Bold prediction time: Ant-Man is going to kick Doctor Doom’s butt in the upcoming Avengers duology, giving one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most underrated heroes a prestigious victory over the villain. There is precedent for this altercation in the comics, and by adapting Scott Lang’s triumph over Doom, the MCU could deliver a huge surprise for fans.
FF #16 was written by Matt Fraction and Lee Allred, with art by Michael Allred. The apex of the issue comes when Ant-Man utterly humbles Dr. Doom, reminding Marvel readers that Doom isn’t as all-powerful as he’d like everyone to believe.
More importantly, Ant-Man brutally calls out Doom’s self-mythologizing and self-aggrandizing behavior, accusing him of being the ultimate fraud.
Doctor Doom’s Greatest Defeat Came At The Hands Of Ant-Man, A Story Beat The MCU Can Repeat
FF #16, Written By Matt Fraction And Lee Allred; Art By Michael Allred; Published In 2014
FF #16 is the final issue of the series. While the focus of the penultimate issue was Doom’s defeat, FF #16 is about making him pay for it. The job falls to Ant-Man, Scott Lang, and it is as much his peak moment as a Marvel superhero as it is arguably Doctor Doom’s greatest humiliation.
With Paul Rudd slated to return as Ant-Man in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, it’s totally possible for Marvel to recreate this moment in the MCU, but we’ll get to that in a moment. First, it’s important to understand just how devastating Doom’s punishment at the hands of Ant-Man really was.
Early in the issue, Ant-Man promises to rip off Doom’s cloak and unmask him, and then proceeds to do exactly that. This in itself is a colossal insult to Doom’s injury, given how the villain prides himself of being three steps ahead of his adversaries at all times. In FF #16, Ant-Man proves him very wrong.
Scott Lang beats Doctor Doom physically and mentally in FF #16, and it’s that 1-2 punch, as well as who it comes from, that counts. Doctor Doom has taken plenty of Ls in his 60+ years as a Marvel villain, but getting so thoroughly taken to task by a hero he considered well beneath him was what made the moment so monumental.
Doctor Doom Is Going To Get Beaten At Least Once In The MCU; The Question Is By Who, And How Bad
How The Movies Could Draw Inspiration From Ant-Man Vs. Doom
The next two Avengers films are expected to follow a plot blueprint set by Marvel’s Secret Wars events. Secret Wars is the subtitle of the second film, suggesting that Doomsday will set up the adaptation of the iconic crossover in its sequel. Within this context, the movies are expected to draw inspiration from throughout Marvel history.
Ant-Man beating Doctor Doom in FF #16 could fit into the Avengers duology in several different ways. It could come at the end of Secret Wars, the film, after the main plot is resolved. However, an even better placement for it would be in Avengers: Doomsday, as a plot catalyst, rather than climax.
If Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom immediately embodies the imperious, arrogant, and holier-than-thou spirit of the character upon being introduced in Doomsday, only to be brought low by Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man by the end of the movie, that could cause the villain to take drastic measures. Like destroying and recreating the Marvel Multiverse.
Ant-Man Is Meant To Have A Major Role In The MCU; He Should Be The One To Put Doom In His Place
Ant-Man Is The Perfect Underrated Avenger To Take Down Doom
It remains open to speculation how exactly the MCU will introduce Doctor Doom, or what his precise role is going to be across Doomsday and Secret Wars. Some fans believe he might start out as a hero and become a villain. Others argue the opposite. Just as likely is the possibility that he will prove to be the overarching antagonist of both installments.
As eager as fans are to know how Doom will enter the MCU, they’re also rabidly excited to know what his arc in the next two movies will be. Assuming he’s the “Big Bad” of the next Avengers films, it’s a question of how, not if, he’ll be defeated. Ant-Man could be poised to play a pivotal role in that equation.
Before the MCU’s Doom era materialized, Kang the Conqueror was supposed to be Thanos’ successor as the films’ main antagonist. The character’s introduction in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania suggested that Ant-Man would have a central role in that Saga. FF #16 shows how he could be equally important vs. Doom.
Ant-Man Revealed The Brutal Truth About Doctor Doom In A Scene The MCU Needs To Include
The MCU Needs To Adapt Doom’s Highest Highs And Lowest Lows
Doctor Doom famously wears his mask because of facial scars, but in FF #16, when Scott Lang unmasks Doom, against the villain’s anguished pleas, his face is clear. Ant-Man suggests that every time Doom “steals ultimate power,” his first act is to heal himself, but that he always inevitably scars himself again.
Why? Because “for a man like [Doom] ,it’s much easier to inflict a fake imperfection on [himself] than admit to having a real one,” Ant-Man states. He goes further, calling Doom’s pretensions to be a truth-teller and a man of honor his worst deceits. Doom tries to retory, but it’s clear that Ant-Man thoroughly sees through him in that moment.
MCU fans know going into Avengers: Doomsday that Robert Downey Jr. is under Doom’s mask, but this could still be a powerful, dramatic reveal of the man underneath, one that could be a tentpole moment of RDJ’s performance. Many readers agree that this remains Doctor Doom’s most significant unmasking in Marvel lore, one the MCU shouldn’t neglect.
FF #16 is available now from Marvel Comics.
