‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ has fans convinced Ryan Coogler should tackle Doctor Doom

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has thoroughly impressed audiences, with praise yet again going to director Ryan Coogler for another excellent villainous outing which has fans headstrong on who he should tackle next.

With Namor hailing from Talokan, and Black Panther from Wakanda, fans want another fictitious nation and leader to be shown next up with Doctor Victor von Doom. As one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, it seems absurd he’s still not managed to get a good live-screen adaptation.

Hailing from the mysterious city-state of Latveria, Doom’s heavy lore and compelling story now seem like a perfect fit for director Coogler. Masterfully managing to make villains like Killmonger and Namor feel like real people, the talented director feels best equipped to tackle a beloved authoritarian dictator. Fans are convinced he is the man to do it, and they’ve got plenty of reason for the confidence.

Namor’s original source material never had anywhere near as much depth as Coogler’s vision of him. Instead of being just a frankly awful person who complained about both sides in World War II, he’s now a complex man who at the very least understands why they do what they do.

Fans don’t just want Coogler to do Doom, they want him to tackle pretty much all of Marvel’s more complex characters. Magneto in particular gets highlighted, with the Holocaust survivor seeming like a natural next step for a director who tackles themes of genocide and colonialism.

For the uninitiated, Doom is much more complex than just being a dictator. Latveria sees him as a hero and a symbol of hope. Rejecting the two-sided nature of the Cold War, the European nation-state is surprisingly built on peace given its leader. Doom himself is a perfectionist, with a fan favorite theory on the character being he wears the mask for just a small scratch.

Then there’s who should play Doom. Tenoch Huerta made an excellent Hollywood debut in Wakanda Forever, so it’s time Marvel cast a Romani actor as a Romani character. Doom shouldn’t just be played by a run-of-the-mill white guy or another son of an Australian Prime Minister. Find an unknown and let them shine.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently in cinemas, with it shockingly not including Doctor Doom despite all the expectations.