Avengers: Doomsday Will Answer The Biggest Doctor Doom & Tony Stark Question, Promises The Russo Bros

Doctor Doom and Tony Stark’s connection will be answered in Avengers: Doomsday.

Amid the middle of a chaotic Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios reassembled some of the biggest talents from the Infinity Saga for its next culminating event. Joe and Anthony Russo are back behind the lens for Avengers: Doomsday, while Chris Evans is reprising his role as Steve Rogers. All of these are exciting, but arguably the most interesting one from the bunch is Robert Downey Jr.’s return, as he isn’t playing Iron Man in the film, instead, taking on an entirely new role in Doctor Doom.

When the news of Downey Jr.’s comeback first broke, the response was divided. There were fans who were thrilled about his comeback, considering how important the actor was in the Infinity Saga. He was also the best marketing force behind the franchise outside Disney and Marvel Studios’ official machinery. Understandably, there were skeptics who saw it as a desperate move from the MCU to recapture its glory years. Regardless, the Russos are promising that there’s a reason why Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom looks like Stark.

In a new interview with Soundsphere, Joe and Anthony answered an interesting question about the matter. Apparently, Avengers: Doomsday features a scene where it’s explained why Doctor Doom looks like the MCU’s inaugural hero. While the Russos were careful with what they share, they promised that bringing back Downey Jr. and having him play the franchise’s new villain is fully justified. Read their full quotes below:

Joe: No better actor in the world than Robert Downey. I’m not going to give away anything. It will all make sense when you watch the movies. What we love about telling these stories is that they’re serialized. This is a giant experiment. Nobody’s ever done anything like this before. Marvel’s unique. You’re taking all these different franchises and combining them into overarching stories. If you’re a fan of the comics like I was, I still have my comic book collection. I’m 54 years old and the idea of…That’s shifting and changing and surprising you and then reinventing itself and then shifting and changing and then surprising you. That’s exciting. So get ready for it. We were with Robert earlier and we’re both talking about this concept that we are back to phase zero. This is starting over from scratch. We want to make sure everybody feels like we’re not leaning on anything from the past. This is going to be a you’ll see when you see the movie, a complete new direction.

Anthony: You know what an incredible performer Robert is, and it’s a brand new character that you can’t even guess at.

Avengers: Doomsday explaining why two of its most prominent characters share one face was expected, but it’s still great to have that confirmation right now. Ultimately, it will boil down to whether Marvel Studios is able to justify their reasoning, as there’s also the risk of seeing it fall flat. The Russos sound very confident with the route that they are taking, although it’s equal parts interesting and anxiety-inducing to learn that they are embarking on a “giant experiment” at this point in the franchise’s history.

It’s no secret that a lot is riding on Avengers: Doomsday‘s success. The MCU is currently in an important juncture, and it isn’t an exaggeration to say that how the film is received will likely decide its long-term future. Despite the skepticism about bringing established MCU talents for the film and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s arguably Marvel Studios’ best bet in securing its next Saga.

For now, everyone is looking forward to when a proper first look at the film will drop. Avengers: Doomsday‘s CinemaCon 2026 trailer has yet to be released publicly, and with tickets supposedly going on sale next week and San Diego Comic-Con scheduled for before the month ends, Marvel Studios has a couple of avenues to finally roll it out. Whether it will feature Downey Jr.’s face as Doctor Doom without the mask is uncertain.

Avengers: Doomsday

Release Date

December 18, 2026

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  Vanessa Kirby

  Sue Storm / Invisible Woman

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  Johnny Storm / Human Torch

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  Ebon Moss-Bachrach

  Ben Grimm / The Thing