So yes, Doctor Doom does appear in First Steps. In the mid-credits scene, we jump four years into the future and see Sue Storm and her son Franklin reading together in their home in the Baxter Building.

First Step’s post-credit scene leaves fans buzzing with new Doctor Doom theories, hinting at what could be next for Marvel’s iconic villain

During the Future Foundation summit, the Latverian chair was vacant, which seemingly confirmed the presence of Latveria on Earth-828 (where the events of The Fantastic Four: First Steps take place).

Credit: Marvel Studios In their MCU debut, the Fantastic Four become a Fantastic Five with the arrival of Reed and Sue's son, Franklin Richards. Worries that he might not be "normal" are confirmed in Fantastic Four: First Steps when Galactus recognises that the boy can wield an unlimited energy known as the Power Cosmic (presumably because of the "cosmically compromised DNA" shared by both of his parents).

There have been strong rumours online suggesting that any post-credits scene could see former Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr appear as Doctor Doom for the first time, not an especially far-fetched idea given he's currently filming for his part in Avengers: Doomsday and the character is the Fantastic Four's most famous foe.

As Fantastic Four: First Steps heads towards its final act, the group is torn between two impossible choices: sacrifice all of Earth to Galactus, or Reed and Sue must give up their child Franklin, who contains the Power Cosmic and enough energy to satiate Galactus' hunger.

As the filmmaker’s three-year journey wound down on the project, he realized a key moment was missing, and managed to shoot it just a few months before the film opened.

When Entertainment Weekly asked Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman if Downey Jr. filmed that post-credits scene, the filmmaker pleaded the fifth. "For others to talk about," he teased. However, Shakman did reveal that it was the Russo brothers who helmed the post-credits scene since it was shot for Avengers: Doomsday.

The Russo Brothers have warned fans to wait through the credits when they watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps for an Avengers: Doomsday tease, while Robert Downey Jr. is teasing his Doctor Doom research.

Curious why one nation’s seat sat empty during the Future Foundation summit in the new Marvel movie? The Fantastic Four: First Steps plants a subtle but significant clue involving Latveria that ties directly to one of Marvel’s most iconic villains,