- Matt Shakman has said if Dr. Doom was ever to be The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘Main villain
- Robert Downey JR will play the iconic adversary of the group in 2026 Avengers: Doomsday movie
- Galactus was chosen to be First steps‘Main antagonist
The Fantastic Four: First Steps The director has explained why Galactus and not Doctor Doom is the big bad of the film, and has nothing to do with Avengers: Doomsday.
Chatting with Techradar, Matt Shakman described two main reasons to choose the immortal and devours the god of space over the most famous villain of the fantastic four for his last restart of the big screen. Interestingly, Marvel’s revised plan for the Multivere saga, which saw Robert Downey Jr back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to portray Victor Von Doom in the next two Avengers films, was not one of them.
“We do not consider making the villain fatality,” said the filmmaker of the film Marvel. “Mainly, because it has been the villain of any other fantastic film. [and] These four characters [over him].
“Obviously, I chose a very large villain, literally,” Shakman continued. “But, Galactus is also the second most famous villain of the fantastic four, so it made sense to bring it. We considered many other potential villains along the way, but finally we decided on Galactus and I am glad to have done it.”
It is fascinating to know that Doom was never discussed as the main enemy of the Marvel film Phase 6.
Initially announced in July 2019, First steps Prior to Marvel’s Pivot away from Kang the Conqueror, the first bad guy in the Multiverse saga, Dr. Doom for five years. In fact, Downey JR was not announced as Latinia’s most famous son to San Diego Comic-Con de 2024, with confirmed Doom that will replace Kang after the layoffs of Jonathan Majors by Marvel following numerous accusations of assault against him.
The same intrigue is that Shakman was not Marvel’s first option to be the director of one of the new most anticipated films of 2025.
Originally, Jon Watts, who directed the first Spider-Man film trilogy in the MCU, was used to direct in December 2020. However, Watts retired in April 2022 and, despite a strange rumor that the legendary filmmaker Stephen Spielberg had been replaced by replacing Watts, it was Shakman who addressed the project in August in August. It is possible, then, that Doom could have been discussed as the main antagonist of the last film adventure of the fantastic four before Shakman’s hiring.
Regardless, as has done in everything First steps‘Press Tour, Shakman refused to comment on the perspective that Downey JR’s fatality appears in the last MCU of 2025. With Marvel’s first family taking his first steps in the MCU this Friday (July 25), we do not have much time to wait until we have a definitive answer.
Meanwhile, get the low point in the movie through my final guide in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Besides, look at me Avengers: Doomsday Hub for the last and most important news about that movie. Then, keep reading to obtain a more exclusive coverage of First steps.