Way back when, when Doctor Doom was still a property Disney had no say over, Noah Hawley scripted a highly-anticipated narrative for the iconic villain. Noah Hawley, the man behind Fargo, Legion, Lucy in the Sky, etc. reportedly met with Kevin Feige to discuss the project prior to Disney’s takeover of Fox.
Viggo Mortensen | Photo by Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic
While many fans believed Hawley would remain the creative force behind the project, the Disney/Fox merger catalyzed a little chaos. And, long story short, the original project has virtually been scrapped, according to We Got This Covered. Kevin Feige, alongside his multiple henchman, are now reportedly coming up with their own take for introducing the character to the MCU, which brings us to casting.
Given that Marvel can now play with the Fantastic Four, and various other characters previously deemed untouchable, it should come as no surprise that Doctor Doom’s introduction may be imminent; he is one of the fiercest villains in the Marvel landscape, and directly tied to the Fantastic Four.
Doom could be the media conglomerate’s next Thanos; he or Galactus will most likely fill those gigantic shoes (literally and metaphorically). So, who’s the man up to the task? According to We Got This Covered, Marvel’s got a wishlist going for Doom, and it includes a few big names.
Who will play Doctor Doom in the MCU?
Hugh Jackman, Viggo Mortensen, and Michael Fassbender have all surfaced as possibilities for Doom, according to We Got This Covered. Let’s go through each of the various possibilities, as well as how each actor entered the running, to explain why Mortensen may be most likely to take the role.
According to We Got This Covered, the MCU has wanted Hugh Jackman to reprise his role as Wolverine, but the chances of such a pipedream turning into reality remain scarce. Thus, the studio has been led to consider the A-lister for a different Marvel character — Doctor Doom. The source was able to confirm that Marvel wants to work with Jackman, yet is unsure whether a discussion concerning Doom has been presented to the actor, or has remained within the studio’s four walls.
Michael Fassbender, over the last few years, has grown intimately tied to the younger version of Magneto; would he be interested in trading in one fancy helmet for another? A week ago, We Got This Covered implied that the actor was being eyed for Doom, virtually as a back-up for Jackman. The apparent mentality: if Wolverine says no, Magneto will have to do.
Most recently, We Got This Covered has stated that Viggo Mortensen from Lord of the Rings is now in the running. Citing the Lord of the Long Box Youtube Channel, We Got This Covered informed readers that Mortensen has entered the studio’s radar; while such a move only adds to the ever-growing wishlist, it may also wind up being the most tactical choice on the studio’s behalf.
Marvel likely came to the realization that both Jackman and Fassbender are intimately tied to X-Men characters, which may be a little too close for comfort. Seeing Fassbender or Jackman in an MCU role, other than the ones they have played, may not sit well with fans, and could take people out of the movie.
Mortensen looks the part, and has a decent amount of star-power; he could carry the role, without bringing too much previous cinematic baggage to it. Not to mention, why start discussing a third actor, if you felt completely confident with your first pick and his supposed back-up?