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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From$12Subscribe now Best Netflix Movies Best movies on Disney Plus Movie Release Dates Best Netflix Shows Recommended reading Marvel Movies Robert Downey Jr. shares another Avengers: Doomsday behind the scenes picture – and he might be teasing a Galactus showdown Superhero Movies Marvel boss Kevin Feige reveals discussions were had with Robert Downey Jr. about Doctor Doom even before Ant-Man 3: "We had started to realize that Kang wasn’t big enough" Marvel Movies Avengers: Secret Wars release date, cast, plot, and more news Marvel Movies 6 years later, Marvel fans are debating one of the biggest "what ifs" of the MCU involving Thanos Marvel Movies Avengers: Doomsday release date, cast, plot, and more news Marvel Movies Marvel fans quickly debunk a Disney event's "first look" at Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday Marvel Movies Sure, Avengers: Doomsday has a massive cast, but these important Secret Wars characters are still missing from the MCU Entertainment Action Movies Marvel Movies Can Doctor Doom beat Thanos in a fight? How Marvel's new supervillain stacks up against the Avengers' greatest enemy George Marston 21 July 2025 Who is stronger, the Avengers' worst enemy, or their newest foe? What comics say about Doctor Doom vs. Thanos When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Marvel Comics) Can Doctor Doom beat Thanos? It's an increasingly common question among Marvel fans, with Robert Downey, Jr.'s Doctor Doom set to inherit the title of the greatest enemy of the Avengers from Josh Brolin's Mad Titan, the almighty Thanos. Underneath Doom's armor, he may be just a mortal - but he's also one of the smartest people on Earth, and the current Sorcerer Supreme in comics, so his skills are nothing to sneeze at. Meanwhile, Thanos is a lot less scary without his vaunted Infinity Gauntlet, but he's still perhaps stronger than any individual Avenger even when he's not wielding the Infinity Stones. The thing is, Doom and Thanos have in fact fought in comics, most notably in 2015's reality warping mega-crossover Secret Wars - which is of course the basis of Avengers: Secret Wars, which promises to remake the MCU just as the comic remade the original Marvel Universe. You may like Robert Downey Jr. shares another Avengers: Doomsday behind the scenes picture – and he might be teasing a Galactus showdown Marvel boss Kevin Feige reveals discussions were had with Robert Downey Jr. about Doctor Doom even before Ant-Man 3: "We had started to realize that Kang wasn’t big enough" Avengers: Secret Wars release date, cast, plot, and more news Here's how it went down in Secret Wars, and what that could mean for the MCU. So without further ado, here it is: Thanos Vs. Doom, the tale of the tape. Doom Vs. Thanos in Secret Wars (Image credit: Marvel Comics) In 2015's Secret Wars, Doctor Doom saves the Marvel Multiverse from destruction by preserving small pieces of it in a conglomerated reality known as Battleworld, on which he was not only supreme leader, but also a being of nigh-godlike power. When the fight to overthrow Doom and remake the Marvel Multiverse kicks off towards the end of the title, one of the most formidable foes to stand against the menacing monarch is none other than Thanos, the Mad Titan. Doom starts the fight - if you can ultimately call it that - by observing that Thanos is without the Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos taunts Doom that it won't matter, quipping "I do not… Though I remain Thanos, the great tyrant. And for you, that will be enough." The thing is, Doom is so all-powerful on Battleworld, that he straight up one-shots Thanos, thrusting his hand into the Mad Titan's chest and brutally ripping out his entire spinal column and even his skull, Mortal Kombat style. (Image credit: Marvel Comics) And… Yeah. That's the end of Doom vs. Thanos. But what about if the roles were reversed, with Thanos wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, and Doctor Doom at his most powerful level outside of Battleworld, without his godlike mastery of its reality? To be frank, Thanos has beaten Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Reed Richards over the years with and without the Infinity Gauntlet. He's also beaten them all together, with the entire Marvel Universe having to unite against the arch-villain to take him down. So even with Doctor Doom at his current power levels, as the Sorcerer Supreme, he'd have a tough time dealing with an unarmed Thanos all on his own - and he'd stand little chance trying to solo the Mad Titan if he were armed with the Infinity Gauntlet. It's simply that insurmountable a weapon. Doom also recently had to enlist Marvel's heroes to help him take on Doctor Strange's arch-enemy Dormammu, who began his own invasion of the Marvel Universe after Doom took the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme from Strange, so he does have some chinks in his armor. How could this play out in the MCU? (Image credit: Getty Images) RDJ's Doom is almost certainly going to follow a similar trajectory as his comic book counterpart heading into Avengers: Secret Wars, with the Latverian monarch likely to create and rule over a version of Battleworld where Marvel's heroes are pitted against each other by his machinations. There have also been some unsubstantiated rumors that Josh Brolin could return as Thanos for some kind of cameo (as there have been similar rumors about basically every original Avengers cast member). With that in mind, it's easy to imagine how speculation has leapt to the idea of a confrontation between the Avengers' previous arch-enemy, and the MCU's newest mega-menace. It's also not entirely impossible that such a confrontation could play out onscreen. If so, I'm personally betting that Doom would take the W, pulling out a Flawless Victory over Thanos much like in the comic, if only to sell just how powerful he is, like an old wrestling champion going down to put over the new star. (Image credit: Marvel Studios) That could even be the case if Thanos does have an Infinity Gauntlet, because of the MCU's rule that Infinity Stones only work in their own world of the Multiverse. And that's also true in the Secret Wars comic, where Doom is confronted with a totally impotent Infinity Gauntlet that can't outstrip Doom's mastery over Battleworld. All that said, I'd love to see Doom take on Thanos in Avengers: Secret Wars, and while the punchline of seeing Doom completely destroy Thanos would be fun (and probably a bit cathartic), it might be more exciting to see them clash at full power, completely battering each other in what could be the MCU's most epic one-on-one fight ever. What's most likely of all is that we'll see a version of Doom who is strong enough to take on a whole army of Earth's Mightiest Heroes alongside the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, which might in fact make him the actual most powerful MCU villain ever. Then again, we haven't talked about The Fantastic Four: First Steps villain Galactus yet... Avengers: Secret Wars is due out in 2027 as part of Marvel Phase 6. In the meantime, be sure to check out our full breakdown of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows coming soon. And check out our guide on how to watch all the Marvel movies in order See more Movies Features Marvel Studios Marvel Comics Avengers: Secret Wars Avengers: Doomsday Fantastic Four George Marston Social Links Navigation I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them) You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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