Robert Downey Jr. could be back as Iron Man inAvengers: Doomsday, as a newMarvel Cinematic Universeupdate boosts the Tony Stark return theories. 2019’sAvengers: Endgamemarked the end of an era for theMCU’s Avengers movies, the MCU as a whole, and Downey. It wasthe final time RDJ played Tony Starkin the Marvel Studios franchise.
I was heartbroken by Iron Man’s death, but his sacrifice as the MCU’s first hero to take down Thanos was perfect forAvengers: Endgame. It wasthe ideal ending to the Infinity Saga, as it felt like everything had been building up to that point. Due to that, I never expected Downey to be back in the MCU years later.
Avengers: Doomsday’s castwill be led by the actor, with Robert Downey Jr. now playing Doctor Doom. Ever since Downey was announced to have returned for the twoupcoming Avengers movies, theories about howthat could lead to Iron Man coming back to the MCUhave become increasingly popular. Now, those Iron ManAvengers: Doomsdaytheories have gotten an interesting boost.
Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU Return Opened The Door To Iron Man Coming Back
The Actor Could Easily Pull Off Double Duty
At first, the focus of the theories was that Downey could be playingan Iron Man variant from the multiverse that had become Doctor Doomin some way. However, it is important to note that when he was announced for the MCU’s next two Avengers movies, it was revealed that not only was he playing Doctor Doom, but Victor von Doom.
That is the original and most popular version of Doctor Doom. As such, I don’t believe that Downey’s Doctor Doom will be revealed as the Tony Stark from another universe inAvengers: Doomsday. Honestly,that would cheapen Doctor Doom’s MCU arrival. However, the fact that Downey is now open to coming back to the MCU in a major role is intriguing.
The actor went on to win an Oscar for his work in director Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer, yet here he is back at Marvel Studios.
After Iron Man died inAvengers: Endgame, I feared that would be the last we saw of Downey in the MCU. The actor went on to win an Oscar for his work in director Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer, yet here he is back at Marvel Studios.If Downey is game to play Doctor Doom, then Iron Man coming back is not far-fetched.
Multiple MCU Actors Have Already Played Multiverse Variants
The MCU Multiverse Saga Leaves Many Doors Open
What he might not want is to see Iron Man resurrected. On that, I would agree, as Tony Stark’s MCU arc was beautifully closed byAvengers: Endgame. However, that is far from the only way Marvel could bring Iron Man back inAvengers: Doomsday. In that movie,Stark cracked the code to time travel. Iron Man could return from before his death.
As the upcoming Avengers movies are part of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, they present an even simpler path for Iron Man’s MCU return.Robert Downey Jr. could play an Iron Man variant — or more — from another universe. Many MCU actors have already gone down the path of playing variants of their characters, and even new stars have taken on popular roles.
For instance, MCU stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and Tom Hiddleston have played multiverse versions of Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Witch, and Loki.Chris Evans, who also left the MCU with 2019’sAvengers: Endgame, like Downey, recently returnedto the franchise as a version of Johnny Storm, whom he played in two Fantastic Four movies, in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine.
Robert Downey Jr. Shared A Comic Book That Could Connect To Iron Man’s Avengers: Doomsday Return
The Doctor Doom Actor Has Been Sharing Many Teases
Based on all of that, the fact thatRobert Downey Jr. shared a new Avengers videothat teases Iron Man isjust the boost that the Iron Man MCU return theories were looking for. WhileAvengers: Doomsdayis filming, the actor took to social media to share a new video that included two Marvel comics. One of them caught my eye.
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While the first was a Secret Wars issue from the 2015 event, which makes sense, as it inspires 2027’sAvengers: Secret Warsand features Doctor Doom heavily, the other had an Iron Man tease.Doctor Doom and Iron Man, Downey’s two MCU characters, can be seen facing offon the cover of the comic book shared by Downey.
That comic happens to beIron Man: Legacy of Doom, which prominently features Iron Man and Doctor Doom in a story of betrayal and shocking reveals. Iron Man helps Doctor Doom in Hell, but is betrayed, as the villain made a deal with Mephisto for the devil to take Tony Stark. They later end up saving the world together.
What Role Could RDJ’s Iron Man Play In Avengers: Doomsday If He Returns?
The MCU Movie Is Bound To Feature Many Surprises
If Iron Man were to return inAvengers: Doomsday, I could see a few different paths for him. Since Downey plays Doctor Doom, the villain will have the same face as the MCU hero. He could use that to manipulate the Avengers, and after realizing they were played,the heroes pluck the original Tony Stark from before his death.
A multiverse variant of Iron Manappearing as Doctor Doom attempts to control all universes and we see the heroes multiverse-hopping would also make sense for the film. That Iron Man could join the heroes to save his universe. As for the comic book Downey shared, its focus on Iron Man and Doctor Doom fighting boosts theAvengers: Doomsdaytheories.
