Marvel Quietly Revealed 7 Huge Doctor Doom Secrets at Its Avengers: Doomsday 'Surprise'

What in the world were the Russos brewing when they announced that a “surprise” was on its way to SXSW London yesterday? And what have we learned about Avengers: Doomsday from it? 

So far, the stream of information in the lead-up to Avengers: Doomsday has been, at best, a little uneven. First, we got that ecstatic reveal of RDJ as Dr Doom; then a cast announcement on a row of chairs; then four standalone trailers that seemed to be leading to a full-blown fifth that has so far only been seen by industry attendees at CinemaCon back in April. With just over six months to go before the release, surely this was going to be the big one?

Apparently not. Yesterday afternoon, information released on X led fans to a London address where a "Doom Cafe" had been set up, and where the Russos arrived a little while later to sign bags of Latvarian-branded coffee. This is not exactly what fans had been hoping for, but there were plenty of revealing clues on the cafe’s wall and menu. So, to use another hot-drink-based metaphor, let’s read the tea leaves here.

Latvarian Flag with Doom’s Face

One of the biggest reveals at the cafe was the Latvarian flag. Over the years, this has gone through different variations in the comics—from a black eagle on stark red (a bit like the Albanian flag) to other versions involving a regal letter 'D' on a green and black background. The flag that appeared in the cafe, however, looks closest to the most iconic Doom flag: a black cross with red trimming on a dark green background with a symbol representing VVD's chrome mask in the middle.

Interestingly, the flag first appeared in the 'Counter-Earth' arc. This storyline involved a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards, which Doom eventually conquered before moving it into the universe of Earth-616 and calling it Planet Doom. All of which (or at least some version of which) could very much come into play in the Doomsday plot. 

Zefiro Clan & Cynthia’s Blend

There were also a bunch of hints on the Cafe menu, especially the items called “Zefiro” and “Cynthia’s Blend”. The first of these is a reference to the native Romani clan of Latvaria, of which Doom’s mother was a part. In the past, the Zefiro were persecuted as a minority under the tyrannical Fortunov monarchy's feudal rule. This led Doom’s mother, whose name was Cynthia, to make a deal with Mephisto that, in a way, later planted the seeds of hatred and cruelty that turned her son into a despot. 

If the Russos are planning to make Avengers: Doomsday a movie about Doom in the same way that Infinity War made Thanos a central character, we expect that a good chunk of time will be spent on explaining what made him into not just an evil villain but a tragic figure, and perhaps one worthy of redemption...

The Rapprochement

Further evidence for that theory comes from another menu item called “The Rapprochement”. Like Zefiro and Cynthia’s Blend, this is a reference to Doom’s backstory—in particular, an annual day of forgiveness that lands on the anniversary of his mother’s death.

This is leading us to think that the Russos are going to go all in on the tragedy that led Victor Von Doom to where he is and who he has become. How this will tie in with Tony Stark—who, lest we forget, also lost his parents in a tragic incident, but who also eventually forgave Bucky Barnes and even became his ally—will be fascinating to see. 

Fortunov

Another reference on the menu is to the Fortunov monarchy—who, as I mentioned above, were the feudal rulers who persecuted Victor Von Doom’s parents and the rest of the Zefiro clan. As you can probably guess, Doom eventually overthrew them in a bloody coup, killing the tyrannical ruler, King Vladimir, before inevitably becoming one himself in the process.

Hassenstadt

The last menu reference is to "Hassenstadt", which was the original and quite Germanic name (it translates as "Hate City") of the Latvarian capital before Doom overthrew the Fortunov dynasty and renamed it Doomstadt—which, I must say, doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

Richards Was Wrong

The last and perhaps most intriguing clue wasn’t on the coffee menu at all, but tucked away on a small corner of the wall—an unadorned bit of text that simply says “Richards was wrong”. The most obvious reference here is to the never-ending ideological battle between Doom, who has no interest in being ruled by others, and Reed Richards, who believes in a more utopian approach to society, as seen in last year’s Fantastic 4: First Steps. 

This could also be something to do with what happened to Galactus at the end of that movie—when the Silver Surfer gave him that last, heroic push, sending both of them into deep space. My sense is that it’s referencing a different Reed altogether, from the universe where the Doomsday Doom is from.

In one storyline in the comics, Richards’ attempts to study the multiverse cause an incursion, which leads to two universes collapsing in on each other. This seems like the most plausible meaning of the phrase, especially given that Sue Storm doesn’t appear to recognise Doom in the post-credits sequence while he seems to know all about Franklin and his powers. 

We will have to wait until December 18 to see.