Doctor Doom, the most iconic antagonist in Marvel, has a gripping backstory written with grief and tragedy, giving him an intrinsic personality, making him more than a villain trying to rule the world. Doctor Doom is not your regular villain, as he stirs up fear in his enemies just from his intimidating presence. With an intelligence rivalled by few and a mastery over science and magic giving him brute force, and a never-ending hunger for power and authority makes him a considerable foe.
Ever since Disney acquired Fox Studios, regaining the rights of numerous characters in the process. And fans are excited because the upcoming Marvel projects, that is, Fantastic Four and Avengers: Secret Wars would feature one of the most daunting and renowned villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Victor Doom is soon going to make his Marvel debut and he has the potential to become one of the main characters of the MCU. Below are the 10 actors who could play the role of The Ruler of Latveria.
1) Ben Mendelsohn
Ben Mendelsohn has played the role of a villain in several high-profile movies in just a few years. From the role of Nolan Sorrento in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One to playing the role of Orson Krennic in the Star Wars Universe, where he played a crucial ally of Darth Vader. He has also played the role of Talos in Captain Marvel. Needless to say, he has shined as a tragic villain and also played a few flawed heroes as well.
This is where the idea of Doctor Doom comes in, as he has a never-ending hunger for power and supremacy, but beneath the mask is a sad soul with a tragic backstory and the constant pursuit of perfection. And he ardently believes, that though he is flawed, he is the greatest superhero of all time.
2) Luke Evans
The sixth installment of Fast & Furious introduced Luke Evans as Owen Shaw to fans of the franchise. In the film, Evans showcased that he can nail the role as he perfectly balanced the level of menace and calculated evil. The actor has also played the role of the greatest literary villain of all time, Vlad the Impaler in Dracula Untold.
Hence, playing so many villainous roles in his career makes Luke Evans a great choice to play the role of Doctor Doom in the MCU, and his portrayal of the character would get the fans excited as the previous two portrayals were not convincing to them.
3) Rami Malek
Rami Malek is one of the hottest actors in the movie industry right now, he gave a short yet powerful performance in Nolan’s Oppenheimer as David L. Hill. And how can we forget his Academy Winning performance as Freddie Mercury, in Bohemian Rhapsody? However, Malek has shown his versatility by working in different genres of films, and he was committed to authentically playing his role.
As he was outstanding when he played the villain in No Time to Die. Hence, being popular among the fans, and his youth would make him a great choice for the film and he can reprise the role of Doctor Doom for the next decade.
4) Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has played the role of Jaime Lannister in the renowned TV Series Game of Thrones. In the eight seasons of the show, the actor has played the despicable villain with such grace that he turned the villain into one of the most loved characters from the series.
Doctor Doom is a ruthless and complicated character but even he follows a strong code of honor. Since Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has played such characters before in his career, he can portray the role with ease, and he can make a defining move in his career by joining Marvel as The Metal Monarch.
5) Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito needs no introduction as he is a fan-favorite actor who can play the villain with ease. Fans learned about it when he played the role of Gustavo Fring in the popular TV Series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He, even captivated the Star Wars fandom, when he played the role of Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. And he has played the role of Stan Edgar, the Head of Vought, where he manipulated powerful men to stay on top.
The actor had expressed his interest in taking on the role of Professor Xavier in the past. While he can excel in that role as well, Doctor Doom would add one more villain to his already successful resume.
6) Christopher Waltz
Compared to the other actors mentioned in the list, no one has the same charisma and charm as Christopher Waltz. Throughout his long and successful career, he has played numerous villainous roles and all of them have a common trait, they all possess exceptional intelligence and layered personalities. Something which Doctor Doom possesses as well.
While not all of Waltz’s movies were a massive hit at the box office, he bewitched the audience with his charismatic and authentic performance. If Waltz would play the role of Doctor Doom, he would showcase charismatic allure with a menacing presence.
7) Jon Hamm
Another charismatic actor who could shine in the role of Doctor Doom, standing tall at 6 ft 1 with broad shoulders and a recognizable voice, Jon Hamm seems to be perfect for the role. In his career, he has consistently showcased his talent and range as an actor, mostly playing villain roles.
But his performance as Don Draper in Mad Men was loved by the audience, where he played a smooth but morally compromised person, qualities that are also present in Doctor Doom. Ironically, he never receives the deserving praise from critics and audiences, but it can all change if he joins Marvel as a supervillain.
8) Ethan Peck
Ethan Peck is the grandson of the legendary actor, Gregory Peck. Peck plays the role of Spock in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds which he has been reprising from Star Trek: Discovery. However, it is time for the young actor to make a switch from an iconic hero to an iconic villain, and Doctor Doom seems to be the perfect role for it.
Ethan Peck is 6 ft 1, and he would look intimidating when he wears the Doom suit. But most importantly Peck has a piercing gaze a striking feature of Doctor Doom to make his enemies shiver in fear. Moreover, he has a distinct voice, something that would make him unique from the previous portrayal of the character.
9) Henry Cavill
Henry “The King of Nerds” Cavill is not having the time of his life as he lost the role of Superman in James Gunn’s DCU, and he had to also part way from Netflix’s The Witcher. While this is disappointing for the fans of Cavill, this might be the perfect opportunity for Marvel to convince him to join them.
While Henry Cavill has mostly played the role of the optimistic Superman, his portrayal was always on the darker side. Moreover, he has shined in villainous roles, as we saw in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Though he is known as a hero, maybe it’s time to switch things for the actor. And he can be the one who can go from an iconic hero to an iconic villain.
10) Dan Stevens
Dan Stevens is one of the busiest actors of this generation, as he tends to work in multiple films all at once. But working in several movies at once has never posed him problem as his range is his greatest advantage. Usually, actors tend to work on films that are of the same genre, but not Stevens.
Each of his performances is unique and authentic. Stevens showcases chameleon-like acting skills effortlessly switching from protagonist to antagonist and his versatility to play the given roles authentically is what makes him a great choice to play Doctor Doom.
