Cillian Murphy, the mesmerizing actor with blue eyes and sharp looks, has been all the rage this year. He rose to prominence after his highly acclaimed role as Thomas Shelby in the hit film Peaky Blinders. This year, he received a lot of praise and appreciation for his part in the record-breaking Oppenheimer. Earlier this year, in July, Cillian Murphy revealed if he would play Dr. Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
Will Cillian Murphy play Dr. Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Cillian Murphy, star of Oppenheimer, has formally replied to fan casting of him as Fantastic Four villain Dr. Doom, giving Marvel Studios the authority to cast him if they so desire. Murphy previously played Scarecrow in all three of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films, cementing his reputation as a talisman for the acclaimed director. Given his reputation, Fantastic Four fans have frequently fancast him to appear in the MCU as a different type of villain: the Machiavellian monster Victor Von Doom.
In a July interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Murphy was questioned about the idea of playing Dr. Doom, and he said that he would be happy to read a script if one was provided to him:
The Oppenheimer star said, “I mean, I’m always… Everything revolves around the script. So I’ll read… I’ll read any scripts that are sent to me. And you never know what you’ll find… That’s what I enjoy most about my job. I had no idea Chris [Nolan] would call me [in 2021] with [Oppenheimer]. You know, it just happens, and that’s the beauty of this profession; it’s so unpredictable and wild.”
So it appears that Marvel Studios knows precisely what they need to do if they want to offer fans what they want with Cillian Murphy playing Dr. Doom in the yet-to-be-cast Fantastic Four film. If you nail the story and get it in front of Murphy, there’s a chance that one of the greatest actors of our time will join the MCU.
Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe taking a shift from Kang the Conqueror?
The latest speculations suggest that Avengers: Secret Wars may replace Kang the Conqueror with Doctor Doom, but this would be a huge mistake. Secret Wars is currently scheduled to be released in 2027 as the conclusion to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga. Until recently, it was expected that Kang the Conqueror and his various multiversal forms, as depicted by Jonathan Majors, would serve as the Saga’s principal enemies. However, new rumors suggest that this may not be the case.
Kevin Feige announced in 2022 that Marvel had great plans for Kang the Conqueror, positioning him as the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. Kang’s narrative would culminate in his epic battle against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, as a result of the recent controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors, who has played every Kang variety in the MCU thus far, these plans have become significantly less firm. The facts surrounding the actor’s legal difficulties are intricate, and while he has many fans, he faces conviction in his future court case.
While Marvel Studios and Disney have not publicly backed or condemned the actor, it appears highly doubtful that they will continue to cooperate with him if he loses his impending court case. In this case, the MCU may be reconsidering its original plans for the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. Some speculate that the MCU may replace Kang with Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four’s archnemesis.
These speculations are based on unsubstantiated sources claiming to have intimate information about Marvel’s Secret Wars intentions. While these stories are frequently incorrect, they have been proven true on occasion in the past. Theories also point to Doom’s pivotal involvement in Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars comic book event, which inspired the film.
It would be relatively simple for Secret Wars to replace God Emperor Doom with an ultra-powerful Kang variation, resulting in a more true translation of the iconic comic. The MCU may even turn Doom into a Kang version, linking his story into the Multiverse Saga. As fantastic as these stories are, there is a significant issue with having Doctor Doom as the main nemesis in Avengers: Secret Wars.
