The rumor mill has been churning with increasingly intriguing speculation about Avengers: Doomsday, and one theory that’s been gaining serious traction has me genuinely excited about the creative possibilities ahead. What if the MCU is setting up Dr. Doom not just as a singular threat, but as the leader of his own mystical order of powerful sorceresses – essentially adapting one of the most underrated elements from Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars saga?
Having followed Marvel’s cosmic storylines since the original Secret Wars in the ’80s, I can appreciate how the Russos and screenwriter Stephen McFeely might be mining Hickman’s 2015 run for inspiration. The Black Swans weren’t just random villains – they were a crucial piece of the multiverse-spanning puzzle that made Hickman’s Time Runs Out storyline so compelling.
What Were the Black Swans in Marvel Comics?
For those unfamiliar with the source material, the Black Swans were an all-female religious order from Hickman’s New Avengers and Avengers runs – specifically appearing around issues #1-3 of New Avengers (2013). What made them fascinating wasn’t just their power set, but their genuine belief system. They served someone they knew only as “Rabam Alal,” later revealed to be God Emperor Doom operating across dimensions to prevent universal collapse.
These weren’t your typical comic book minions following orders for power or money. The Black Swans genuinely believed they were saving reality itself by destroying “lesser” universes before incursions could cause total multiversal annihilation. That moral complexity – villains who think they’re heroes – is exactly the kind of storytelling that made Thanos work so well in Infinity War.
How Could the MCU Adapt Dr. Doom’s Mystical Order?
The theory that’s been circulating suggests the MCU might adapt this concept using characters already established in the franchise. Based on recent rumors and casting speculation, we could be looking at a lineup that includes:
Clea as the Dark Dimension Expert – The recent rumors about Charlize Theron’s Clea being positioned as an antagonist make perfect sense within this framework. Having spent potentially three years in the Dark Dimension with Doctor Strange, she could have encountered threats or knowledge that shifted her perspective on reality’s preservation.
Wanda Maximoff from Another Reality – This is where things get particularly intriguing. A variant or transformed version of Wanda serving Doom aligns perfectly with her comic book history of reality manipulation. Remember, in the comics, Wanda’s reality-warping abilities have made her both savior and destroyer of the multiverse multiple times.
America Chavez as the Multiverse Navigator – Xochitl Gomez’s confirmed involvement in Doomsday adds another dimension-hopping powerhouse to the mix. Her ability to travel between universes makes her invaluable in any multiversal conflict.
Agatha Harkness in Spectral Form – Following Agatha All Along, a ghostly version of Agatha could provide the mystical knowledge and centuries of magical experience this group would need.
Death Herself – If Aubrey Plaza’s Death from the cosmic side of Marvel makes an appearance, it would elevate this from a simple villainous team to something approaching the conceptual scope of Hickman’s original vision.
Why Would These MCU Characters Follow Dr. Doom?
What strikes me about this potential direction is how it addresses one of the biggest challenges facing Avengers: Doomsday – creating a threat that feels both personal and cosmic. Thanos worked because he had the Black Order providing intimate, ground-level conflicts while he pursued his universal goals. Doom needs that same kind of support structure.
The beauty of adapting the Black Swans concept is that it allows each of these sorceresses to have their own motivated reasons for following Doom, rather than being mind-controlled or coerced. Clea might believe she’s preventing Dark Dimension incursions. Wanda could be seeking to protect her children across all realities. America might be trying to preserve the multiverse she’s spent her life exploring.
This setup also provides natural emotional conflicts for our heroes. How do you fight someone like Wanda when you know she’s genuinely trying to protect reality? How does Doctor Strange combat Clea when their relationship spans multiple dimensions and timelines?
What Does This Mean for Marvel’s Multiverse Saga?
From a practical standpoint, this approach solves several problems Marvel Studios is likely facing. Rather than introducing entirely new characters in an already crowded film, they can utilize established actresses and characters that audiences have emotional connections to. Elizabeth Olsen, Charlize Theron, and the others have already proven they can handle the complexity required for morally ambiguous roles.
The timing also works in Marvel’s favor. With rumors suggesting that events in Thunderbolts take place 14 months after previous films, the timeline allows for significant character development and dimensional adventures to occur off-screen. We could discover that while we thought these characters were inactive, they’ve actually been dealing with threats we never knew existed.
How Does This Connect to Secret Wars?
This theory also aligns with what appears to be Marvel’s broader approach to Phase 5 and 6. Rather than starting fresh with entirely new cosmic threats, they’re building on the mystical and reality-based elements established in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, WandaVision, and Agatha All Along.
The focus on female magic users isn’t coincidental either. Since WandaVision, Marvel has been steadily building a mystical corner of their universe populated by complex, powerful women. Having them unite under Doom’s leadership – even temporarily – creates immediate stakes for characters like Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and the remaining Avengers.
What Challenges Would This Approach Face?
That said, this approach isn’t without risks. One of the biggest challenges will be balancing the individual motivations of each character while maintaining narrative cohesion. Each of these women has their own fanbase and character arcs that need to be respected.
There’s also the question of how much of Hickman’s original Black Swan mythology to adapt. The religious aspects of their devotion to “Rabam Alal” worked in comics but might feel forced in the MCU’s more grounded approach to cosmic storytelling.
How Could This Set Up Secret Wars?
What I find most compelling about this potential direction is how it could set up not just Avengers: Doomsday, but Secret Wars as well. If Doom is gathering these reality-shapers to prevent multiversal collapse, it positions him as more of a desperate protagonist than a traditional villain – much like his role in Hickman’s Secret Wars #1-9.
The emotional complexity of having our heroes fight people they care about, who are genuinely trying to save reality, creates the kind of moral ambiguity that made the original Civil War storyline so compelling. It’s not about good versus evil – it’s about different visions of how to save everything that matters.
What Should Fans Expect Moving Forward?
Whether or not this specific theory proves accurate, the underlying approach of using established characters in unexpected roles shows Marvel Studios learning from both their successes and missteps. Rather than constantly introducing new elements, they’re deepening the connections between existing characters and storylines.
Avengers: Doomsday has the potential to be something truly special if it can capture the epic scope and emotional complexity that made Hickman’s run a modern classic. These sorceresses serving Doom might just be the key to making Victor Von Doom feel like a worthy successor to Thanos – not as a conqueror, but as someone willing to make impossible choices to save reality itself.
The pieces are certainly in place. Now we just have to wait and see if Marvel has the courage to fully embrace the darker, more complex storytelling that this approach would require.