The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get a rude awakening in the form of Doctor Doom. Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the franchise to bring the villain to life in Avengers: Doomsday, which will bring the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men together on the big screen for the first time. It’s going to take everything the heroes have to take down arguably the most ruthless villain in the history of Marvel Comics. While there’s next to nothing out there about Doom’s mission, the multiverse is sure to be at the center of it, as there’s no greater power than controlling everything and everyone.
The villains in Avengers movies don’t have the best track record, though. Loki and Ultron lose right away, and even Thanos, who wipes out half of existence for five years, dies twice at the hands of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Fortunately for Doom, the MCU just sent a character down a dark path that could lead to them following in the villain’s footsteps once the MCU is done with him.
Riri Williams’ Deal With Mephisto Is Even Worse Than Anyone Realized
Riri Williams finds herself between a rock and a hard place in Ironheart. She wants to continue to upgrade her armor, but MIT is tired of her antics and expels her. After returning home to Chicago, Riri is in need of money, so she joins a crew of criminals led by The Hood. They rip off a couple of people around the city, but it becomes too much for Riri, and she realizes she needs to take The Hood down before he hurts her or anyone she loves. With the help of Zelma Stanton, Riri imbues her suit with magic and heads off to face her enemy.
After some quick thinking and a sweet projection, Riri takes down The Hood and grabs his magical cloak, which she hopes can help her get her AI companion N.A.T.A.L.I.E. back. Before she can test it, though, Mephisto appears before her and offers to bring her friend back in exchange for something she won’t miss. Riri takes the deal, which is bad enough, but she also keeps Mephisto’s cloak and puts it on her armor. It seems that Ironheart is ready to embrace both magic and tech, a balance that Doctor Doom is all too familiar with.
The MCU’s Doctor Doom Can Teach Riri Williams a Thing or Two
Victor von Doom compares himself to Reed Richards because they both have a passion for science. After losing his mother to Mephisto early in his life, Doom builds a machine that will help him communicate with her. Richards doesn’t support the plan, and after an explosion leaves Doom disfigured, the villain vows to get revenge on his former friend. Doom travels back to his home, Latveria, and begins to mess around with magic, even building a suit that houses all sorts of enchantments. After that, Doom takes the gloves off and starts terrorizing the Fantastic Four at every opportunity. He also causes problems for other Marvel heroes, who don’t appreciate that he’s constantly trying to take over the world.
The MCU is sure to follow in the source material’s footsteps, having Doom be just as proficient with a spell as he is with a laser. Riri is sure to take notice of this, as well as the fact that the villain looks a lot like her idol, Tony Stark. If Doom goes to her before anyone else, he can easily sway the young genius to his side and prepare her to take over his mission. That way, the next time she loses someone important, she’ll have all the tools she needs to get them back – or another version of them at least.
Teaming up with Doom isn’t going to end well for Riri. However, it’s possible that the MCU isn’t setting her up to be a hero but a villain. After all, despite having so many people who love her, she can’t move on from the ones she doesn’t have anymore. Like Doom, she would do anything to see them again, including making a couple of misguided deals.
Ironheart is streaming on Disney+.
Do you think Riri Williams could take over for Doctor Doom in the MCU? What do you think they could achieve together? Let us know in the comments below!
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