Avengers: Doomsdayis going to feature several characters from all over theMarvel Cinematic Universe, and the comics show a path for one of the film’s heroes to turn heel and join Doctor Doom. When thecast ofAvengers: Doomsdaywas announced, I was shocked by the sheer number of teams that would be involved in the conflict. Sure, I was never expecting it to be like the first twoMCU Avengers movies, which were mostly focused on the core team, but I still thought thatSecret Warswould be the project to go all out.
Well, besides setting up the MCU’s new Avengers team,Doomsdaywill include multiple superhero squads, which range fromFox’s original X-Men to the new Avengers to the Fantastic Four to the Thunderbolts and more. While Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom is surely going to be presented byAvengers: Doomsday’s storyas one of the MCU’s most powerful and intelligent characters, I can’t believe that he would be able to take all of those superhero teams alone. As such, some of the heroes we have come to love will likely join Victor von Doom, and I know one who should.
Marvel Comics Set Up A Possible Avengers: Doomsday Betrayal
The Comics' Secret Wars Lays Out A Plan For One Hero
The hero that I believe will join Doctor Doom inAvengers: Doomsdayis Namor. At first, I was not expecting Namor to be part ofAvengers: Doomsday. Based on all the characters we knew would appear or who made the most sense for the film, I had never even put any thought into what kind of role Namor could play in the upcoming Avengers movies. Due to that, I was pleasantly surprised when Tenoch Huerta was announced as part ofAvengers: Doomsday’s cast. After the initial shock, I rememberedNamor’s role in the comics' Secret Wars.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessintroduced the Earth-838 version of the Illuminati, which is the only take on the team we have seen in the MCU up to this moment. In Marvel Comics,Namor was one of the members of the Illuminati as the team started to destroy other worldsto keep theirs safe in Secret Wars. However, the other characters decided that what they were doing was wrong. Namor then chose to carry on, forming the Cabal, a darker team that included members like Thanos with the goal of stopping incursions by destroying other worlds.
Why Namor Is Perfect For Doctor Doom’s MCU Team
Marvel Studios Has Already Put The Character In A Villain Position
There are a few reasons why I believe that Namor being the character to turn on the heroes and join Doctor Doom makes even more sense than someone like Doctor Strange, who was said to be the biggest threat to the multiverse. The connection to the comics is the first major aspect. The MCU’s Namor has been shown to be overprotective of his people and kingdom, so if incursions with other worlds threatened to destroy his, Namor would not waste a second to spring into action.He is a killer, so destroying worlds fits the bill.
With Doctor Doom having to go up against multiple superhero teams, the creation of a squad of his own, like the Cabal Namor created in the comics, makes sense forAvengers: Doomsday. As such, we have a darker character who hasalready indirectly killed a major MCU player, Queen Ramonda, inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, and who is linked to a major evil team from the comic book story that will directly impact at least 2027’sAvengers: Secret Wars. Based on those factors and how Namor is one of the darkest characters from those announced, I believe he switches sides.
I’m Convinced The MCU Already Opened The Door For Namor’s Betrayal
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverserved as Namor’s MCU debut. While the movie did a phenomenal job of making him a complex antagonist with many layers, Namor was still a villain. That was a role that Tenoch Huerta played very well, and I don’t think Marvel is done exploring that side of the character, especially since Namor has been an antagonist for several years over his long comic book history.Wakanda Forevershowed how Namor would put his nation above anything and thus would kill anyone for his kingdom’s safety.He was ready for a war with the land dwellers.
Wakanda Foreverended with Namor and Shuri finding a way towards a truce, with their nations becoming friendly. That is precisely why I believe that Namor joining Doctor Doom would work so well. After his debut as a villain, no one would expect the character to fall back into that behavior so quickly.Since Shuri will appear inAvengers: Doomsday, Namor’s betrayal would really sting, bringing the necessary emotional component that such a move could have. Namor yearned for a battle with the land dwellers, and Doctor Doom’s multiverse fight inAvengers: Doomsdaycould be just that.
