<i>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</i>’ Mid-Credits Scene Teases Marvel’s Most Exciting New Character

Spoilers below.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Yes, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has two end credits scenes. In classic Marvel fashion, one appears in the middle of the credits, while another appears at the end. While the latter is an animated theme song, in an homage to the 1967 cartoon intro, the former is quite revealing.

The mid-credits scene jumps ahead to four years after the Fantastic Four’s victory over Galactus in New York. Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) is reading to her and Reed Richard’s (Pedro Pascal) son, Franklin, at home. She gets up to find another book, but when she returns, she finds Franklin with a mysterious cloaked figure holding a mask. She looks horrified and the ominous music swells—who is this person? That’s Doctor Doom.

The infamous villain, also known as Victor Von Doom, is an icon both in the Fantastic Four comics and overall superhero history. The power-hungry scientific genius is known by his armor suit, mask, and green cloak. One of his biggest adversaries is the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards, as the two began as college rivals, according to Marvel. He hails from the fictional Eastern European country of Latveria (that empty chair in the United Nations scene was a subtle reference to him) and is known for his weapons, robotics, and sorcery.

While this is Doom’s first appearance in the current era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (he was portrayed by Julian McMahon in the 2005 and 2007 live action Fantastic Four movies), he is set to appear in the upcoming superhero crossover film Avengers: Doomsday, which debuts on Dec. 18, 2026. (A message even flashes across the screen promising that the Fantastic Four will return in Doomsday.) The best part? He’ll be played by none other than Robert Downey Jr.

The actor is known as Avenger leader Tony Stark/Iron Man, who died in 2019’s Endgame, but with the introduction of some multiverse magic, Marvel can kind of get away with anything. Downey’s casting was announced at Comic-Con in 2024, causing fans to lose their minds. He’ll be joined by other big names in Doomsday, including Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Florence Pugh as Yelena, and many more, according to Deadline.

Of course, Marvel’s “first family” will be there too: Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Joseph Quinn as Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing, and Kirby as the Invisible Woman. Time will tell if super-toddler Franklin will also be involved, but until then, let’s hope he didn’t get too close to Doom.