no official declaration as yet of his participation , many have presumed that Doctor Doom will make an show due to his close connection to the eponymous team . This leaveswho will be playing Doctor Doomup for rampant venture ; though late casting announcements have given raise to a peculiarly unorthodox theory .
Confirmed Cast For The Fantastic Four
character
Pedro Pascal
Mister Fantastic / Reed Richards
Custom image by Ollie Bradley
Vanessa Kirby
unseeable Woman / Susan Storm
Joseph Quinn
Custom image by Ollie Bradley
The Human Torch / Johnny Storm
Ebon Moss - Bachrach
The Thing / Ben Grimm
Julia Garner
Silver Surfer / Shalla - Bal
Ralph Ineson
Galactus
Paul Walter Hauser
Undisclosed
John Malkovich
Natasha Lyonne
Theory: Natasha Lyonne Is Playing A Gender-Flipped Doctor Doom
Natasha Lyonne has joined the lineup of confirm cast members ( viaDeadline ) though her persona continue a mystery . Of the three doer with unrevealed roles , onemay be portraying HERBIE , the robot picture in the promotional image . Still , the lack of a confirmed actor for Doctor Doom leaves that special door wide unresolved for any one of them - including Natasha Lyonne . As a char , this would flip the script substantially on established Marvel Comics lore , given Victor Von Doom has always been a piece .
intelligence that Julia Garner would be portray a female Silver Surfer was met with some pushback , as the role is traditionally body forth by the male Norrin Radd , but Shalla - Bal is a preexisting reference , not a sexuality - flipped Radd .
The theory has been float half - seriously , but it ’s not as if the MCU is beyond switch up base comic book conventions . The MCU has a trail platter of sexuality - trade characters , which adds to a litany of notablechanges the MCU has made from the comedian , including Kamala Khan ’s mutant powers and Namor ’s line of descent . Nevertheless , casting Natasha Lyonne as a distaff Doctor Doom would be one of the most drastic change that Marvel has made to comic script history , and would emphatically lead to some divisive reaction .
Gender - Swapped Characters in the MCU
The Ancient One
Mar - Vell
Ghost
Ajak
Sprite
Taskmaster
Flag - Smasher
Doctor Doom Hasn’t Been A Woman In All 63 Years Of The Character’s History
Victor Von Doom is one of Marvel ’s most well - plant type , making his Marvel Comics debut 63 old age ago in 1961 ’s " Fantastic Four " # 5 . Throughout that time , no distaff character has ever follow the drape of Doctor Doom in the primary persistence ( though it would be sham by Kristoff Vernard , Doom ’s named heritor , after Doom ’s death ) . This is despite other curtain like Thor being adopted by other role who happen to be distaff .
In Marvel Comics , Doom is a astray - contact baddie whose path has crossed with unnumerable characters . Most illustrious of these was his fourth dimension as God Emperor Doom , the ruler of the Battleworld on which the 2015 Secret Wars risible outpouring takes place . His central role in this storyline is part whyDoom ’s imminent MCU arrivalis expect , as he is very likely to take center microscope stage in 2027’sAvengers : Secret Wars . The reason Doctor Doom is expected to debut inThe Fantastic Four , meanwhile , is because he is inextricably connect to the team ’s origin .
All of Doctor Doom ’s Live - Action Appearances
Year
The Fantastic Four
1994
Fantastic Four
2005
Fantastic Four : rising of the Silver Surfer
2007
2015
This is whyall iterations of The Fantastic Four in lively - action have featured Victor Von Doomin central roles ( to decidedly mixed reception ) . In all three ofthe Fantastic Four ’s live - activeness origin stories , Doctor Doom has played the arch - scoundrel while his involvement in 2007’sFantastic Four : Rise of the Silver Surfermade him junior-grade to the titular reference and Galactus . While 2015’sFantastic Four , in finical , took ample creative shore leave in adapting the team into live - activeness , Doctor Doom has always been play by a man and is depicted as such .
The Marvel Cinematic Universe ’s forthcoming Fantastic Four film has the chance to get wind from the mistakes of the previous launching sport the team .
How Doctor Doom Being A Woman Would Change The Villain’s MCU Story
Doom attended New York State University with Reed Richards and Ben Grimm , which is also where he received the disfiguration that would take him to for good don his smoothing iron mask . His rivalry with Reed is root in their surpassing intelligence , with Doom ’s vast ego struggling to cope with the notion that Reed could mentally outperform him . The two would often come to blows verbally , but Reed Richards and Ben Grimm were also not beyond pulling caper on Doom to frustrate him .
This moral force would be falsify drastically if Doctor Doom was a charwoman . While Doom and Richards could still easily be rival , the machismo that appear to have motivated Doom to some degree in some iterations of his comic past would postulate to be tweaked , thus adjusting the specifics of their feud .
Additionally , Doctor Doom marries a variant of Reed Richards ' wife , fellow Fantastic Four member Sue Storm , in the 2015 storyline Secret Wars . While this is far from being untenable in the MCU , it would mean impose and explore an as - of - yet undiscovered sex on both characters shouldAvengers : Secret Warsdecide to recreate that particular aspect of the original tarradiddle reliably , thus equal another change werethe Avengers picture to adapt the 2015 iteration of the plotline .
All this is to say that Marvel would have to make some square variety to sure story beats in aid of limn a female Doctor Doom . This might overcomplicate things for the studio apartment while hazard the wrath of comic book aficionados in the process . Previouslygender - swop characters in the MCUaren’t nearly as central as Doom , which allow plentifulness of way for the MCU to switch up their stories . Gender - switch Doom , meanwhile , is equivalent to gender - swapping Iron Man in terms of its implications , and the other adjustments that would need to be made going forwards .
Is Natasha Lyonne Really Playing Doctor Doom?
With that in mind , Natasha Lyonne being cast as Doctor Doom is unlikely . In fact , the same can be tell of all three actors in thus far unrevealed persona inThe Fantastic Four . As it stands , Paul Walter Hauser is most popularly theorize to be depict Mole Man , while John Malkovich is considered too old to present Doctor Doom and is , therefore , more potential to be playing someone like Puppet Master . If both theories come to fruition , then the moving picture will be pretty stuffed with villains , which lends credence to the most popular theory surrounding Lyonne ’s role .
Instead , Natasha Lyonne is likely set to play Alicia Masters , the blind girlfriend of Ben Grimm . The as - of - yet uncast role is key toThe Fantastic Four ’s tale , and also lines up absolutely with the comportment of the Silver Surfer and Galactus , as Masters was responsible for convert the Surfer to rally against Galactus . Coincidentally , this would be the second time that Lyonne has portrayed a blind woman in a superhero movie , as she also act Sommerfield inBlade : Trinity .
Another alternative , of course , is the voice of HERBIE . Lyonne is a past master at voice playing roles , with her most late gig seeing her voice several characters inThe Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy , but she has also worked onThe Simpsons , Stephen Universe , andSuper Pets . Why Marvel would be keep a palpebra on this role remains to be seen - as it does evoke the reveal might bollix up certain plot of ground points - but until further details onThe Fantastic Fourare reveal , audience can only chew over .
Cast
The Fantastic Four : First Steps depict Marvel ’s First Family navigating their roles as heroes amidst a 1960s - inspired , retro - futuristic world . As they fight down Earth from Galactus and the oracular Silver Surfer , they must also continue the strength of their family alliance .
coming MCU motion picture
Release Date
Deadpool & Wolverine
July 26 , 2024
Captain America : Brave New World
February 14 , 2025
bolt *
May 5 , 2025
July 25 , 2025
Blade
November 7 , 2025
Avengers 5
May 1 , 2026
Avengers : private Wars
May 7 , 2027
