As Dr. Doom prepares to become the major threat in the MCU, Thanos could return in Avengers 5 et 6 to confront it. And it’s not as stupid as it sounds.
From Avengers : EndgameThanos left an indelible mark on the MCU as the ultimate nemesis, combining colossal power and morbid ideology. Since his disappearance, the Marvel cinematic universe has had a hard time regaining the intensity and fervor caused by the Avengers’ confrontation against the Amethyst Giant.
The attempt to make Kang the big bad of the MCU quickly came to an end, and that’s not a bad thing, considering that the abandoned scenario of Kang Dynasty really looked shaky as hell. While phase 5 of the MCU is still floundering, phase 6 has already been announced, with a new threat: Doctor Doom, who will be played by Robert Downey Jr.
This character, often considered one of Marvel’s most iconic antagonists, combines scientific genius, mystical mastery and excessive ambitions, all packaged in a big dose of sociopathy. Faced with such a figure, the Avengers may not be enough. Marvel Studios could then consider bringing back Thanos to balance the forces and offer Dr. Doom a worthy challenge.
Temple of Doom
On paper, the idea might seem stupid: how could Dr. Doom, a mere mortal, face a Titan such as Thanos, a quasi-god? In fact, Dr. Viktor von Doom is endowed with unimaginable magical power: his mastery of the occult arts is equal to, or even greater than, that of Dr. Strange. In some comics, he is even capable of summoning demonic hordes.
Intellectually, he is often compared to Tony Stark and Reed Richards of Fantastic Four, and is considered one of the most brilliant minds to ever live. These two parameters put side by side make him a formidable adversary, especially since he has no consideration for others, and is ready to sacrifice everyone and anyone to achieve his ends.
In Marvel comics, Dr. Doom has often defeated the Avengers and other groups of heroes, sometimes without having to exert any real effort. He even managed to destroy Galactus, the destroyer of the world. So how could the Avengers of the MCU measure up? Just the title Avengers : Doomsday sounds like a pure and simple death.
Avengers and Thanos: I love you, me neither
The solution in the form of a sleight of hand seems obvious: it would be necessary to bring back a being as powerful as a God, and Thanos is the ideal candidate. There are many story arcs in Marvel comics owhere the Titan changes sides and comes to the aid of the heroes, whether they are the Avengers or the Guardians of the Galaxy.
In Avengers Mech Strike for example, Thanos joins the Avengers in order to help them defeat Kang the Conqueror. Likewise, in the sagas Thanos Imperative et AnnihilatorsThanos is brought back from the dead to help Star-Lord and his clique to fight against a threat called the “Cancerverse”, entities who wish to remove death from all universes (turning them into Lovecraftian clusters of lives teeming).
The return of Thanos seems all the more obvious as in the comics Secret WarsDr. Doom is confronted by Thanos. In this story arc, Dr. Doom is presented as unstoppable after absorbing the powers of the Beyonder, a cosmic entity capable of manipulating reality, space and time. However, the continuation ofAvengers : Doomsday at the cinema will be called… Avengers : Secret Wars. QED.
That said, the confrontation is short, and to the disadvantage of Thanos, who is dispatched to the fathers by Doom in fewer squares than it takes to say “infinity stones”. However, it is obvious that if Thanos returned in Avengers : Doomsdayit would not be to make up the figure. It could even be that his return could be announced at the end of the film, in order to create a huge cliffhanger, hinting at a clash between these two icons in Avengers : Secret Wars.
Leave Thanos Alone
Behind this potential duel, a long-considered strategy from Marvel Studios could be hidden. The return of a character as iconic as Thanos would guarantee renewed public interest. What’s more, putting Dr. Doom face to face with Thanos, and showing that they are, at a minimum, on an even playing field, would immediately position Doom as a credible threat.
However, the hypothesis of Thanos’ return raises a question: how to justify such a return after the definitive conclusion of Endgame ? A resurrection could lessen the dramatic impact of his death, but exploitation of the Multiverse offers a rather practical solution. A Thanos from another dimension, with different motivations, could arrive without erasing what the Purple Titan of our universe has accomplished.
The difficulty for Marvel will be to quickly establish Dr. Doom as a threat capable of standing up to a Titan. We suspect that during his first appearance in Phase 6 of the MCU, probably during the film Fantastic Fourhe will not be the almost omnipotent villain of the comics. But a theory could justify an immense, very rapid power gain : Galactus will be the antagonist of the Fantastic Four, and Doom could absorb his powers, thus becoming the equivalent of a god.
To find out if Marvel is going to attempt the ultimate bluff by bringing Thanos back to the side of the good heroes, we will have to wait until 2026. The release date ofAvengers : Doomsday is scheduled for April 29, 2026 in French cinemas. As for Avengers : Secret Warsits release is scheduled for May 5, 2027.
