Marvel boss Kevin Feige just can’t catch a break. If it isn’t Tom Holland spilling secrets or Mark Ruffalo live-streaming a movie, it’s Howard Stern thinking he’s off the air and talking about a Doctor Doom movie (or maybe a Disney+ show?) he’s a part of and how he reached out to Robert Downey Jr. for acting techniques. The popular radio host was talking to his cohost Robin Quivers, and while talking about his schedule for this project, you can hear him clearly say “Doctor Doom” and “Kevin Feige” before even name-dropping RDJ.
“Tell [Kevin Feige] it works, but they’re going over the schedule with me, and it’s going to suck … I’m going to do ‘Doctor Doom.’ I called Robert Downey Jr. and I was asking him acting techniques,” Stern says over the hot mic, and boy oh boy is this going to be a journey to figure out who he’s playing. Sure, in theory, we could have Howard Stern as Doctor Victor von Doom, but he’s just not really the type for it. I could see him being some other part in the film but I just don’t know what—maybe even himself?
Imagine calling up Robert Downey Jr. for acting advice? That must be nice.
Who is Doom?
Doctor Victor von Doom is a very popular villain for the Fantastic Four, who we already know are on their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Reed Richards’/Mr. Fantastic’s already making his debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Doom was originally someone they knew and could trust (at least in the 2005 movie), but Doom’s origins differ in the comics, and seeing how they’ll combine the history from the live-action world with that of the comic book telling of Victor von Doom is going to be interesting—but Howard Stern doesn’t really have the vibe of Victor.
I could be wrong, but then again, if you’re asking your friend for acting tips, I think this is less of a leading role and more like a featured player in the grand scheme of the film. Granted, we clearly don’t know what this movie is or who else is involved, since the leak came from inside the house, as they say. But still, we can theorize.
Doom has plenty of friends that Stern could be playing, like any of the ambassadors of Latveria or Android Man (who was created by the Mad Thinker). Or he could be Victor von Doom and surprise us yet. We just don’t know because we weren’t supposed to know that this movie is even happening. But that happy surprise maybe gives us a bit of an idea into what the future holds for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s “villains.”
Will we be getting more films centered on villains like Sony was doing with the Spider-Man characters? Or is this Doctor Doom movie just part of the larger Fantastic Four movie already on the docket for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? That, I think, we’ll have to wait for the Marvel panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con this year to find out. Until then, can we keep hot mics on Howard Stern so we can get a little bit more information? Please? I have so many questions.
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
