Avengers: Doomsday will arrive on December 18, 2026, with Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Also starring Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), and Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Doomsday will follow superheroes from three different universes as they confront a deadly collision course. What unfolds in Doomsday is expected to parlay into a quest to stop dimensions from colliding and destroying each other.
In the 2015 Secret Wars comic series, which inspired Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled for release in December 2027, the incursions began with Doctor Doom and Molecule Man’s attempt to save the multiverse. It’s left to see the extent to which the movies will stay true to their source materials, but how exactly will the film explain the Iron Man actor’s portrayal of Doctor Doom? Will there be a link between the two characters, or is Downey strictly playing another Marvel character without any connection to Iron Man?
How Did The Iron Man Arc End In The MCU?
He is Iron Man, from the beginning to the end. #AvengersEndgame pic.twitter.com/vKjJcyzxOM
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 11, 2019
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark became Iron Man to defend himself from a terrorist group in Afghanistan. From fighting off terrorists, he channeled his resources towards protecting Earth and became a founding member of the Avengers. At the forefront of the race against time to stop Thanos from killing half the universe during the Infinity War, Stephen Strange gave up the Time Stone to save Stark, ultimately leading to the Snap.
Following Thanos’ extermination of half of all life in the universe, Stark devised a means to travel through time and space. This enabled him to travel back in time in a quest to undo Thanos’ Snap. Alongside other surviving Avengers, Stark resurrected victims of the Snap, but sacrificed himself to eliminate Thanos and his armies during the Battle of Earth in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. When Spider-Man: Far From Home arrived that July, Peter Parker received Stark’s AI along with a vote of confidence to become his successor.
Is Dr. Doom Iron Man From An Alternate Universe?
“New mask, same task.”
Robert Downey Jr. surprises Hall H to announce his return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. pic.twitter.com/j1SEjzse3p
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024
Doctor Doom and Iron Man are two different, distinct characters from Marvel Comics. While Tony Stark hails from an affluent family in Manhattan, New York, Victor Von Doom was born to poor Romani parents in Latveria. However, they share similarities that have fueled fan speculations about the two after Downey Jr.’s unveiling as Doctor Doom. For instance, both characters lost their parents, and it laid the foundation that propelled them towards becoming a renowned hero and a villain.
More than that, Iron Man and Doctor Doom have similar armor and armament. And to cap it all, they are both scientific geniuses and inventors with extensive knowledge in weaponry and time-traveling abilities. Considering all of these, it’s not hard to see why a casual fan would imagine that Dr. Doom is Iron Man from an alternate universe. Even hardcore MCU fans have come up with varying theories that reflect their reluctance to accept Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom as a different character with no connection to Iron Man.
What RDJ’s Doctor Doom Means For Avengers: Doomsday
Doctor Doom is set to be central to both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, but the films will have to untangle what it means for the Iron Man actor to embody one of Marvel’s most iconic villains. Be that as it may, several fan theories favor a connection between Doctor Doom and Iron Man. One popular conjecture suggests that Doctor Doom is Tony Stark’s bodyguard in another universe, just as it was intended in 2008’s Iron Man.
Fans would recall it had been planned to present Tony Stark and Iron Man as two different people. But then, Stark decided against that at the last moment, revealing himself as Iron Man to the world. So in an alternative universe where Tony Stark stuck to the plan, he’s Doctor Doom, disguised as Tony Stark’s bodyguard.
Another fascinating theory on Reddit proffers that Doctor Doom is Iron Man in one of the numerous possible outcomes Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) saw in Avengers: Infinity War. The theory posits that Stark went insane with an obsession to protect the world from another Thanos. He went about amassing the power to do so, lost himself in the process, and morphed into Doctor Doom. By and large, these are just hunches. What’s certain is that Downey’s Dr. Doom has buoyed up the fandom’s anticipation for Doomsday and Secret Wars. Check out these exciting details about Steven Spielberg’s new alien movie Disclosure Day.
Follow Us
