After a long time without knowing anything about Robert Downey Jr.‘s future in the MCU, it is finally known what will happen in the next phase. The actor has confirmed that he will return, but not as Iron Man, instead as Doctor Doom.
The revelation took place at an event organized by the Marvel panel during the San Diego Comic-Con . Hundreds of fans were present, and after a mysterious entrance, he appeared in a green outfit, saying: “New mask, same task“.
As expected, fans quickly reacted and the crowd erupted in cheers. The excitement was truly palpable, but so were the questions about the character. Check here to see if Victor Von Doom is a variant of Tony Stark…
Is Doctor Doom the evil variant of Tony Stark?
No! Doctor Doom and Tony Stark are distinct characters with very different origins and trajectories. However, in some alternative versions and parallel universes within the multiverse, there are interesting variants.
There is a version known as “Iron Doom“, which is a combination of Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom. In this variant, Doom obtains the Iron Man armor and combines his intellect and abilities with the power of Stark technology.
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In the comic series “Infamous Iron Man”, which ran from 2016 to 2018 and is part of the main universe, the Doctor becomes Iron Man after the events that lead Tony Stark to retire.
In this series, he assumes the mantle of Iron Man with the intention of redeeming himself and proving he can be a hero. Although he is not a variant of Stark, it does show how Victor becomes a heroic figure similar to the Avengers icon.
Why was Robert Downey Jr. cast as Doctor Doom?
Before Robert Downey Jr. was chosen to play Iron Man, the Marvel Studios production team considered him for the role of Doctor Doom in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie (which ended up being a great success).
The Direct reported that this prior consideration has made fans even more eager to see his performance in Avengers: Doomsday (to be released on May 2026), especially given the MCU’s multiverse concepts.
The revelation of the star as Victor Von Doom, which took place at Marvel’s panel at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, has become one of the 15 most-viewed videos on Instagram, with 212 million views.