So far, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ant-Man franchise has operated on a fittingly smaller scale than the rest of the franchise’s output, with Scott Lang’s adventures more focused on the fate of his nearest and dearest rather than the entire planet and the tiny superhero tackling threats that the rest of the Avengers more than likely wouldn’t get out of bed for.
However, Ant-Man played a pivotal role in Avengers: Endgame as the driving force behind the time heist, which could potentially lead to a much more prominent part in the future, especially with many of the MCU’s longest-tenured characters being shuffled to the sidelines. The third installment is reportedly set to start shooting next summer, and while most of the speculation has centered on Scott’s daughter Cassie following in her father’s footsteps and suiting up to lead the Young Avengers, we’ve now heard that one of the most iconic villains in comic book history could be set for a role in the film.
According to our intel – which comes from the same sources that told us She–Hulk and Ms. Marvel would be getting their own Disney Plus shows before either was announced – Doctor Doom is said to feature in the latest draft of the Ant-Man 3 script, with the ruler of Latveria rumored to have his eyes on stealing Hank Pym’s technology for the benefit of both himself and his country. Of course, things can always change between now and when shooting begins, but we’re told that the current plan is indeed for him to show up in some capacity.
Of course, Doom has been linked to almost every MCU project in development, but this is the first time we’re hearing about a potential Ant-Man 3 connection, and although nothing will be confirmed for a while yet with the script still being finalized, it does make some sense. The nefarious dictator is widely expected to play a huge part in the next generation of movies, after all, and having him show up in a B-level sequel like Ant-Man 3 would be a smart way of easing the character into the franchise to gauge audience interest before revealing his true motivations further down the line.
