The decision to cast MCU icon and former Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. as another character, the villainous Doctor Doom, in Avengers: Doomsday has proven to be a divisive one. While some lament the whitewashing in casting Downey Jr. as a character who is canonically Romani, others have simply been left confused by the unexpected return of the Tony Stark actor. While this won’t help with the former, a cryptic new video may assist with the latter.
Returning directors Anthony and Joe Russo have become known for teasing their Marvel efforts in videos filled with clues, and their latest TikTok clip finds two AGBO employees wearing masks. One is that of Iron Man, while the other is that of Doctor Doom, with the camera panning around the two women as they stand back-to-back. Could this be teasing that the hero and villain are two sides of the same coin, and thus confirm the idea that Doom will indeed be a Tony Stark variant?
The variant theory is certainly the most popular and the one that makes the most sense considering that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will bring an end to the multiverse saga. Not only that, but it would explain why Doom has Stark’s face, as well as offering an interesting take on the character for the MCU. No doubt audiences would revel in the chance to watch this alternate Tony Stark walk down a much darker path than the hero we know and love.
While the video, which also reveals Doctor Doom’s comic-accurate costume, will add further fuel to the speculation fire, it is surely confirmation that there will be a link between Tony Stark and Victor von Doom (other than them both being played by Robert Downey Jr.) that is imperative to the Avengers: Doomsday plot.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Promises to Be a Superhero Epic
Avengers: Doomsday will boast a stacked ensemble cast of familiar faces from across the Marvel multiverse. The official cast has now been announced, with more reportedly to come. So far, it has been confirmed that MCU mainstays Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, and Robert Downey Jr. will return for what promises to be a very busy superhero epic.
This already large ensemble will also be joined by several actors from Fox’s X-Men franchise, including Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier, Ian McKellen as Megento, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, and James Marsden as Cyclops.
Directed by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame’s Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 18, 2026, as part of Phase Six of the MCU. The movie’s sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, is set to be released on December 17, 2027.
