You have to be careful with social media. Post the wrong thing and all corners of the internet will descend upon you. That’s what’s happening right now with the directing duo of Infinity War, the Russo Brothers.
Joe and Anthony Russo are deep into pre-production on the third Avengers movie. They’ve cataloged part of their journey on their joint facebook page, which has included a look at Josh Brolin in CGI gear, and a mysterious staircase as part of their location scouting. However, it’s today’s new image that really has people’s imaginations turning.
First things first: that’s a beautiful location. It’s dark and ominous, and those arches give the mysterious place a unique look. Normally, a picture like this wouldn’t arise any suspicions, but when Marvel is involved, wild speculation follows. The Russo’s even deleted the image after fans started losing their minds, buy savvy spots like comicbookmovie.com were able to grab the image before it disappeared.
The internet has run rampant with speculation over the importance of this photo, but one possible explanation has risen above the rest: this picture shows the private Latverian castle of none other than Doctor Doom.
The likelihood that this has anything to do with Victor von Doom is pretty fa fetched. While many would love the idea of Doctor Doom (and the rest of The Fantastic Four) joining up with the MCU… that would be a pipe dream at best. Now, we did learn this week that Marvel and Fox have already undergone character swaps, but allowing The Fantastic Four and the rest of their attached characters to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be an Earth-shattering deal.
So, while it’s nice to dream that the Russos are scouring the globe for the perfect castle home for Victor von Doom, there are more probable locations that this castle structure could be a stand in for. Perhaps it’s going to be used as the space castle Thanos constructed for himself in The Infinity War comic? More likely, it’s going to be one of these places:
1. Random Location in Asgard
I mean… don’t those arches just scream Asgardian dungeon? If Thanos is going to be collecting those Infinity Stones, he’s going to need to grab that Cosmic Cube stored away in Odin’s Vault. That means a return visit to Asgard is probably in the cards. You can almost envision Thanos strutting down the these sprawling hallways as he gets closer and closer to collecting the gems.
2. Avengers Mansion
Well, The Avengers are going to need some grandiose pad to kick back and relax once they’re done saving the world. We already saw The Avengers Tower (formerly Stark Tower) in the Big Apple before the group shifted upstate for their new Avengers Headquarters. Perhaps Stark is looking for something more intimate with a more Gothic feel? There’s going to be a central location where all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes gather, so maybe this is the back porch for that location.
3. Castle Doom
I had to throw it in!!! And yes, I know mentioned the near impossibility of a Doctor Doom appearance! However, until Marvel Studios or 20th Century Fox gives any official statement on the future of The Fantastic Four, I’m considering that door…open. Plus, why would The Russo’s delete the photo so quickly after fans started the Doctor Doom rumor? Could it be that fans sniffed out their secret?
With so many characters coming together for Infinity War, it still seems unlikely that Doctor Doom will be shoehorned in. Still, is it out of the realm of possibility? Anything is possible when it comes to the Infinity Gauntlet, so maybe, just maybe, it can bend reality so Marvel’s greatest villain — and in turn, its greatest family — can come to power. It would give a whole new meaning to Phase “4”!
So, what do you think? Â Is this the first sign that Doctor Doom is coming to the MCU? Or are people (like myself) just being delusional? Let us know what you think this picture could mean in the comments section below!