Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has a special place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given that the film is a farewell and tribute to Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa. After the actor’s passing, Ryan Coogler changed the script to focus on other characters and the Wakandan kingdom. The change also meant that new characters would be introduced in the film, shaping a new future for the story of Wakanda and Black Panther. The film brings us Namor and Ironheart, along with many more characters. But there were theories about one particular character of keen interest.
The fans believed that Wakanda Forever would feature Victor Von Doom aka Doctor Doom as a secret antagonist. Even the film’s logo, which had a metal shade in the title, was taken as a sign of Doom’s apparent reveal in the sequel. Though fans would have loved watching Doom enter the MCU, it was never going to be the case in this film.
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Talking to Phase Zero’s Brandon Davis, producer Nate Moore addressed the rumors about Doom and clarified that the character was not in consideration for Wakanda Forever. When Davis asked if there were ever plans to introduce Doom in the film, Moore said,
It wasn’t, to be quite honest, although I get why. He’s such a great character and the world of Latveria is so fantastic and Ryan is a fan. But once we decided Namor was the antagonist, that was always going to be the focus.
In the comics, Doom comes from Latveria and is the primary antagonist of the Fantastic Four team. Though not part of the plan, Doom could have been an excellent antagonist to Wakanda Forever. He is a scientific genius, and his intelligence rivals that of Shuri, Bruce Banner, or Tony Stark. There were rumors that the film’s post-credits sequence would have Doom discussing the tension between Wakanda and Talocan.
However, Phase Zero’s Aaron Perine was able to get Ryan Coogler to comment on the theories, and he denied it. He said,
In this movie? No. I try not to read too much. But yeah, no.
It’s Right to Focus on Namor in Wakanda Forever
Nate Moore stated that the team decided to focus on Namor, and no other antagonist was in question when the decision came to pass. And it was the right thing to do. Namor had been a long wish for Marvel executives, but there were early issues with the rights to use the character in a Marvel Studios production. Wakanda Forever features Namor as a mutant, a significant setup for something big in the MCU. He is an essential character in the comics and will be far more necessary for the planned future of the franchise.
Also, Doom is a crucial character himself. He is the primary villain of Secret Wars, a project that will end The Multiverse Saga. It would be better to introduce him in a proper debut, probably alongside Fantastic Four which is set to release in early 2025. We know that Victor von Doom already exists in the MCU, as it’s confirmed that Fantastic Four won’t be an origin story. This means Doom will probably share an established connection with other characters in the MCU from the start. How that will take shape is unknown, but it was the right call to leave him out of Wakanda Forever and make this film about Namor.
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