Few fans need to be reminded that Doctor Doom is the notorious arch-enemy of the Fantastic Four. While Victor von Doom has appeared on the silver screen before, his depictions haven’t been well received and fans are hoping Marvel Studios can do the characters justice now they have gained the screen rights to the Fantastic Four.

RELATED: Tessa Thompson Clears Up The Confusion Surrounding King Valkyrie In Thor: Love And Thunder

During The Howard Stern Show, the eponymous host can be heard telling his co-hosts that he’s taking on a Doctor Doom project, but he doesn’t exactly seem thrilled about it. “They’re going over the schedule with me, and it’s going to suck. I told you, I’m going to do Doctor Doom. That’s the thing,” Howard said. “But believe me, I’m f***ing miserable about it… I called Robert Downey, Jr. and I was asking him acting techniques.” Stern can then be heard asking for the phone number of someone named “Jon,” which some fans believe is a reference to Jon Favreau, the director of Iron Man.

While it’s hard to argue that Stern said anything other than “Doctor Doom,” his wording doesn’t make it clear if this is meant to be a solo project for the villain or if he’s involved in Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four film. However, based on Howard’s comment about reaching out to Downey Jr., it appears he’s actually being tapped to play a role in the Doctor Doom project as opposed to solely serving in a behind-the-scenes role. Marvel Studios and Stern have not addressed this supposed leak at this time, and given the host’s penchant for comedy, some speculate that he could be pulling a fast one on the internet.

Adding some credence to the supposed leak are Stern’s comments about this project going over schedule, which could be a real possibility for Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four film. Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts was going to helm Fantastic Four for Marvel Studios, but his exit from the project undoubtedly had an impact on the schedule, as the company is not expected to name a replacement until later this year, at the earliest.

Stern is certainly an unexpected choice for the role of Doctor Doom, if that’s who he would be playing, especially considering his acting history is limited to small roles, often as himself. Still, as previously mentioned, Doctor Doom hasn’t exactly had a stellar portrayal on the big screen yet, so perhaps an unexpected casting choice is just what the character needs.

Fantastic Four is in development at Marvel Studios.

MORE: 5 Directors Who Could Take Over The MCU Fantastic Four

Source: SiriusXM (via UpToTASK)