AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY – Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU Return as Doctor Doom Explained

For a time, it appeared that rising star Jonathan Majors was set to make a lasting impact as the best MCU villain since Thanos. However, when Marvel Studios terminated his contract after he was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment, the MCU lost its Kang(s).

Fans assumed the role might be recast. But with the Multiverse Saga having difficulty resonating with audiences, it was clear something needed to change. Enter Robert Downey Jr., returning not as Tony Stark/Iron Man but as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom!

This news is exhilarating but also raises many questions about what this means for Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and beyond. We’re diving deep to understand what Marvel Studios has planned for us. 

Note that Downey has been referred to as playing Victor Von Doom, not an evil Iron Man or an alternate version of Tony Stark. This ensures that even though the Multiverse will come into play, Downey has been cast as a different character altogether, just as Gemma Chan played Minn-Erva and Sersi, or Josh Brolin portrayed both Thanos and Cable.

Doom’s face is severely scarred and he never removes his mask, suggesting this could be a voiceover role for Downey. While he might eventually take the mask off to reveal a familiar face, Marvel may avoid this predictable plot twist. Marvel Studios, the Russo Brothers, and Downey have all emphasized that Iron Man will remain dead, which means Doom—in his own advanced armor—could step in to fill that void in a twisted way only the Multiverse can deliver.

Jonathan Majors was introduced as the MCU’s new major villain in the season 1 finale of Loki. We learned that He Who Remains had won a Multiversal War with his many Variants, leaving him to rule over a single, Sacred Timeline.

Eager to break free from the history he had crafted and to prevent any more diverging timelines from being pruned, Sylvie killed him. Later, it was revealed that not all his Variants are villains, as Victor Timely helped save the day in Loki season 2.

Then, in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror—arguably the ultimate Kang Variant—was trapped in the Quantum Realm and ultimately defeated by Scott Lang. However, Immortus, Rama-Tut, and Scarlet Centurion assembled a legion of Kangs to avenge this defeat.

Majors’ legal issues and the lukewarm response to the Ant-Man threequel have seemingly led Marvel Studios to pivot away from Kang, focusing instead on a new big bad: Doctor Doom.

While Marvel Studios is evidently moving on from Kang—made clear by the retitling of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday—it feels like we may never get a satisfactory resolution to Kang’s story.

It’s speculated that Doom could kill the Kangs off-screen, or the villain might be recast, potentially playing a minimal role in the remainder of the Multiverse Saga to provide a more satisfying resolution.

In the comics, it is frequently hinted that Kang is a distant descendant of Victor Von Doom. In the new Ultimate Universe, Tony Stark has even become that reality’s future Kang after taking on the Iron Lad mantle. Marvel Studios may combine these elements to ensure Kang remains relevant, albeit in a different way than initially planned. For instance, The Beyonder could be a Kang Variant.

To understand the implications for the Multiverse Saga, it helps to look at the comics. There are two versions of Secret Wars. In the first version, heroes and villains are pitted against each other on The Beyonder’s Battleworld, and Doom steals The Beyonder’s powers only to be eventually defeated.

In the 2015 version, when an Incursion destroys the final two realities in the Multiverse (Earth-616 and the Ultimate Universe), Doom uses The Beyonder’s powers to recreate a new world in his image, which he governs. Following his defeat, a new Earth-616 is created.

You can imagine how this might be adapted for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars! Still, the key challenge for the MCU’s Doctor Doom is that he has no existing history in this universe. Thanos managed to become a compelling villain with minimal screentime before Avengers: Infinity War, so Doom can still become an effective antagonist. Marvel Studios would benefit from clever use of future post-credits scenes!

The three previous Fantastic Four movies have featured Doctor Doom in a leading role, but they have all been disappointing. Repeating that approach might doom (pun intended) The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The upcoming reboot won’t be an origin story, so it would be intriguing if this version of Doom shares a history with the Fantastic Four, established through exposition or a last-minute reveal. For example, he could be the reason Galactus targets their Earth.

When Marvel’s First Family appears in Avengers: Doomsday, it would feel incomplete if they have never encountered Doom before. However, this may be the case, as Downey is unlikely to stick around for a Fantastic Four sequel…or will he?

It’s possible, especially if the compensation is right. For now, there’s no indication that Reed and Victor will share a past, which removes a significant element of what makes the villain so compelling.