Robert Downey Jr. will officially return to the MCU in Avengers 5, the title of which has been changed from Avengers: Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday. The former Iron Man/Tony Stark actor will be essaying the role of Doctor Doom, as revealed in the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con by Kevin Feige and the man himself.
While the Russo Brothers, who will be directing Doomsday and Secret Wars, have explicitly referred to the character as Victor von Doom, RDJ’s ‘new mask, same task’ comment has hinted at the fact that there is some similarity between the roles he would be playing.
Given that Doctor Doom and Iron Man have been the same person in the wake of Civil War II, under the title the Infamous Iron Man, the MCU might be giving us a Doctor Doom that is indeed a variant of Tony Stark.
Who is the Infamous Iron Man?
Marvel’s Civil War II saw Tony Stark face off against Captain Marvel, over an Inhuman named Ulysses, who could predict the future. While Captain Marvel wanted to harness this ability to capture and incarcerate criminals before they could have a chance to commit the crime, Tony Stark vehemently opposed it. After the latter was ‘killed’ in the story, Doctor Doom embarked on his own adventure, assuming the identity of Iron Man to meet his goals.
The Doctor Doom that we see in the MCU, played by Robert Downey Jr., may come from a world where after the events of Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers never needed to assemble in the capacity that they did while fighting Thanos, which led to a deeper schism between Tony and Steve.
While there were no Inhumans involved, this could have led to a second Civil War between the factions of the Avengers, leading to Tony taking a more fascist stand with the Government to hunt and subdue Captain America.
Tony Stark could have been given the monicker of Doctor Doom by the public of his universe
Tony Stark, becoming more and more paranoid about the state of affairs in his world, could aid the government in shutting down threats, becoming more and more authoritarian in his approach. While there might be no Thanos in his universe, an attack in 2012 could still happen with Loki receiving assistance from a different backer, which could leave Stark paranoid and anxious.
This could lead to a classic setting, wherein a reversal of the comics, Stark is given the mantle of Doctor Doom by the people, perhaps as a way to mock him, who then embraces it in earnest to fight for a better world.
This version of Doom, like his counterpart in the comics, could be aware of the fact that mankind is only prosperous under him, which could motivate him to become God Emperor Doom so that he can create a world that is free of anxieties that have plagued him since New York.
