Doctor Doom is known for many things: his scientific genius, his hatred for Reed Richards, and his penchant for old school green hoodies. But one of his most ingenious schemes has never made it to the big screen before… his beloved Doombots. That may be about to change in Josh Trank’s cinematic reboot The Fantastic Four.
Doombots were robot decoys controlled by Doctor Doom to do his bidding and make public appearances without risking the Fantastic Four villain getting caught in one of his many nefarious acts. They made their first appearance in the very same comic book where Doctor Doom first graced the page, in Fantastic Four #5, released in July 1962.
Since then these Doombots have been a pretty regular thorn in the Fantastic Four’s side. Now, Nerdist claims they they have a reliable source telling them that the Doombots will finally grace the big screen in the newest Fantastic Four movie (a brief allusion in Roger Corman’s never-released 1994 Fantastic Four doesn’t count).
“Reliable sources have confirmed this exclusive tidbit: Doombots will definitely be in the film in the form of drones that the good doctor controls telekinetically,” says the latest episode of Nerdist News.
“Definitely” sounds like a pretty strong word to us, but unfortunately “reliable sources” doesn’t have quite the same air of authority, so take this as a rumor for now, at least until director Josh Trank or the folks at 20th Century Fox – who currently own the rights to the cinematic version of The Fantastic Four – confirm or deny it. Keeping this locked in “rumor” status may also ease the minds of purists who are probably wondering why the hell Doctor Doom – a disfigured scientist and sorcerer with no physical or psychic superpowers of his own in the comics – suddenly has telekinesis.
The Doombot rumor comes immediately after the news that Wrath of the Titans co-star Toby Kebbell has been cast as Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four, which is due in theaters on June 19, 2015.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and co-host of The B-Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
