Fantastic Four First Steps Post-Credits Is a Panel-Perfect Doctor Doom Callback

Marvel finally put Victor von Doom on the board. And yes, the guy under the mask this time is Robert Downey Jr. Let that sink in: the MCU is swapping Tony Stark for the sorcerer-scientist who makes everyone miserable. The setup comes via Fantastic Four: First Steps, which does more than just introduce Marvel's first family - it tees up a seriously loaded endgame.

So... RDJ is Doom now

Marvel Studios has Downey Jr. set to play Doctor Doom in a future Avengers movie. It tracks: Doom is equal parts cutting-edge tech and black magic, which is basically Stark if you replace quips with monarch-level menace. The first glimpse came in a post-credit stinger that does not play coy about where things are heading.

The 'First Steps' post-credit scene

First, the movie itself: Fantastic Four: First Steps finally drops the FF into the MCU and even gives a first look at Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson. Midway through, the film brings in Franklin Richards - the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Reed is Pedro Pascal, Sue is Vanessa Kirby. The button shows a rattled Sue watching two terrifyingly powerful figures face each other: her kid and Doctor Doom.

The moment is staged like a conversation with way more going on under the surface. And if you felt like you had seen it before, you kind of have.

'You wield the power of creation itself, boy... yet you still fear me. That is why I am Doom.'

Inside Fandom posted side-by-side frames on X on October 22, 2025: one from the post-credit scene, one from Jonathan Hickman's Fantastic Four run (he wrote the book from 2009 to 2012). It is a very deliberate echo - Doom prodding Franklin, Franklin not falling for the act. It is the kind of deep-cut comic nod that usually means Marvel has a specific target in mind.

Why that comparison matters

If Marvel is lifting that dynamic, the road to Avengers: Secret Wars - the sixth Avengers movie - looks a lot more obvious. The franchise is also barreling toward Avengers: Doomsday before that. Doom poking at Franklin is not just villain banter; it is setup for a power chess match where one wrong move breaks reality.

Franklin Richards is not just a kid

In the comics, Franklin is routinely billed as the most powerful being around. His abilities run wild: reality warping, cosmic-level telekinesis and telepathy, energy manipulation - he even created a pocket universe. If Doom siphons off even a fraction of that, you are looking at a villain who is basically untouchable.

Doom has done this kind of thing before

If you need receipts, go back to 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Julian McMahon's Doom tries to cozy up to the Surfer, but really he is tagging the guy to track his power signature. He also plays nice with the US military just long enough to hijack cosmic energy. Translation: manipulation, trickery, and a contingency for every contingency. Expect that mindset when he circles Franklin again.

Where this could be heading

Between the Galactus reveal and Doom making contact with Franklin, Marvel is clearly setting Doom up as the connective tissue for the next crossover era. Do not be shocked if Franklin winds up as leverage, a target, or an unwilling piece of Doom's master plan - the backup plan for the backup plan that carries us into Avengers: Doomsday and on to Secret Wars.

The Fantastic Four track record, at a glance

• Fantastic Four (2005) - IMDb: 5.7/10, Tomatometer: 28%, Popcornmeter: 45%
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) - IMDb: 5.6/10, Tomatometer: 38%, Popcornmeter: 51%
• Fantastic Four (2015) - IMDb: 4.3/10, Tomatometer: 9%, Popcornmeter: 18%
• Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) - IMDb: 7/10, Tomatometer: 86%, Popcornmeter: 91%

Release note

Fantastic Four: First Steps hits Disney+ on November 5.