Avengers: Doomsday‘s directors have teased Doctor Doom’s story, and their latest comments make the Marvel Cinematic Universe return of a few characters necessary. Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Victor von Doom is the biggest question the Multiverse Saga has to answer at the moment. So far, Marvel has yet to explain how Avengers: Doomsday‘s story will make it possible for the Iron Man actor to now play the main villain of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.

After months since Downey was announced to be leading the cast of the next Avengers movie as Doctor Doom, his role in the film has received an intriguing update. Speaking to The Times, the Russo Brothers, who will direct the next two Avengers films, were asked whether Tony Stark’s death and Doctor Doom’s debut were connected. They could not get into the specifics, but Anthony Russo claimed, “It’s part of the story,” which means Avengers: Doomsday needs to bring back a few characters if Doctor Doom and Iron Man are connected.

10

Captain America

The Other Face Of The MCU

Chris Evans as Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man helped make the MCU the behemoth it is today. The actors became the faces of the franchise, with both leading solo trilogies and starring in four Avengers movies alongside one another. Evans and Downey left the MCU at the same time, with Tony Stark dying and Steve Rogers retiring in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Interestingly, 2024 would be the year of their return.

Before Downey was announced as Doctor Doom, Evans appeared as his version of Johnny Storm from the 2000s Fantastic Four movies in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. Evans is reportedly in Avengers: Doomsday, and after the Russo Brothers’ latest comments, Steve Rogers’ inclusion becomes more likely. Doctor Doom and Iron Man will be related somehow, so Captain America could be brought back into the fold to fight the man who looks like his friend, or a multiverse Steve could be Doom’s ally.

9

War Machine

Tony Stark’s Best Friend Might Carry Some Guilt

Few characters have had a disappointing last few years in the MCU like Rhodey has. Don Cheadle’s Marvel character was originally set to lead his own project in the form of Armor Wars, which bounced between series and movie before being stuck in development hell. Adding to that is Secret Invasion. Not only was War Machine part of the MCU’s most controversial Disney+ release, but it revealed he had been a Skrull since Captain America: Civil War.

\n”‘};

window.arrayOfEmbedScripts[“instagram”] = “null”;

That means the real Rhodey was not there when Tony Stark died in Avengers: Endgame. If RDJ’s Doctor Doom is connected to Tony Stark’s death in some way, War Machine has to be present. Rhodey is someone who could be fooled by Doom if he pretends to be Stark or a good man like him. He would want to be there for his friend or a version of him.

8

Spider-Man

The MCU Hero Was Mentored By Iron Man

A lot of Spider-Man’s life and stories in the MCU have been informed by his connection to Tony Stark. While that has not always been received well by the audience, the fact that Downey is playing Doctor Doom was already enough to make his interaction with Peter Parker something to look forward to. Now that the Russo Brothers have confirmed that Iron Man’s death plays a role, this relationship is essential.

Since Spider-Man saw Iron Man as a father figure and a mentor, he is one of the most likely heroes to fall for Doctor Doom’s lies. With the newly added layer of connection between Stark and Doom, that makes it even more likely to happen. Tony was there when Peter was snapped, and Tom Holland’s hero was there when Downey’s died. Peter’s first reaction to Doom’s face will be memorable.

7

Pepper Potts

Tony Stark’s Widow Will Have Something To Say

Downey’s MCU return as Victor von Doom also raises questions about Tony Stark’s family and how involved it could be in Avengers: Doomsday. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Gwyneth Paltrow talked about the chances of her coming back as Pepper Potts, saying, “I may…we’ll see.” There are a couple of ways for how Pepper’s return could happen, as she could either be Doctor Doom’s ally or enemy.

If Doom is pretending to be Tony Stark, then Pepper would likely gravitate towards him. Even if they do not strike a romance, the mere fact that he looks and potentially acts like her deceased husband could make her side with him. However, Pepper could also be the one to tell something is off with Doom, as she knew Tony better than anyone. With her Rescue armor, she could be one of the main heroes against him.

6

Happy Hogan

Doctor Doom Could Get A Loyal Ally

Happy Hogan has not really had a major presence in most of the MCU. However, when it came to Tony Stark’s side of the franchise, he was a constant fixture. Happy and Tony developed a beautiful friendship, which was based on trust. Jon Favreau’s Marvel character promised Stark’s daughter, Morgan, that he would care for him with his emotional cheeseburger line in Avengers: Endgame.

Victor von Doom could use someone like Happy for his multiverse goals. If the Russo Brothers’ comments mean the MCU villain could be attempting to infiltrate Earth-616 by pretending to be Tony Stark, then Happy could end up being used as a guide of sorts. It would be emotional to see Favreau and Downey reuniting onscreen after years, and it would give a nostalgic feeling to Avengers: Doomsday, connecting it to the MCU’s first project.

5

The Hulk

Tony Stark’s Scientific Partner In The Avengers

Of the MCU’s original Avengers, Captain America was the one whose relationship with Iron Man was explored the most. However, another hero was more of a match for Tony Stark, and that happened to be Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk. They were the technological friends of the Avengers, which led to multiple creations, some of which include the Hulkbuster armor, Ultron, and the Vision.

Victor von Doom is as intelligent a character as Tony Stark. If he preys on his similarity to the deceased hero and puts on the facade that he is a hero trying to save the multiverse from incursions, then the Hulk would likely fall for his lies. Ruffalo’s Marvel character was willing to help Stark put “an iron dome” over the world to protect it through Ultron. If Doom uses his fear, he can take over the multiverse with Banner’s help.

4

Ironheart

Riri Williams And Tony Stark Are Linked In Marvel Comics

Ironheart is an interesting character because, as far as we know, she has no direct connection to Tony Stark in the MCU. However, Riri Williams was mentored by an AI version of Stark after his death in the comics, so there are a couple of ways the character could be connected to Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri built her suit based on Stark blueprints.

Doctor Doom’s MCU arrival could allow the MCU to have Riri interact with a possible Stark variant. Based on how Ironheart was inspired by Tony Stark’s designs, she could look up to Doom in the Avengers movie. Ironheart could also get her comic book story, being the one to unlock Stark’s AI, identify that Doom is not a good guy/Stark variant, and then alert the others.

3

White Vision

The Character’s Creation Could Return To Play A Role

After Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War, White Vision was created in Disney+’s WandaVision. He will now get his own spinoff series, which will be released in 2026. That would allow the project to have connective tissue with Avengers: Doomsday, as both will be released in the same year. While his actual body was created on Ultron’s orders, Vision’s personality came from JARVIS, which is a feat shared by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.

The Vision series will focus on White Vision remembering his past. That may be why James Spader’s Ultron will appear in the show despite his death. As such, since Tony Stark was one of his creators and Vision’s memories date back to JARVIS, the character could feel drawn to Doctor Doom. If the villain’s actions seem morally right on the outside, Doom would likely manage to convince Vision to join him rather easily.

2

Doctor Strange

The MCU Hero Knew Iron Man Had To Die

Doctor Strange is one of the MCU heroes who has the most chances of aligning with Doctor Doom. Strange could be carrying some guilt over the fact that he knew Tony Stark had to sacrifice himself, so the heroes could win against Thanos but kept it a secret. Upon seeing that Doom and Iron Man share the same face, Strange could feel compelled to help Downey’s new MCU character.

Another layer to their possible partnership is that Strange knows a lot about the multiverse. He was last seen going with Charlize Theron’s Clea to stop an incursion. As such, he knows how destructive they can be. Strange was also told that the biggest threat to the universe was Doctor Strange. He could team up with Victor von Doom to prove the opposite, but ends up destroying the multiverse, as Doom takes over, and playing into that prophecy of sorts.

1

Nick Fury

The Creator Of the Avengers Is Still Around

Finally, Nick Fury and Doctor Doom’s interactions could be a throwback to the relationship that built the MCU. Fury was the one who came up with The Avengers Initiative and recruited Tony Stark for his superhero team. The two did not interact as much as the years pᴀssed, but with Downey returning to the franchise now as Doctor Doom and Samuel L. Jackson still in the MCU, that could be corrected.

Secret Invasion showed that Fury was back on the top of his game. With the multiverse on the line and incursions about to plague the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, he could ᴀssemble a multiversal squad to take on the threats. As he recruited Iron Man for the Avengers, Fury could be the one to get Doctor Doom to help the MCU’s heroes with incursions, but Victor von Doom would have a hidden agenda to be revealed later in Avengers: Doomsday.

All Announced Upcoming MCU Movies

• 
  
  

  
  

  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  MCU Spider-Man 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse