After a long hiatus, Robert Downey Jr. is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making an unbilled appearance as Doctor Doom in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps“. This character’s return seems perfectly designed to reconnect Downey with his roots at Marvel Studios. During San Diego Comic-Con 2024, it was confirmed that Downey would be bringing Victor Von Doom to life. Initially, it was hinted that he would only appear in 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday” and 2027’s “Avengers: Secret Wars“. Fans have been speculating ever since about how Doctor Doom might tie into Downey’s earlier role as Tony Stark’s Iron Man.
As a devoted film enthusiast, I’ve been buzzing with the speculation swirling around – could it be that Doctor Doom is actually a Tony Stark variant hailing from Earth 828? Or, might Marvel Studios be delving into Stark’s adoption backstory in the MCU? While the specifics of how Marvel will clarify why Doom mirrors Stark remain vague, there’s another intriguing link between these legendary characters that demands further examination in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. You see, both Iron Man and Doctor Doom don metallic armored suits, which led Downey to quip last year about a “new mask, same task.” Could it be that these suits share more similarities than initially thought? This tantalizing connection is ripe for exploration in the upcoming movie.
Doctor Doom Doesn’t Use Nanotech for His MCU Costume
In the main storyline of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” Reed Richards, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, along with Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, face off against Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson. Galactus aimed to seize the Power Cosmic hidden within Reed and Sue’s newborn son, Franklin. With the assistance of Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer, portrayed by Julia Garner, they manage to save Franklin, allowing him to develop into a bright young boy. The mid-credits scene of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” unfolds four years after Galactus’ attack on Earth, introducing another menacing villain.
In the mid-credits scene of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” it was none other than Robert Downey Jr., disguised as Doctor Doom, who made an unannounced appearance, marking his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without any credits. Though we didn’t catch a glimpse of Doom’s face, Franklin Richards was there, extending his hand towards the hooded villain, who held up his metal mask and revealed what seemed to be scarred skin beneath. This significant detail about Doctor Doom’s armor was revealed – it won’t utilize nanotechnology. This means that Robert Downey Jr. will retrace his steps back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by embodying Doom, as Iron Man’s original suits also steered clear of nanotech.
In both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Secret Wars”, Doctor Doom is set to wear a tangible armor that requires assembly, amplifying his intimidating and lifelike villain persona. Much like Tony Stark did in the initial stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Doom might have crafted this armor himself, lending it a personal touch and genuine appeal. This approach seems fitting for Doctor Doom, as it harks back to Iron Man’s early adventures when he donned suits that demanded physical preparation before nanotechnology became his focus in later years.
Why Iron Man Became So Reliant On Nanotech in the MCU’s Infinity Saga
2008’s “Iron Man” introduced Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, a role that became synonymous with him for the following decade within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Notably, this film featured several instances where Stark donned and removed his initial, hefty Iron Man suits, sometimes with difficulty – one scene even humorously implied that Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) had witnessed him engaging in less savory activities in his workshop. These scenes of Stark entering and exiting the Iron Man suit resonated strongly with audiences, and subsequent movies continued to creatively depict this process.
In 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” Stark donned an armored suit that emerged from a briefcase, while in 2012’s “The Avengers,” he was equipped with a geo-locked suit during his descent from the top of Stark Tower. In 2013’s “Iron Man 3,” Stark put his new microchip-activated armor to the test, complete with a festive rendition of “Jingle Bells.” The following year in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Iron Man was fitted with an even larger suit of armor, the Hulkbuster, which demonstrated its might by battling the Hulk (portrayed by Mark Ruffalo). Since then, Stark has progressed to using nanotechnology for his armor.
As a die-hard fan of Marvel Cinematic Universe, I must admit that the nanotech Iron Man suits showcased in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and its sequel, Avengers: Endgame, certainly gave off an air of advanced technology and sleekness. However, these scenes didn’t quite capture the enchantment and charm of earlier suit-up sequences. The nanotech undeniably made donning the armor more convenient and equipped Stark with a wider array of weapons and gadgets than ever before – many of which proved crucial in the battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin). Yet, I can’t help but eagerly anticipate Doctor Doom’s return to the MCU with his physical armor, especially since Robert Downey Jr. is set to be at the helm. This only serves to heighten my excitement for the upcoming movie, Doomsday.
https://comicbook.com/movies/news/every-mcu-character-iron-man-suit-ironheart-war-machine/embed/#
Read More
- Minecraft lets you get the Lava Chicken song in-game — but it’s absurdly rare
- Gold Rate Forecast
- PS5’s ChinaJoy Booth Needs to Be Seen to Be Believed
- Lewis Capaldi Details “Mental Episode” That Led to Him “Convulsing”
- Wrestler Marcus “Buff” Bagwell Undergoes Leg Amputation
- Cyberpunk 2077’s Patch 2.3 is Here and It’s Another Excellent Overhaul
- Yungblud Vows to Perform Ozzy Osbourne Song “Every Night”
- Elden Ring Nightreign’s Patch 1.02 update next week is adding a feature we’ve all been waiting for since launch — and another I’ve been begging for, too
- Rob Schneider’s Happy Gilmore 2 Role Is Much Different Than We Thought It’d Be
- AI-powered malware eludes Microsoft Defender’s security checks 8% of the time — with just 3 months of training and “reinforcement learning” for around $1,600
2025-08-17 16:14