Is Giancarlo Esposito playing Doctor Doom in the MCU?

Giancarlo Esposito is definitely coming to the MCU, even though we’re probably not supposed to know that yet. Kevin Feige is no doubt having conniptions, but The Mandalorian star can’t stop, won’t stop talking about his upcoming top-secret Marvel role. I guess when you’re both Grand Moff Gideon and Gus Fring you’re too cool to fear Feige’s snipers.

If he carries on like this, though, then Esposito is threatening to give the game away too soon. While Esposito has yet to fully open up to the press about it, the actor seems unable to let his fans down and has now discussed his Marvel future pretty openly while attending panels at fan conventions. And by piecing these comments together, a firm theory has risen up: Is Giancarlo Esposito playing Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four?

Giancarlo Esposito’s top-secret Marvel role, explained

Esposito first revealed he had signed up for the Marvel Cinematic Universe during an appearance at CCXP in early May, promising that he’d turn up “sooner rather than later” and that his role would be “better than you can imagine.” If that didn’t hype us up enough, he elaborated on his bold hints during a panel at 2024 Phoenix Fan Fusion.

On this occasion, Esposito confirmed he would not be portraying Professor X in the upcoming X-Men reboot. He also seemed to rule out the chances of him voicing Norman Osborn in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, as he dropped a major bombshell that surely indicates Esposito’s role is a live-action one, not animated:

“The MCU has knocked on my door and it’s a role you won’t predict,” serial tease Esposito told the fans at the convention. “It will be teased and there will be a series afterwards.”

What’s more, when a fan told him that he would make an “amazing” Doctor Doom, Esposito is said to have told the crowd to start “talking it into existence and making yourself believe in it.” So, um, take that how you will.

Yes, Esposito just went and confirmed that he will show up somewhere, presumably in a post-credits scene, before he goes off and stars in his own Disney Plus series. And it just so happens that rumors have previously swirled about Victor Von Doom being introduced in The Fantastic Four‘s tag sequence before leading a streaming show. Add that with Esposito’s curious comment about fans believing his casting into existence and it seems we can’t rule out this possibility.

I mean, Pedro Pascal and Giancarlo Esposito have already played nemeses in The Mandalorian. It only makes sense to hire them to do so again in the MCU, right?