One of the biggest unanswered questions from the recent Avengers: Doomsday plot leak was whether Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom will be part of the movie's story.
The Oscar-winner spent the better part of a decade suiting up as the MCU's Iron Man, and while over seven years will have passed since Tony Stark died in Avengers: Endgame when Doomsday arrives in theaters, the casting still feels intentional.
After all, Downey and Iron Man were always a major selling point for movies like The Avengers, Captain America: Civil War, and even Spider-Man: Homecoming. With that in mind, will Marvel Studios really keep his face hidden beneath a mask?
John Campea chimed in while discussing the speculation about how a potential Spider-Man: Brand New Day post-credits scene could set the stage for the next Avengers movie.
"One of the rumors about Doomsday that we did confirm for people is that they do not reveal Robert Downey Jr.'s face as Doctor Doom," he shared. "[I] want to make sure I'm careful about what I say after that."
"Just generally speaking, they don't reveal Tony Stark's face or Robert Downey Jr.'s face in Doomsday, and that the repercussions of that and the reasons for that and all that kind of stuff is something they're saving for Secret Wars," Campea added.
So, it may not be a plot point in Avengers: Doomsday, but it is something that Marvel Studios intends to explore in Secret Wars. If Victor Von Doom uses Loki's stolen power to create a new reality, perhaps he'll also give himself the face of Earth-616's greatest hero, even if it's just to mock those from the reality that helped cause Earth-828's destruction (via Steve Rogers).
While not new information if you read that recent leak, @MyTimeToShineH is reporting, "Yes, it's true Doom kills Steve's son in front of him in one of the most shocking moments in [Avengers: Doomsday]."
Let us know your thoughts on this latest Doom rumour in the comments section.
Avengers: Doomsday officially stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, and India Rose Hemsworth all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum. The trades have pointed to Ryan Reynolds and Hayley Atwell also appearing in Avengers: Doomsday.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to help.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.