Now that 20th Century Fox and director Josh Trank have their Fantastic Four in order, they’ve turned their attention to the movie’s villain — Dr. Doom.
There are four rising stars on the studio’s short-list radar, all of whom hail from the British Isles and are between the ages of 30-34 years old. So far, Domhnall Gleeson, Sam Riley, Eddie Redmayne and Toby Kebbell are the four actors Fox is seriously considering to play the heroes’ enemy.
A fifth contender, Jack Huston, was also rumored to be up for Dr. Doom several weeks ago, although it is unclear whether he remains in the running or not.
Out of the four, one of them is expected to suit up to play the antagonizing villain whose hatred for Reed Richard / Mr. Fantastic (played by Miles Teller) and his family knows no bounds. For those unfamiliar, Victor Von Doom hails from the fictional sovereign nation of Latveria, but Fox has declined comment on where they’ll be choosing to shoot. Whomever nabs the Doom role, they will have to show off the chops to play a truly unhindered evil force.
Thankfully, all four have some level of heat about them, and have proved their acting chops in recent outings. Gleeson was last seen in About Time and has Calvary, Unbroken and Ex Machina in his future. Riley appeared in Byzantium and will be joining Angelina Jolie in the upcoming Maleficent picture. Redmayne is a veteran from Les Miserables and will pop up in the Wachowskis’ next sci-fi tale, Jupiter Ascending, while Kebbell briefly appeared in The Counsellor and will be seen in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes.
Fantastic Four, which is directed by Josh Trank, will also star Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell as the titular team. Shooting begins this year, with the film slated for a June 18, 2015 release.
Props: Empire Online