Despite being a late addition swap-in as Marvel's big new villain, Doctor Doom has now had the same number of appearances as Thanos. Before 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos appeared in two end-credit scenes for The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), as well as in the story of Guardians of the Galaxy (2015), all setting him up as the MCU's big bad.
Marvel hasn't had the same luxury of time with Doom, as one Twitter user pointed out, after he was announced in 2024 following Jonathan Majors being axed as Kang. As a result, the studio has been speedrunning his introduction, including him in three post-credits scenes in just over a year.
His first silent appearance came at the end of Fantastic Four: The First Steps in July 2025, when he's seen speaking to a young Franklin Richards before Sue Storm walks in. His second two appearances saw him recruiting new team members for his nefarious plans.
In Avengers: Endgame Encore, he finds Bruce Banner being held in a prison post-Spider-Man: Brand New Day before taking him away. His most shocking appearance then came at the end of VisionQuest, when he resurrects Scarlet Witch, telling her that her power will be his.
Doctor Doom now has the same number of appearances as Thanos had before Infinity War https://t.co/Wm1EibapW0November 11, 2026
It's been a pretty quick turnaround of set-up for Doom ahead of Doomsday, but it does mean we have some insight into what he's planning ahead of the movie's December release. It seems he's been recruiting several powerful figures to help in his fight against the Avengers.
Marvel fans have been reacting to the appearances, and it's fair to say that opinions are pretty mixed. "Thanos sent the army & Loki on Earth in 2012, & was the presence looming over the entire Guardians of The Galaxy AND there were a ton of people that were connected to him & suffered a lot because of him, seeking him," one wrote on Twitter, adding: "Btw I'm not saying this to trash Marvel with Doom, I can't wait for Doomsday, but yes, I wish they had him felt more to build up the DEPTH of the hype."
Meanwhile another wrote: "Honestly, they handled the switch from Kang to Doom really well, given the obvious reasons for it." A third then tweeted: "Imagine if Doom was planned from the start: his face with the hammer sound in Endgame (2019), Wanda in Doctor Strange (2022), Loki visiting Steve and the TVA’s fear in Loki's series, Bruce's kidnapping in Spider-Man BND, All set up years ago instead of added later."
Avengers: Doomsday hits UK cinemas on December 16 and US theaters on December 18. For more upcoming superhero movies, here's our guide to new Marvel movies and shows on the way.
