Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom comes to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe courtesy of a stunning piece of fan art. Victor von Doom (Downey Jr.) stares menacingly at his prey in a faux movie poster created for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film, which drops in theaters during the summer of 2026. The Fantastic Four’s most feared enemy is pictured without his mask in the image (below), and his complexion is marred by green-tinted scars. The social media user who posted the imaginative film fixture wrote (via Instagram):

“New Mask, Same Task.
DOOMSDAY.
Does it make sense? No. Am I excited? F*CK YES!
I’m probably just riding the high that was the SDCC Marvel Panel.
Felt like the old days with all the reveals.
The Doom one in specific felt a lot like in Hall H. We’ll see how they explain it.
I hope there is a multiversal explanation as opposed to just a ‘RDJ is just playing a different role.’
What do y’all think of this decision?”

Downey Jr. turned the MCU’s multiverse upside down during the Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con panel last weekend when the Oscar-winning actor came out disguised on stage with a number of other Doctor Dooms shrouded in emerald costumes. With the Russo brothers present, and teasing that only one actor could play the next Avengers villain, RDJ came forward, pulled off his mask and preened for those in attendance.

Avengers: Doomsday Release Date May 1, 2026 Studio Marvel Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Expand

RDJ’s Return Is Only the Beginning

It’s been a huge couple of weeks for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadpool & Wolverine has reinvigorated the MCU at the box office, thanks to its global haul of $824.1 million in just two weekends of release. RDJ shocked the whole world by leaving Tony Stark/Iron Man in the past, as he takes up the mantle of Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. And Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spared no expense in bringing back not only Downey Jr., but Joe and Anthony Russo, too.

The directors behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame will usher in the RDJ/Doctor Doom age as the Russo brothers will helm not only Avengers: Doomsday, but Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), too. And they will be paid handsomely for their efforts, as reports reveal they’ll receive $40 million for their work on each film ($80 million total).

RDJ, who is also rumored to be making a cameo in Fantastic Four: First Steps, will make “considerably more” than $80 million (per Variety) for portraying the masked Victor von Doom in Doomsday and Secret Wars. And the MCU seems to have taken a hard left turn after the disappointing results garnered by both Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels.

Related Marvel Movie Curiously Disappears from New Release Schedule Surprisingly, Blade still appears on Marvel’s movie release schedule, but another project’s date has been removed.

Downey Jr.’s involvement in Avengers 5 and 6 has without question created a buzz of excitement and anticipation for the MCU’s future that no one can deny — whether it’s good or bad that he is suiting up as Doctor Doom. And with that interesting little scene between the Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) and the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) in Deadpool & Wolverine, another beloved anti-hero seems likely to be headed for an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars.

While the whole world speculates, it’s easy to see how a cast featuring the likes of Downey Jr., Reynolds, Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson and Benedict Cumberbatch would result in a massive cinematic event at the box office in 2026 and 2027 — helmed, of course, by the Russo brothers. If the perfect storm comes together in cinemas, it seems the DCU might have just missed its window to compete with the MCU.

Avengers: Doomsday
opens in
May 2026,
while
Avengers: Secret Wars
drops a year later in
May 2027.