The MCU Is About to Change Forever. Here's Why Doom Matters More Than Thanos Ever Did.
By Jimigrimm | February 24th, 2026
Thanos had the Infinity Stones. He snapped half the universe out of existence. He made the Avengers lose. For a lot of fans, that cemented him as the ultimate Marvel villain. We get it. Thanos earned his spot.
But when Doctor Doom steps into the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026, the conversation changes. In over 60 years of Marvel Comics history, no villain has ever been built the way Victor Von Doom has been built. Thanos was a great chapter. Doom is the whole book.
Doom Was Here First. And He Never Left.
Doctor Doom debuted in Fantastic Four #5 in July 1962, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. That’s over a decade before Thanos even existed. Jim Starlin didn’t introduce the Mad Titan until Iron Man #55 in February 1973.
But it’s not just about who showed up first. Thanos has had legendary runs, especially the Infinity Gauntlet saga in 1991, but he also spent long stretches on the sidelines between big events. Doom has been a constant force for six decades. He’s fought the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther. He isn’t tied to one corner of Marvel. He’s everywhere.
The Villain Who Can Do Everything
Thanos operates in one lane: raw cosmic power. He collects powerful objects, amasses armies, and overwhelms through sheer force.
Doom operates in all lanes. He’s one of the most brilliant scientific minds in Marvel, rivaling Reed Richards. His armor puts him in the same conversation as Iron Man. He’s also a master sorcerer who literally took the Sorcerer Supreme title from Doctor Strange during the Blood Hunt event. And on top of all that, he’s the monarch of Latveria, a head of state with diplomatic immunity, national resources, and an army of Doombots.
You can’t just punch your way through a villain who has sovereign immunity and the backing of an entire nation.
He Doesn't Just Want to Win. He Believes He Should.
This is the key difference. Thanos wanted to wipe out half of all life because he thought the universe couldn’t sustain itself. His goal is destruction disguised as mercy. Once you understand his plan, there’s nothing to debate. He’s wrong. The story is about stopping him.
Doom is different. Doom genuinely believes he’s the only person capable of saving humanity. And the terrifying part? The comics have shown scenarios where he might be right.
In Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars, the multiverse was dying. The Beyonders were destroying every reality. It wasn’t Reed Richards or the Avengers who saved what was left. It was Doom. He stole the Beyonders’ power, stitched together the remnants of destroyed realities into Battleworld, and became God Emperor Doom for eight years. Was it self-serving? Absolutely. But he also kept all of existence from blinking out when no one else could. And at the end, when Reed confronted him, Doom admitted Richards would have done better with that power.
That moment of self-awareness, buried under all that ego and armor, is what makes him one of the most complex characters in comics. Thanos never gave you that. Thanos is conviction without introspection. Doom is conviction with the nagging awareness that his own flaws are the only thing standing between him and actually being the hero.
The MCU Needs This
The Multiverse Saga has been uneven. The loss of Kang as the central villain after Jonathan Majors’ firing in December 2023 left a hole in the narrative. The franchise needed a reset, and Doom is exactly that.
Robert Downey Jr. revealed as Doom at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024. The Russo Brothers back to direct. Filming wrapped in September 2025 at Pinewood Studios. Doomsday hits December 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027. The confirmed roster includes the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, Wakandan forces, the original Fox X-Men, and Chris Evans returning as Steve Rogers. This is the biggest ensemble Marvel has ever put together, and they need a villain worthy of all of it.
Thanos worked because the Infinity Stones gave the story a simple structure. Collect the stones, stop the snap. Doom works on a deeper level because the conflict isn’t just physical. It’s ideological. The argument isn’t “stop the bad guy.” It’s “prove your way of saving the world is better than his.” That’s a much harder fight to win.
The Bottom Line
Thanos closed out the Infinity Saga brilliantly. No disrespect. But Doctor Doom is a genius, a sorcerer, a king, and a god who has ruled the Marvel Universe more than once. He doesn’t just want to conquer the world. He wants to save it on his terms, and he’ll burn it all down before he admits someone else could do it better.
When Victor Von Doom steps on screen, Thanos won’t just be dethroned. He’ll be a footnote.
All hail Doom.
Is Doom the greatest Marvel villain of all time, or does Thanos still hold that crown? Drop your take and let’s debate.