Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Iron Man in Avengers Endgame© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / © Marvel Studios / courtesy Everett Collection
By
Zoe Miskelly
Published 32 minutes ago
Zoë Miskelly is an editor for Screen Rant's Superheroes team, and has covered Marvel, DC, and other superhero franchises in comic, movie, and show form for 8 years. Zoë's love of superheroes and all things Marvel & DC started out in childhood, and has blossomed into a career getting to talk about some of the biggest and best movies and shows of all time, having previously focused on comics while working at WhatCulture.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
Robert Downey Jr's latest tease about Avengers: Doomsday and his impending appearance in the movie as Doctor Doom makes a major MCU movie theory seem even more likely for the film. While more than one MCU actor has played multiple roles in the franchise thus far, Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom is perhaps the biggest and most important example of this concept that we've seen to date.
Avengers: Doomsday will effectively take Robert Downey Jr. from being the biggest hero in the MCU timeline, to being its biggest villain - which is a major matter to say the least. That said, the way in which this return is being teased suggests the actor's story as Iron Man may be more linked to Doom's rise than it could otherwise appear.
Robert Downey Jr's Thanksgiving Marvel Post Makes One Avengers: Doomsday Theory Seem Look Even More Likely
tony stark trying out his iron man gauntlet in the mcu
November 27 saw Robert Downey Jr. post to social media with an image featuring Doctor Doom and Iron Man, showing the pair's hands as they break a wishbone between them. Based on the post's proximity to Thanksgiving, it seems this is intended to tie in to the holiday, wherein breaking a wishbone is a tradition intended to give good luck to whoever gets the larger piece.
Robert Downey Jr's various updates and posts alluding to his role playing Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday are interesting first and foremost in their content, but also in the sense that his prior role as Iron Man seems to be brought into the conversation as much as possible, as is the idea of Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom having a shared history in the pages of Marvel's comics.
Of course, this makes sense given the actor is playing both roles in the MCU, but the insistence on tying Doctor Doom back to Tony Stark in the build up to Avengers: Doomsday certainly supports the theory that Doctor Doom's story in the franchise will be linked back to Iron Man in some major way.
While efforts have been made to underscore that Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and not a different Tony Stark, this doesn't prevent the story from either revealing that Iron Man and Doctor Doom's multiversal fates are intertwined or connected in some way, or revealing that an alternate universe Iron Man plays a key part in Doctor Doom's story.
Connecting Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man & Doctor Doom Is The Only Real Way To Avoid Several MCU Issues
Tony Stark stands next to one of his suits in Iron Man 3
Ultimately, giving Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom some tangible in-universe connection to Iron Man - be that the iteration the actor previously played, or otherwise a different variant - makes sense in terms of helping justify Downey Jr's return on a narrative level.
Currently, a lot of the criticisms and concerns around the major MCU actor returning in a new role revolve around the idea that Robert Downey Jr's return is nothing more than an attempt to reignite fan investment in the franchise following Iron Man's death in Avengers: Endgame without building new stars or paths forward for the MCU.
Providing an in-universe story reason the casting had to be Robert Downey Jr. would negate these criticisms, while also helping provide connective tissue for the overarching universe and the next chapter of the MCU - which means there's plenty of reason to hope the teases of a link between Doctor Doom and Iron Man's stories come to fruition, be that in Avengers: Doomsday or later.
-
Movies
-
Avengers: Doomsday
-
Marvel Cinematic Universe
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
3 days ago
Stranger Things Season 5, Part 2's Frustrating Release Date Continues A Netflix Problem
2 days ago
KPop Demon Hunters' Live-Action Version Is Everything Fans Wanted
3 days ago
Wicked: For Good Has the Perfect Sequel That Rejects Oz's 1939 Film
3 days ago
Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Acknowledges Crazy Rich Asians Easter Egg In For Good & Delves Into Scene Design
More from our brands
Every Confirmed Cast Member In 'Avengers: Doomsday' (So Far)
Why Doc Holliday Was Recast in Tombstone
Every Playable Character in Marvel Rivals So Far
Why Vin Diesel Wasn’t in 2 Fast 2 Furious
Disney Ominously Teases The Arrival of Doctor Doom In A Cryptic New Post
Marvel Fans' 6 Most Convincing Theories About RDJ's Doctor Doom
Avengers: Doomsday Could Make A Previous MCU Mistake, And It Would Be A Disaster
Trending Now
Why Elphaba Hated Dorothy in Wicked: For Good (It Was More Than Just The Slippers)
16 Years Ago, Naruto Debuted the Most Complex Anime Villain of All Time
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Adaptation Of Novel That Inspired James Bond Gets Promising Update 9 Years After Being Announced