As a person of Sinti Romani descent, I see the importance of representation in media – even in the fantastic setting of comic book movies. For years, the Romani community has been underrepresented and often completely erased from mainstream media narratives. Doctor Doom is an iconic character who has been well-established as Romani since his first introduction in the 1960s. Victor von Doom has always been explicitly Roma, and he should NOT be played by a white, non-Romani actor.

It's deeply concerning to see Marvel Studios potentially whitewashing ANOTHER Romani character in the MCU, as they've already done with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Casting a non-Romani actor to portray Doctor Doom erases a central aspect of the character's identity and motivation, and takes yet another point of representation from a historically disregarded minority group. 

By whitewashing Doctor Doom, Marvel Studios is not only disregarding the character's original backstory, but also robbing the Romani community of yet another point of representation. Casting a Romani actor for the role won't just add authenticity to the character of Doctor Doom, it's an opportunity for Marvel Studios to help in correcting the underrepresentation of Romani individuals in film and television.

Our call is to Marvel Studios: Respect our culture and our representation. Do not whitewash Doctor Doom - cast a Romani actor for this role, as it should be. Please sign this petition to add your voice.