Summary
Two newMarvel Cinematic Universevillains have been unveiled, both of whom have the power to defeat Thanos. After Thanos' defeat inAvengers: Endgame, the attention of many turned to thelist of upcoming Marvel movies. Audiences were searching for who the next Avengers-level threat would be, with the leading candidate seemingly beingJonathan Majors as the MCU’s Kang the Conqueror. However, Majors' firing from Marvel Studios after his assault charge saw plans switch as Marvel pivoted away from Kang as the primary villain of the Multiverse Saga.
Rumors of these changes have been circling the MCU for a while, with the majormovie and TV reveals of San Diego Comic-Con 2024finally confirming them as concrete facts. What wasAvengers: The Kang Dynastybecame simplyAvengers 5as the movie’s titlechanged before the new subtitle was announced at SDCC 2024. This title change confirmed the appearance of one major Marvel Comics villain in the MCU going forward, while another powerful antagonist was teased during Marvel’s Hall H panel as part of another 2025 movie.
Marvel Confirmed Galactus & Doctor Doom Are Joining The MCU
The Two Major Marvel Villains Will Debut In The Next Few Years
The next major villains in the MCU have been confirmed as Galactus and Doctor Doom, played by Ralph Ineson and Robert Downey Jr. respectively. Beginning with the latter, Doom’s inclusion in the MCU came as a massive surprise. As alluded to, many were aware from various reports and rumors thatAvengers 5would pivot away from the previous Kang-oriented plot in favor of a new villain. Although Doctor Doom was one of the more common theories for Kang’s replacement, there were not many who expected him to be played by Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr.
Since this announcement, theories have run rampant about howDowney Jr. could return as Doom, with the actor appearing on stage at SDCC 2024 alongside returning directors, the Russo Brothers. Downey Jr. will portray Victor von Doom in two movies,Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, set for release in May 2026 and May 2027 respectively. Where Galactus is concerned, the villain has been reported as the primary antagonist of 2025’sThe Fantastic Four,now with the subtitleFirst Steps.The first look at Galactus was shown to those in attendance at Hall H, confirming the next two major MCU villains.
The Fantastic Four’s New Movie Title Explained: First Steps Meaning
The newly announced title for the Fantastic Four movie holds a much deeper meaning that could point to the movie’s premise and role in the MCU.
Doctor Doom Is Officially Marvel’s Kang Replacement
Kang The Conqueror’s MCU Journey Is Over
With Downey Jr. being confirmed as the MCU’s Doctor Doom inAvengers 5andAvengers 6, the character is cemented as Kang the Conqueror’s official replacement. In 2022, two newAvengersmovies were announced:The Kang DynastyandSecret Wars. The latter was always expected to include Doctor Doom to an extent, considering the character’s vital role in both Marvel Comics stories of the same name. As evidenced by the original title, though,Avengers 5was set to focus on the titular team facing off against Kang the Conqueror.
In light of the issues surrounding Jonathan Majors,Avengers 5will instead be retooled to center around Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Now titledAvengers: Doomsday, the film will see Doom face off against the Avengers, likely leading to his victory and the establishment of Battleworld forAvengers: Secret Wars. How Doom will be set up as Kang’s replacement remains to be seen, especially considering the latter was teased extensively inLokiseason 1,Lokiseason 2, andAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Regardless of how it is handled, it is now confirmed that Doom will replace Kang inAvengers 5.
Marvel Is Finally Addressing A Major MCU Villain Concern
Doom & Galactus Are Incredibly Powerful Marvel Villains
While there will undoubtedly be many disappointed that Kang the Conqueror’s story will not be continued in the MCU after years of foreshadowing, Doom and Galactus being introduced in his stead fixes a common complaint. SinceAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,an issue many had with Kang’s character was that he was depicted as too weak.Ant-Man 3explained to the audience how Kang has killed variants of the Avengers from across the multiverse, including powerful members like Iron Man and even Thor.
Despite Kang’s defeat making sense within the context of the film’s story, many saw this as anticlimactic and not befitting of the next Avengers-level threat…
However, by the end of the film, Scott and his army of ants managed to defeat Kang. Despite Kang’s defeat making sense within the context of the film’s story, many saw this as anticlimactic and not befitting of the next Avengers-level threat in the MCU. With Doom and Galactus though, these power criticisms will not be found. Galactus is known as the Devourer of Worlds, a cosmic entity that feeds on entire planets and is thus one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel universe.
Galactus will debut in the MCU when The Fantastic Four: First Steps is released on July 04, 2025.
For this alone, Galactus' power should outmatch that of Kang the Conqueror’s on a base level. Concerning Doom, his power also makes him one of the strongest villains in Marvel Comics. Doom has a variety of attributes, from his genius-level intellect to his mastery of magic and excessive wealth. This is accentuated by his ruthlessly tactical mind, all of which combine to make him a formidable threat to the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the X-Men. In theSecret Warscomics, Doom’s power is second to none.By introducing two powerful villains, the MCU has given audiences more interesting antagonists than Kang.
Will Marvel Bring Back Thanos To Fight Doctor Doom?
Since Doom was confirmed as the villain of the next twoAvengersmovies, the possibility of him facing off against Thanos has been raised. In the 2015Secret Warsrun from Marvel Comics, Thanos managed to fight his way through Doom’s forces and confront the new leader of Battleworld. Thanos detested Doom’s new power and tried to force the villain to submit to his will. However, Doom simply reached out, bolstered by the power of the Beyonders, and pulled Thanos' skeleton out of his body.
With Doom now being the focal point ofAvengers 5and6, this moment could play out in the MCU. It would make sense for Marvel Studios to truly highlight Doom’s power by having him easily dispatch the previous biggest villain in the franchise. This is made more likely by the fact that Thanos has appeared in a few multiversal Marvel projects in recent years. As such,Thanos could be brought back as someone who goes up against Doom as the latter gains power before being killed with minimal effort.
After killing Kang and the previous MCU villain Thanos, Doom could solidify himself as the biggest antagonist in superhero cinema history…
Similarly, Doom could face off against the Council of Kangs in the upcomingAvengersmovies. The Council of Kangs was teased as the primary source of villainy for the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, which will now not be the case. Therefore,Avengers: Doomsdaycould begin with the titular villain appearing before the Council of Kangs, killing every last one to become the primary threat to the multiverse. After killing Kang and the previousMCUvillain Thanos, Doom could solidify himself as the biggest antagonist in superhero cinema history.
