Why Julian McMahon Was the Best Doctor Doom

On the Fourth of July, as Marvel Studios was in full swing promoting The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the Marvel fandom received the devastating news that actor Julian McMahon had passed away from cancer at the age of 56, two days prior. McMahon was best known for his roles in series like Charmed and Nip/Tuck. However, he had a unique place within the comic book media landscape as he played the iconic villain Doctor Doom in both 2005’s Fantastic Four and the 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (McMahon joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the villain Jonah in the underrated series The Runaways).

McMahon’s death was heartbreaking for several reasons: he was only 56, which is far too young, and his passing came just shy of the Fantastic Four’s 20th anniversary, which opened in theaters on July 8, 2005. With both a new Fantastic Four film soon to be released and Robert Downey Jr. set to take on the role of Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, there has been considerable reflection on the prior versions that came before. McMahon’s portrayal of Doctor Doom was often criticized, primarily due to changes made outside his acting performance. Yet, as an actor, he gave a somewhat underrated performance. Julian McMahon was a great Doctor Doom, and sadly, he never got to see himself be fully appreciated.

A Doom by Any Other Name

With Doctor Doom being Marvel’s most famous supervillain, McMahon’s take on Doctor Doom was put under a great deal of scrutiny. McMahon’s Doom is often lumped in with some of the worst supervillain adaptations, alongside the likes of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin. McMahon’s depiction of Doctor Doom, along with Toby Kebbell’s version in 2015’s Fantastic Four, puts even greater pressure on Marvel Studios, as well as Robert Downey Jr.’s version of the villain, since the common sentiment is that there has never been a good version of Doctor Doom put to screen.

The 2005 version of Fantastic Four was criticized for relying too heavily on the template established by Spider-Man. This is most notable in how the film depicts Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom, seemingly copying and pasting the arc from Norman Osborn / Green Goblin onto him. Gone is Doom’s history as the ruler of his own nation and dabbling in both magic and science. Instead, he is transformed into the CEO of a company who turns into a supervillain after being outed by a board of directors in a corporate takeover. Yet these creative decisions are not made by McMahon; the screenwriter and director made them. Regardless of who played Doctor Doom in this version, including Robert Downey Jr., who originally read for the part, it wouldn’t have changed the Doctor Doom that was on the page.

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Reimagining Doctor Doom as a CEO shares many similarities with comic initiatives like the Ultimate Universe, 1602, or 2099, which reinterpret established Marvel characters through different lenses. They aren’t entirely the same as the iconic comic book versions, but the reader understands they are meant to work within their own story and exist in conversation with the original, drawing comparisons and similarities. Released at a time when superhero movies were downplaying many of the more comic book elements of the source material, as evident in the sequel’s depiction of Galactus as a cloud, McMahon’s Doctor Doom works as a reimagining of the character for the then-contemporary 2005. Spying on the Fantastic Four, motivated by pettiness and revenge, the key characteristics of Doom remain present, even if the situational context has changed.

McMahon’s Doctor Doom almost acts as a reverse Lex Luthor. In the comics, Lex Luthor was originally a mad scientist who, over the years, morphed into an evil businessman. McMahon’s Doctor Doom begins as a stereotypical evil businessman and, throughout the film, transforms into a comic book villain, with both him and the Fantastic Four marking a shift in this reality into a more heightened world. Rise of the Silver Surfer continues Doom’s transition by having the character now operating out of a Latverian castle and emphasizing his role as both an evil scientist and a master manipulator.

It felt like with each new film, the filmmakers were going to see McMahon’s Doom become more like his comic book counterpart. Sadly, the franchise ended after two films, and the last time the audience saw him, his Doom was sinking to the bottom of the ocean. McMahon’s Doctor Doom might not have been the most comic-accurate, but he was the Doctor Doom that fit the then-contemporary 21st-century setting.

McMahon’s Talents Translate Well To Doctor Doom

Even with a Doctor Doom that was vastly different from his comic book counterpart, McMahon’s talents as an actor gave the character a sinister edge that made this reimagining stand out. Arguably, the best part of McMahon’s Doctor Doom is his voice. Due to Doctor Doom’s armored appearance being the inspiration for countless other imposing villains, including Darth Vader, there is a common assumption that the character himself needs a deep, booming voice.

McMahon’s Doom is a subversion of that, with his Victor von Doom speaking with a sweet growl. His voice has a sense of refined elegance, one fitting for a man of his power. It remains both threatening and enticing to portray him as a master manipulator. He has a sardonic wit, one that conveys arrogance but also a cutting tone that matches his metallic exterior. When finally put under the classic Doom mask, this juxtaposition creates an unsettling yet imposing villain, where every line sounds sinister.

One aspect that cannot be overlooked is McMahon’s physical features and why he was chosen to be Doctor Doom: his eyes. Because Doom wears an armored outfit that only reveals his eyes, the role required an actor with an intense stare. McMahon’s two most iconic roles, Cole Turner on Charmed and Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck, were characterized by a vigorous, silent intensity and a piercing stare that evoked danger and allure, qualities that are essential for Doctor Doom.

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In both Fantastic Four and Rise of the Silver Surfer, Doom is essentially without his mask for a good portion of both films. This rubbed fans the wrong way, and it is frustrating to see the sequel try to downplay the outfit for much of the movie, after the first film seemingly built up to it. However, McMahon’s physical features align with the original concepts Jack Kirby had for Doom.

McMahon was described as many things throughout his career, but two common adjectives were “attractive” and “sexy.” This charming, handsome look, mixed with a slightly darker, bad-boy edge, feels in keeping with Kirby’s original plans to reveal that underneath his armored exterior, Doom was hiding an attractive face with a slight scar that he viewed as an imperfection. For all the talk about how McMahon’s Doom wasn’t comics-accurate, he brought to life one of Jack Kirby’s original pitches for the character.

Saying Goodbye Isn’t Easy

A New Fantastic Four Entry Is Nearly Here

The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom are about to receive a major spotlight as the characters will be put front and center with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday. Even with Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom generating some pre-release controversy, it is highly likely the performance will be received far more kindly than Julian McMahon’s take. Despite the multiverse saga bringing back a variety of actors from past pre-MCU Marvel films, it was unlikely that Julian McMahon’s Doctor Doom was going to be one of them to get a second chance at the moment in the sun. This isn’t to say that Julian McMahon’s Doctor Doom should have been brought back as a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine or Avengers: Doomsday. But now not only will he never get the chance to, but he will never get to see his work as Doctor Doom appreciated.

Fantastic Four celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. There is a common idea that, given enough time, everything is viewed more favorably through the lens of nostalgia. Audiences who grew up with them and had them as their first introduction to the characters will likely be kinder than others, similar to how the Star Wars prequels have gained new appreciation now that the audience who saw them as kids are the ones who are now the tastemakers. The 2000s Fantastic Four films were messy adaptations, but ones that had shades of what people loved about the comics. Had they been able to continue, they might have found their voice, or perhaps they would have remained imperfect takes on Marvel’s most creative title.

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The films weren’t as good as X-Men, Spider-Man, or Batman Begins at the time. Some might argue these films are better than many current superhero movies, suggesting a “things were better back then” mentality. While we might give Fantastic Four and Rise of the Silver Surfer credit over Morbius and Black Adam, even the weakest MCU film likely matches the quality of these earlier Fantastic Four films​​​​​​. They were neither disasters nor masterpieces. They existed and are part of a growing legacy that extends not just to the Fantastic Four but to the broader superhero movie landscape, and McMahon’s Doom was a significant part of that. His contribution has been overlooked for far too long.

For an entire generation (and this writer in particular), McMahon was their first introduction to Doctor Doom, and their love for the character can be traced back to seeing Fantastic Four in theaters or on DVD, likely leading them to want to learn more about the cool villain in the iconic mask. The tragedy is that it took Julian McMahon’s passing for anything appreciative to be written about his performance as Doctor Doom. Perhaps this is a reminder to offer praise to people while they are alive, because you never know when it might be too late. McMahon will always be part of the Marvel and Doctor Doom legacy, and he is greatly missed. Fantastic Four is streaming on Disney+.