Marvel's plans to finally introduce Doctor Doom into its cinematic universe appear to have been leaked, by none other than American radio host Howard Stern.
Speaking during a post-SiriusXM radio show meeting (as captured by Twitter user WashedUpTweeter(opens in a new tab)), Stern all but confirmed his involvement in an upcoming Doctor Doom project. However, it is unclear if Stern was specifically referring to a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project at the time.
Stern's microphone was accidentally left on during a commercial break — a term known as a hot mic in the broadcast industry — prompting the veteran TV and radio host to apparently leak details of an upcoming Marvel Studios production.
"They're going over today's schedule and it's going to suck," Stern can be heard saying, before co-host Robin Quivers asks, "Are you working this summer?"
"I told you I was going to do Doctor Doom," Sterns surprisingly replies. "That's the thing. But trust me, I'm fucking miserable about it... because I'm an idiot. That's what I did on America's Got Talent."
"Are you excited about this?" Quivers asks, before Stern replies, "Yeah, I called Robert Downey Jr. I asked him for acting techniques. Gary, do you have the number? Jon Favreau?
Unsurprisingly, Stern's Doctor Doom comments had hearts racing all over the internet. Several Marvel fans have taken to social media sites, including Reddit and Twitter, to offer their thoughts on Stern's apparent leak, with multiple fans stating that if Stern is even set to play Doom, he clearly wouldn't. (opens in a new tab) the right candidate (opens in a new tab) to do so. Meanwhile, others just enjoyed that Stern was able to mislead his listeners (opens in a new tab) in an attempt to send MCU fans and the media into a frenzy (opens in a new tab) about a potential movie or Doctor Doom program.
There are a number of possibilities as to what this Doctor Doom project could be related to (more on that in a bit). For now, though, we'd recommend skipping Stern's comments and just enjoying the fact that Doom is coming to the MCU soon. After all, Marvel is developing a Fantastic Four MCU movie - why wouldn't Doom appear in it?
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Analysis: It's time to meet you Doom(s)
As we suggested, there are many reasons why Stern says he will be part of a Doctor Doom project. The first would be the character's likely appearance in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four movie. But, as many MCU fans have said, Stern wouldn't fit in the latest live-action take on the supervillain, and we agree. We couldn't see Stern playing Victor von Doom in the MCU, especially if the iconic antagonist sticks around for several years.
So what are the other potential projects? We can think of some but, before commenting on them, we must say that for now we are only speculating. We don't have any inside knowledge on upcoming MCU productions, so please don't take any of the following as gospel.
One suggestion is that a Doctor Doom spin-off could be in the works. It's unlikely we'll get a Disney Plus movie or TV series that shows Victor von Doom's origins. But, given Doom's popularity as a villain in the comics, he would definitely be one of the few Marvel villains worthy of an origin story-style project. And, if Marvel develops such a project, Stern could appear in a supporting role, hence his comments about "doing Doctor Doom" this summer.
Another possibility is that Stern lends his vocal talents to voice Doctor Doom in What If...? TV series. However, it would be an odd move for Marvel to introduce Doom into his animated anthology show before making his live-action debut. All the characters that appeared in What If...? Season 1 had already been shown to the public as part of a live-action project, so viewers knew who these characters were. If Doom is established in the MCU via What If...? First, some general MCU fans may not know who he is, which could confuse some audience members. File this one as "very unlikely" right now.
Finally, and this seems like the most likely option, Stern could voice Doom (or act as narrator) for one of SiriusXM's Marvel podcasts. The radio station app is one of many homes for Marvel's in-house selection of original podcasts (opens in a new tab), like the studio's Wastelanders series, Women of Marvel show and more. So it's plausible that Stern would voice him in a Doctor Doom Wastelanders production. Since it's already employed by SiriusXM, this is the most logical solution in our opinion.
Whatever potential Doctor Doom project Stern might be involved with, we know that Doom is coming to the MCU. We've already seen a Doom Easter Egg appear in Doctor Strange 2 (via The Direct (Opens in new tab)), while various members of the MCU, including MyTimetoShineHello (Opens in new tab) and KC Walsh (opens in a new tab) – They have teased their imminent arrival. Hoping they are right.
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