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Doctor Doom Could Make His MCU Debut Much Sooner Than You Think
Ironheart means the MCU could introduce its version of Doctor Doom much sooner than many viewers realize. Marvel Studios chose to build its version of magic on a pseudo-scientific foundation, basing it on concepts from quantum mechanics and string theory. This approach ultimately led to a delightful scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which Spider-Man used geometry against Doctor Strange, trapping the Master of the Mystic Arts in the Mirror Dimension.
It seems the Ironheart Disney+ TV series will continue to develop this theme. At D23 2022, Marvel confirmed the show will pit teenage scientist Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) against a villain named the Hood (played by Anthony Ramos). It's an unconventional clash, and apparently the focus lies on the battle between science and sorcery. It's reasonable to assume Riri Williams will be forced to figure out the principles of magic in the MCU if she is to defeat the Hood, which means this could be an important primer on just how magic works in the shared universe. The Ironheart footage shared at D23 suggests Ramos will initially be a mentor figure to Williams, one who turns bad in a story that perhaps parallels Tony Stark's experience with Obadiah Stane.
In terms of theme, Ironheart suggests Marvel Studios is building up towards the introduction of classic Marvel Comics villain Doctor Doom. The Disney+ TV series will pit science against sorcery, but in doing so it will presumably foreshadow the possibility of the two being united. In the comics, the supreme master of both fields is undoubtedly Doctor Doom; he is one of the world's foremost scientists, rivaled only by Mr. Fantastic of The Fantastic Four, but he also possesses enough magical talent to challenge Doctor Strange for the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. The MCU's approach to magic makes it easy to imagine how science and sorcery could be unified in this way.
Will Doctor Doom Be In Ironheart?
There have been consistent rumors Doctor Doom will appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, perhaps in a post-credits scene.This could then set up an appearance in Ironheart, although it's doubtful Doctor Doom would be a major villain. He'd be better saved for the upcoming Fantastic Four film, and he could well become a major player in the final chapter of the Multiverse Saga. All attention is on Kang the Conqueror as the main multiversal villain of this overarching story, but Avengers: Secret Wars is inspired by an epic comic book event that featured Doctor Doom instead. Marvel could well have some surprising twists ahead.
If the MCU's Doctor Doom is both a scientist and sorcerer, he may not have been taught at Kamar-Taj under the Sorcerer Supreme. The Masters of the Mystic Arts are now public knowledge in the MCU, and a genius like Doom could well intuit the rules of magic for himself. Meanwhile, Marvel's What If...? confirmed there are other places where secrets of magic can be learned, notably the Lost Library of Cagliostro. The wizard Cagliostro was Doctor Doom's mentor in the comics, so it's quite possible Doom will learn his mystical skills from that library instead of from Kamar-Taj. He could then synergize science and magic, fulfilling the thematic arc from Ironheart.
