The Fantastic Four: First Steps director finally addresses the Doctor Doom question fans have been obsessing over

Marvel Studios is bringing the Fantastic Four back with a fresh cast. There’s one lingering question fans can’t shake: is something — or someone — being left out of the picture?

If you’ve been following Marvel long enough, you know that “no” rarely means “no.” It usually means “not yet,” or “he’s in the post-credits scene, duh.”  In an interview with Empire, director Matt Shakman was asked point-blank if Victor Von Doom, the iconic Latverian ruler and all-around bad guy, would appear in the Fantastic Four reboot. And the answer, according to director Matt Shakman, is a resounding “Nope!” Or at least, that’s what we’re supposed to believe.

According to rumors swirling around test screenings, Doom might appear in a post-credits scene. Allegedly, Sue Storm (played by Vanessa Kirby) walks into a room to find Doom sitting beside her son, Franklin Richards, holding his mask ominously in his hands. It’s the kind of teaser that Marvel loves to use to plant seeds for future films — and if true, it would mean that Shakman’s comments are technically accurate. After all, a post-credits scene isn’t really part of the movie, is it? This rumor aligns with Marvel’s strategy of slow-burning major villain reveals.

Doom sitting out the main storyline is probably for the best. Fans of the Fantastic Four have been burned before — twice, actually. The villain was front and center in both the 2005 and 2015 adaptations, and neither version did him justice. Whether it was Julian McMahon’s oddly suave interpretation or Toby Kebbell’s cringe-worthy “hacker Doom,” the character’s cinematic legacy has been, well, less than fantastic.

By sidelining Doom, Marvel is avoiding the trap of rehashing old ground. Instead, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will focus on a fresh set of cosmic stakes, with Galactus as the primary antagonist and the Silver Surfer playing a pivotal role. It’s a smart move. Galactus is a larger-than-life villain (literally—he eats planets, after all), and his inclusion gives the Fantastic Four a chance to shine without being overshadowed by Doom’s towering legacy.

If you’re going to reboot the Fantastic Four, you need a cast that can bring Marvel’s First Family to life in a way we’ve never seen before. And Marvel isn’t holding back. Pedro Pascal, fresh off his star turns in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, will play Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. His casting brings a level of gravitas and charisma to the role of the team’s stretchy, science-loving leader. Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) is stepping into the role of Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, while Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) will light up the screen as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. Completing the core team is Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, who is sure to bring both humor and heart to the group.