Marvel's plans to finally introduce Doctor Doom to its cinematic universe appear to have been leaked – by none other than US radio host Howard Stern.
Speaking during a post-show meeting for his SiriusXM radio show (as caught by Twitter user WashedUpTweeter), Stern all-but-confirmed his involvement in an upcoming Doctor Doom project. It's unclear, though, if Stern was specifically referencing a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project at the time.
Stern's mic was accidentally left on during an ad break – a term known as a hot mic in the broadcasting industry – which led to the veteran radio and TV host seemingly spilling the details on a forthcoming Marvel Studios production.
"They're going over the schedule today and it's going to suck," Stern can be heard saying, before co-host Robin Quivers asks him "Are you working this summer?"
"I told you I'm gonna do Doctor Doom," Sterns surprisingly replies. "That's the thing. But, believe me, I'm f*****g miserable about it... because I'm an a*****e. That's what I did on America's Got Talent."
"Are you excited about it?" Quivers inquires, before Stern responds: "Yeah, I called Robert Downey Jr. [and] I was asking him acting techniques. Gary [Dell'Abate, radio producer], do you have the number for [Iron Man director] Jon Favreau?"
Unsurprisingly, Stern's Doctor Doom comments have set pulses racing on the internet. Multiple Marvel fans have taken to social media sites, including Reddit and Twitter, to offer their opinion on Stern's apparent leak, with a number of fans stating that – if Stern is set to play Doom himself – he clearly wouldn't be the right candidate to do so. Meanwhile, others simply enjoyed the fact that Stern may be trolling his listeners in a bid to whip MCU fans and the media into a frenzy over a potential Doctor Doom film or show.
There are a number of possibilities about what this Doctor Doom project could relate to (more on these in a bit). For now, though, we'd advise you not to read too much into Stern's comments and simply bask in the fact that Doom will be coming to the MCU soon. After all, Marvel is developing a Fantastic Four MCU movie – why wouldn't Doom make an appearance in that?
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Analysis: Time to meet you Doom(s)
As we suggested, there are numerous reasons why Stern claims he'll be part of a Doctor Doom project. The first would be the character's likely appearance in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four flick. But, as many MCU fans have said, Stern wouldn't be the right fit for the supervillain's latest live-action interpretation – and we agree. We couldn't see Stern portraying Victor von Doom in the MCU, especially if the iconic antagonist sticks around for a number of years.
So, what are the other potential projects? There are a few we can think of but, before we discuss them, we should say we're merely speculating from this point on. We have no insider knowledge on forthcoming MCU productions, so don't take anything below as gospel.
One suggestion is that a Doctor Doom spin-off may be in the works. It's unlikely that we'd get a film or Disney Plus TV series charting the origins of Victor von Doom. But, given how popular Doom is as a villain in the comics, he'd certainly be one of the few Marvel villains deserving of an origin story-style project. And, if Marvel is developing such a project, Stern could simply appear in a supporting role – hence his comments on "doing Doctor Doom" sometime this summer.
Another possibility is Stern lending his vocal talents to voice Doctor Doom in Marvel's What If...? TV series. It would be a strange move, though, for Marvel to introduce Doom in its animated anthology show before he makes his live-action debut. Every character who appeared in What If...? season 1 had already been introduced to audiences in a live-action project first, so viewers knew who these characters were. If Doom is established in the MCU via What If...? first, some general MCU fans may not know who he is, which could lead to confusion among some audience members. File this one under 'very unlikely' for now.
Finally, and this seems like the most likely option, Stern might voice Doom (or act as a narrator) for one of SiriusXM's Marvel podcasts. The radio station's app is one of multiple homes for Marvel's in-house selection of original podcasts, such as the studio's Wastelanders series, Women of Marvel program, and more. It's plausible, then, that Stern will lend his voice to a Doctor Doom Wastelanders production. Given he's already employed by SiriusXM, this is the most logical fit in our view.
Regardless of what potential Doctor Doom project Stern may be involved in, we know Doom is coming to the MCU. We've already seen a Doom Easter egg appear in Doctor Strange 2 (via The Direct), while multiple MCU insiders – including MyTimetoShineHello and KC Walsh – have teased his impending arrival. Here's hoping they're right.
