Avengers 5"s Director Front-Runners Told Us Their Dream Villain 5 Years Ago
Summary
- The Russo brothers are reportedly in talks to direct Avengers 5 and Secret Wars, which may replace Kang as the Multiverse Saga's primary antagonist.
- Doctor Doom has been suggested as a new villain for Avengers 5, though there are worries that this means he'd be rushed into the MCU without much care.
- Doctor Doom is one of the Russo brothers' favorite Marvel characters, and their treatment of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame proves they'd take care to do Doom justice in the MCU.
Recent news suggests Avengers 5 is close to getting its new directors, and the front-runners for this role have already revealed who their dream MCU villain would be. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige first announced the development of Avengers 5, originally titled The Kang Dynasty, at SDCC 2022. Since then, however, the Phase 6 crossover movie has seen many changes, including the losses of director Destin Daniel Cretton and writer Jeff Loveness, and a suspected shift in focus amid controversies surrounding lead actor Jonathan Majors, but there may still be hope for the troubled project.
On July 17, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the Russo brothers are in talks with Marvel Studios to helm Avengers 5 and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. This hasn't yet been officially confirmed, but this would be a hugely positive thing for the Multiverse Saga's Avengers movies. Since the focus of Avengers 5's story is also speculated to change, a new villain may be introduced to replace Majors' Kang the Conqueror and his variants, and the Russo brothers may have already revealed which Marvel Comics villain they will bring into the MCU.
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Russo Brothers Could Do For Doctor Doom In Secret Wars What They Did For Thanos In Phase 3 Close Following Jonathan Majors' arrest, conviction, and firing from Marvel Studios in 2023, speculation began to rise that Marvel Studios would move on from Kang's storyline in the Multiverse Saga, and instead introduce a different villain to take Kang's place. Many have expressed hope that this villain could be Doctor Doom, especially since Doom is a key character in Marvel Comics' 2015 Secret Wars storyline, so his debut would ensure this game-changing event is adapted faithfully. However, this has also spurred concerns that Doctor Doom may be rushed into the MCU.
Doctor Doom is a villain of such magnitude that he deserves to have a slow introduction, rather than being forced into the MCU simply to take over from another antagonist. If the Russo brothers return for Avengers 5, however, this shouldn't be a worry. The Russo brothers properly introduced Josh Brolin's Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, and managed to make him a terrifying and formidable villain, with vulnerability and emotion, despite him not being set up fully prior to the 2018 movie. They could do the same with Doctor Doom.
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If The Russo Brothers Return, Marvel Studios Needs To Start Teasing Doctor Doom NOW 
Marvel Studios teased Thanos' existence in the MCU for several years, setting him up to be the Infinity Saga's primary antagonist very slowly. However, audiences didn't really get a good sense of who Thanos was until Avengers: Infinity War, which arguably featured the Mad Titan as the movie's main character. The Russo brothers managed Thanos' true introduction to the MCU with style and integrity, ensuring that he was a relatable villain, and proving his strength by having him defeat the Avengers. This would work perfectly for Doctor Doom.
Thanos' MCU Appearances
Year
Role
The Avengers
2012
Post-Credits Cameo
Guardians of the Galaxy
2014
Minor Role
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015
Post-Credits Cameo
Avengers: Infinity War
2018
Main Role
Avengers: Endgame
2019
Main Role
What If…? Seasons 1 and 2
2021-23
Appeared In 7 Episodes
While Marvel Studios has used several previous Multiverse Saga projects to set up Kang and his variants as Avengers 5 and Secret Wars' villains, there is still time for Doctor Doom to get this treatment. This must start happening immediately, however, if his true debut in Avengers 5 is going to be as impactful as possible. Upcoming MCU projects such as Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Ironheart, Agatha All Along, and others, can begin to tease Doctor Doom in the MCU, making his appearance in Avengers 5 even more powerful.
Doctor Doom Is The Russo Brothers’ Dream MCU Character 
Doctor Doom joining the MCU would surely be enough to bring the Russo brothers back for Avengers 5.
There's no doubt that, should they be officially hired to direct Avengers 5 and Secret Wars, the Russo brothers would do a fantastic job at introducing Doctor Doom into the MCU. This is especially true as the Russo brothers already named Doctor Doom as one of their favorite Marvel characters, appreciating the "Shakespearean mythology behind him." The prospect of Doctor Doom joining the MCU would surely be enough to bring the Russo brothers back for Avengers 5, and his debut may enable the project to surpass the success of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
Avengers 5 Not Yet Rated AdventureSuperheroAction Avengers 5 will bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes together for the first time in the Infinity Saga. Not having appeared since Avengers: Endgame in the MCU Phase 3, the wide range of heroes must find a way to come together to defend Earth once more.
Release Date May 1, 2026 Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Writers Michael Waldron Franchise(s) The Avengers Budget $356–400 million Upcoming MCU Movies
Release Date
Deadpool & Wolverine
July 26, 2024
Captain America: Brave New World
February 14, 2025
Thunderbolts*
May 5, 2025
The Fantastic Four
July 25, 2025
Blade
November 7, 2025
Avengers 5
May 1, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars
May 7, 2027