WARNING: Contains Potential End Credit Scene Spoilers for Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)!
Stan Lee is perhaps the most iconic name in the comic industry, having brought to life legendary heroes likeThe Fantastic Fourand infamous villains likeDoctor Doom. Despite Lee’s passing, one bold theory of his has recently resurfaced, and it’s more relevant than ever now that Doctor Doom has finally entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Doctor Doom has officially entered the MCU, and fans couldn’t be more excited. This notable entrance took place in the post-credit scenes forFantastic Four: First Stepsand introduced the iconic villain by showing Doctor Doom talking with Franklin, four years after the events of the film.
Fans only get to see Doctor Doom from behind, so his face remains hidden, but his signature green cloak and the mask he holds in his hand are more than enough to confirm his identity. With this entrance, Doctor Doom theories have been flying wild. Yet, one bold theory from Stan Lee himself has recently resurfaced, and it might offer a very different perspective on the villain.
Stan Lee’s Bold Take on Doctor Doom
Marvel’s Most Infamous Villain Might Not Be a Criminal After All
Those who love Stan Lee have likely heard ofStan Lee’s Amazing Marvel Universe(2006), an exclusive book and digital audio collection that presents Marvel through the eyes of one of its most beloved creators. In it, Lee shares his 50 favorite comic moments and offers his personal opinions on various characters and lore across Marvel history.
It was in this book that Lee took the time to talkabout the notorious Doctor Doom, who first appeared inThe Fantastic Four#5 (1962) and quickly became one of Marvel’s most iconic and enduring villains. Co-created with Jack Kirby, Doom’s legacy is massive, but in this book,Lee offered the perhaps controversial take that Doom is, and was never, a criminal.
While“criminal”isn’t the most common word used for Doom (since he’s evolved into something far more complex), most would still argue he fits the label. However, Lee’s reasoning behind this claim might just change your mind, especially when viewed through the lens of the cold, hard facts that make up Doom’s impressive rap sheet.
Stan Lee Argued Doctor Doom Was Never a Criminal, And He Makes a Solid Point
Why Wanting to Rule the World Doesn’t Make Doom Guilty in Marvel’s Eyes
InStan Lee’s Amazing Marvel Universe(2006), Lee asked,“What did Doctor Doom really want?”His answer:“He wanted to rule the world.”Most fans would agree that’s true, but they may not immediately see how this connects to Lee’s claim that Doom isn’t a criminal, a bold stance that challenges how we typically define villainy in comics.
Lee elaborated with a humorous but insightful point:“You could walk across the street against a traffic light and get a summons for jaywalking, but you could walk up to a police officer and say, ‘I want to rule the world,’ and there’s nothing he can do about it. That is not a crime.”While it reads like a joke, the logic still holds weight.
“Anybody can want to rule the world. So, even though hewas the Fantastic Four’s greatest menace, in my mind, he was never a criminal!”Lee concluded. While there’s no doubt Doom is a villain, Lee’s argument raises the idea that villainy and criminality aren’t always the same, and Doom’s ambition alone doesn’t make him guilty.
Stan Lee’s Theory Explains Why Doctor Doom Rarely Faces Justice
Doom’s Political Power and His True Goal of World Domination
Lee’s argument that Doom isn’t truly a criminalsheds more light on the character’s comic narratives than fans might expect. As most who’ve followed Doom over the years know, he’s notoriously hard to pin down and rarely ends up facing justice in the form of a jail cell, something that speaks to just how complex his role in the Marvel Universe truly is.
Doom’s ability to avoid traditional justice is often chalked up to his status as a world leader, making him too politically complicated to prosecute. While that’s still true, Lee offers a complementary perspective: Doom rarely lands behind bars because he isn’t a criminal. His core goal (to rule the world) isn’t illegal, and this nuance plays into how Marvel treats him.
Ruling the world hasalways been Doom’s ultimate ambition, and because that desire isn’t technically a crime, labeling him a“criminal”isn’t always accurate. This explains why Doom is so often portrayed as a looming threat instead of a convict. That said, it’s not as if Doom hasn’t committed plenty of illegal acts along the way, it’s just that his ultimate goal isn’t a crime, despite feeling like it should be.
Marvel’s Latest Event Proves Ruling the World Isn’t a Crime
One World Under Doomby Ryan North & R.B. Silva
To be clear, this article isn’t saying Doctor Doom hasn’t committed crimes during his 63 years as a Marvel villain. He certainly has, from aggravated assault to murder, and probably even jaywalking. But it’s not these crimes that define him. Instead, it’s his perfectly legal ambition to rule the world that truly shapes his character.
One World Under Doom, a 2025 ongoing comic event, perfectly illustrates this. Following Doom’s rise as Sorcerer Supreme, he uses his political power to establish a new world order without facing serious consequences for his actions so far.
Right now, Earth’s heroes are trapped in a difficult position. Any opposition to Doom would mean opposing the peace he has enforced, peace that most of the world seems to accept. In this way,Doctor Doomhas not only avoided criminal charges but positioned himself as a heroic figure in his own story.
