Actor behind Star Wars' most underrated villain "would give his eyes and teeth" to play the MCU's Doctor Doom
Ben Mendelsohn *really* wants to play Doctor Doom
Rogue One star Ben Mendelsohn really, really wants to play Fantastic Four supervillain Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"I would almost give my eyes and teeth to play Doctor Doom," Mendelsohn told GQ. "I think Doctor Doom is the great unread Marvel character that could and should be done. But it is what it is.”
Doctor Doom, the famous Fantastic Four supervillain first appeared in the Fantastic Four #5 back in 1962. He's a dictator, a scientist, a powerful wizard – and a fan-favorite Marvel villain. The big bad was played by Julian McMahon in the 2005 movie starring Jessica Alba and Chris Evans and its 2007 sequel. Toby Kebbell took on the role in the 2015 reboot.
Mendelsohn is no stranger to playing villains, as he originated the role of Director Orson Krennic in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The actor also plays Talos, a Skrull who ends up working with Nick Fury, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After appearing in Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, he played Talos as a lead role in the Disney Plus series Secret Invasion.
Though Marvel has announced who will play the Fantastic Four, villains have yet to be announced – though Doctor Doom does seem like the obvious choice. Over the years, fans have cast everyone from Jon Hamm to Giancarlo Esposito and even Keanu Reeves. Only time will tell.
The Fantastic Four is set for a July 25, 2025 release date, pushed from its prior May 2, 2025 and February 14, 2025 release dates. For more, check out our guide to all of the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way, as well as how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.