A new Avengers: Doomsday theory connects the movie to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest release so far, explaining how Robert Downey Jr. could be playing Iron Man in the upcoming film. At this time, Downey is only expected to give life to Doctor Doom, leading the cast of the next Avengers movie as its main villain. However, Iron Man could return.

After all, with the actor now back in the MCU for the next two Avengers movies, the door is open for RDJ to pull double duty. Marvel Studios would not even have to undo the most shocking decision of one of the MCU’s best movies, which was Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame. Time travel and the multiverse could bring back Tony Stark.

In the 2019 MCU movie, the Avengers invented time travel. Both Bruce Banner and Stark worked on it, with the latter being the one behind making it work for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, allowing them to defeat Thanos. While the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, as its name states, focuses on different universes, time travel has also played a key role in it.

The MCU’s Multiverse Saga Made Time Travel Very Important

Perhaps the MCU’s best TV show on Disney+, Loki explored time travel more than any other MCU project. The series introduced the concept of the Time Variance Authority, which exists outside of time and regulates it. The TVA has access to Timedoors, opened by the agents’ TemPads, which take them anywhere, at any time. Loki time-traveled a lot.

That was meant to connect heavily to the MCU’s next two Avengers movies. Initially, Marvel’s 2026 Avengers film was тιтled The Kang Dynasty, exploring Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror and the multiversal team of Kang variants known as the Council of Kangs. However, the villain has since been forgotten, as Marvel fired Majors and replaced Kang with Doctor Doom.

Avengers: Doomsday Can Continue Using Time Travel – Iron Man MCU Return Theory

While Kang the Conqueror is out, Marvel Studios can still use time travel in Avengers: Doomsday in a major way. The plot device emerges as a powerful solution to how Marvel could bring back Downey’s Iron Man without having to resurrect Tony Stark. A new Avengers: Doomsday theory connects Iron Man’s possible MCU return to an Avengers: Endgame quote.

After Thanos strikes and destroys the Avengers Compound in Endgame, Stark turns to Chris Evans’ Captain America and says, “You mess with time, it tends to mess back.” At face value, the line is directed towards the Avengers’ time travel, leading to Thanos from the past following them to the future and striking when the original Thanos had already died.

According to the Avengers: Doomsday theory, Iron Man knew that Thanos would come and that he would die to stop him, when he uttered that quote. Tony Stark knew that because the heroes would time-travel to the past to get his help to stop Doctor Doom. As such, in Endgame, he had already lived through Doomsday and Secret Wars‘ events.

Why Time Travel Is Perfect For The MCU’s Next Avengers Movies

Even though the multiverse will be the main plot device of the next two Avengers movies, they could still use time travel in a major way. Sure, Doomsday and Secret Wars could bring back the original Avengers stars as different versions of their characters by pulling them from other universes. However, time travel could see the original Avengers all return.

Having the original versions of the Avengers, not random multiverse variants, feels like a more impactful use of the characters as the MCU nears Avengers: Secret Wars‘ plan of rebooting the franchise in a way. Connecting the film and its predecessor to Endgame, which also marked the end of an era, makes perfect sense for Iron Man’s possible Avengers: Doomsday return.