Marvel Studios finally introduced Doctor Doom to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the end of 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but huge questions have been raised about what the iconic supervillain might want with Franklin Richards. Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed to be returning to the MCU and debuting as Victor Von Doom during Marvel’s presentation at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con. While he was initially expected to make his first appearance in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, Downey Jr. made an uncredited cameo as Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ mid-credits scene.
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Four years after the Fantastic Four’s battle against Galactus (Ralph Ineson), Doctor Doom appeared in the Baxter Building where he came face-to-face with Franklin Richards. When Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) found them, Franklin was reaching out his hand to Doom’s face, which was uncovered when Doom removed his signature metal mask. It was initially unclear why Doom would approach Franklin before anyone else, but a new theory that has been gaining popularity (via @GabiMG_News) suggests that Doom may want Franklin Richards’ remarkable Power Cosmic, not only to heal his face, but also for his greater plans in Phase 6.
Doctor Doom became the Fantastic Four’s most prominent and long-running adversary following his Marvel Comics debut in 1962’s The Fantastic Four #5, but he has also battled most of the other heroes in the Marvel Universe. Perhaps most notably, throughout 1984’s and 2015’s Secret Wars crossover events, Doctor Doom was elevated to the most powerful and formidable threat in the universe. This is likely to take place in the Russo brothers’ live-action crossover events, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, too, and Doctor Doom harnessing Franklin Richards’ Power Cosmic could accomplish this.
Franklin Richards, the son of Reed Richards’ Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm’s Invisible Woman, doesn’t have the Power Cosmic in Marvel Comics, but is instead an omega-level mutant. The Power Cosmic is the energy Galactus harnesses and gifts to his heralds – including Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Characters using this power have already shown off some impressive abilities in the MCU, and Franklin himself has displayed the power to bring people back from the dead, so there may be no limit to the reach of these abilities.
While Doctor Doom could certainly harness Franklin Richards’ powers just to heal the scars on his face – which originated during a failed science experiment while studying alongside Reed Richards – there is another clear reason why Doom would want the Power Cosmic. In 2015’s Secret Wars event, Doom stole the Beyonders’ otherworldly power to create Battleworld from the broken pieces of incursion-ravaged universes. It would be brilliant to see this play out in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, though this might spell bad news for Franklin Richards and other similarly-powered beings.
What do you think Doctor Doom will do with Franklin Richards’ power in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!
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Image Courtesy of Ufotable -
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
