Nothing is gone from the MCU forever. Marvel‘s first project of 2025 makes that much clear, as Captain America: Brave New World will bring back Tim Blake Nelson’s the Leader for the first time since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Seeing as not many fans were scrambling to see the guy with the funky forehead again 17 years later, you might’ve thought this would win the prize for unlikeliest MCU comeback. And yet an Disney Plus show is about to snag the top spot. 5h494l

The Disney Plus show in question is Paul Bettany’s Vision series — originally, and maybe still, called Vision Quest. Following hot on the heels of the surprisingly successful Agatha All Along, the Vision show is yet another expansion of the WandaVision-verse, this time starring White Vision as he seeks to “regain his memory and his humanity.” Star Trek: Picard‘s Terry Matalas serves as showrunner.

Related: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ trailer brought back that iconic mask on The Mary Sue

Remarkably, Vision (/Quest) was already set to bring back a long-lost villain in the form of James Spader’s Ultron, returning for the first time since 2015’s Age of Ultron. This addition makes a lot of sense, though, considering Ultron’s ties to Vision’s creation. The latest casting news is far more head-scratching, though, as it delves all the way back to the MCU’s origins.

The MCU’s original villain is coming back (and no, it’s not Ironmonger) 6vld

According to Deadline, Faran Tahir is back in the MCU for the Vision series, reprising his role as Raza. This marks Tahir’s second ever Marvel appearance, even though he was there when the franchise took its first steps. For those that haven’t caught the 2008 film that started it all for a while (go watch it, it still holds up!), Raza is the leader of the Ten Rings terrorist cell that kidnaps Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark in Afghanistan, precipitating his creation of the first Iron Man suit.

Although Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane/Ironmonger is revealed to be the one pulling the strings by the end of the movie, Raza’s antagonistic role in the film’s first half means he really has the honor of being the original MCU villain. Even so, we never expected Tahir to come back, especially since the Ten Rings have been so thoroughly retconned since Iron Man — Shang Chi introduced the real Ten Rings and confirmed that immortal warlord Wenwu was the organization’s actual leader.

On a broader scale, Raza’s return is so unexpected because the MCU has come so far since it was about arms dealers getting held for ransom by Afghan terrorists. Something that’s attested to by the fact his second appearance is coming in a show all about a resurrected robot (whose original self was married to a witch and used to be a sitcom star). Exactly how he’ll factor into White Vision’s story is anyone’s guess.

Tahir is the fourth cast-member to be attached to Vision so far, after Bettany, Spader, and Todd Stashwick (reuniting with Matalas after Picard), who’s been hired for an unknown role. Expect more to follow as filming starts ahead of the series looking to land on Disney Plus sometime in 2026.

Everyone’s favorite deadly South Korean game show series is back! Squid Game season 2 is all set to premiere, and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has been on a press tour drumming up . He’s been asked a lot of questions, but one sticks out the most. What famous figure would win on Squid Game?

Dong-hyuk was at the Squid Game premiere event in L.A., when People asked him that very question. Interestingly, Dong-hyuk picked an Avenger. Not just any Avenger, mind you. The Avenger. The OG. The one that started it all. That’s right: Iron Man.

Not Iron Man as he is. A Squid Game competition with Iron Man in his suit would hardly be fair, and when people started getting shot and killed he would raze the place to the ground.

“Iron Man — without the suit,” Hwang said. He is of course referring to Tony Stark, one of the absolute geniuses of the Marvel Universe. Hwang thinks Stark is so smart, tough and resourceful that he would have the best chance at making a go at the games.

The first season of the show was a surprise smash back in 2021. The show has a global audience of 330 million, and it’s racked up more than 2.8 billion hours of views. Hwang Dong-hyuk originally said he wasn’t going to make a second season of the show.

“Honestly, after we had been done with Season 1, I had no intention of doing a second season, because the overall process of writing, producing and directing the series was so challenging, I didn’t think to do another one,” he told Variety.

However, once he started working on the story a second season turned into a third. The “immense success” of the show and the adoration from fans worldwide gave him the courage and motivation to keep going with the story.

“To be quite honest, it was because Season 1 was so widely loved by so many people,” Hwang said. In his daily life, he said he got asked constantly about whether the show would move forward. Because of its ambiguous ending (with Gi-hun not boarding the flight), “many people wanted to see the story further unfold.”

So what does season 2 have in store, besides lacking Robert Downey Jr.? There are going to be some new deadly games for contestants to contend with, he said. The first season saw 456 contestants play very real versions of kids games like red light, green light; hopscotch; tug of war and marbles.

“There were some [games] left over from the list of games that I had thought of for season 1,” Dong-hyuk said. “So at least for season 2, it wasn’t as hard to come up with the new games.”

The hardest game for Dong-hyuk personally, he said, would be the honeycomb challenge, where people have to carve the outline of the shape out of a hard cookie. The trick Seong used in the show, where he licked it to make it easier to manipulate, was one Dong-hyuk used himself as a child.

The second season of Squid Game premieres on Dec. 26 on Netflix.

Marvel Studios basing any of its characters on Donald Trump is mildly disturbing since he is arguably one of the most divisive human beings on the planet.

But using the former president and his newly minted side-kick Elon Musk as inspiration for Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark is enough to make anyone rethink the entire MCU.

While Trump remained off-limits, Downey was asked to share his thoughts about Musk essentially “cosplaying” Tony Stark in his everyday life during an appearance on the On with Kara Swisher podcast. “I’ve only met him a few times,” the actor said. “As an almost 60-year-old recovering white American male, I just wish that he would control his behavior a little more, but that’s not on me. I know that this idea of ‘It’s all okay ’cause we’ve gotta get to Mars’ doesn’t really hold water with me. But again, you know, you have to look at all that he’s done that demonstrates why he’s valuable.”

Interestingly, Musk made a cameo in 2010’s Iron Man 2. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene sees the billionaire meet Stark at the Monaco Grand Prix. In 2022, screenwriter Mark Fergus told New York Magazine that the appearance was fitting since Musk, Trump, and Steven Jobs were used as a blueprint for Tony Stark. “Back in the early 2000s, when we were saying, ‘Who’s an industrialist who would also be on the gossip pages? Is there even anyone like that?'” he explained. “Elon’s name was definitely in the conversation as the guy who grabbed the torch.”

“Trump was fun before he became president,” Fergus continued. “He was actually kind of a goofy celebrity. Steve Jobs was always serious and angry. He never quite had that gift of the b******t, the working the crowd that Musk has a real natural talent for. Musk took the brilliance of Jobs with the showmanship of Trump. He was the only one who had the fun factor and the celebrity vibe and actual business substance,” he added.

Despite his controversial stance on pretty much everything, the South African-born Musk has done a lot of good in of science and innovation. In 1996, he co-founded the web software company Zip2 Corporation, which provided digital city guides for newspapers. He also had a hand in creating online payment company X.com, which later became PayPal. In 2002, he founded SpaceX in an effort to revolutionize space travel (and eventually colonization) by reducing costs and creating reusable rockets for interplanetary travel.

However, Musk slowly became a controversial figure over the years. His management style at Tesla, for instance, was frequently described as harsh and demanding, leading to reports of a toxic workplace culture and lawsuits alleging discrimination and sexual harassment. Musk drew the most criticism after acquiring (and making changes to) social media site Twitter (now X) in 2022.

Musk’s more recent beliefs about world politics have been on the receiving end of backlash. His comments about resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine were seen as “pro-Russian,” upsetting Ukrainian officials and many of the country’s Western allies. His overall brash behavior on social media, along with his alignment with MAGA values, cemented his place as a symbol of division in the U.S., even though he started his life in America as an immigrant.

Hottest Electronics On Amazon This Week 3f2l6g

Photo	Title	Price	Buy
	Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds, Active Noise Cancellation, Hearing Aid Feature, Bluetooth Headphones, Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio, High-Fidelity Sound, H2 Chip, USB-C Charging	$169.00
	Bluetooth Speaker with HD Sound, Portable Wireless, IPX5 Waterproof, Up to 20H Playtime, TWS Pairing, BT5.3, for Home/Party/Outdoor/Beach, Electronic Gadgets, Birthday Gift (Black)	$26.99
	INSIGNIA 32" Class F20 Series Smart HD Fire TV, Voice Remote with Alexa, Free & Live TV	$79.99
	Blink Video Doorbell — Two-way audio, HD video, long-lasting battery life, wired or wire-free install, motion detection, chime app alerts, Works with Alexa (Black)
	Apple AirTag 4 Pack	$74.99

The Iron Man IP is in a weird place right now. Robert Downey Jr. is back at Marvel Studios, but he’s switched Tony Stark’s nanotech armor for the metal mask and green cloak of Doctor Doom. The Armored Avenger’s legacy has been left in the hands of Dominique Thorne’s Ironheart, then, whose Disney Plus series has been sitting on the shelf for years now. And that’s not even mentioning War Machine spinoff Armor Wars, which is mired in developmental problems.

At long last, though, Marvel is all set to unleash a brand-new entry in the Iron Man franchise, which this time is heading straight to Disney Plus instead of theaters. That may be because this next iteration of the character’s brand will be a little different from what we’re used to. Let’s just say don’t expect this new Tony Stark to drunkenly pee himself in his suit or make jokes about hiding zucchinis…

Marvel has a new Iron Man series coming to Disney Plus, but Downey fans will be disappointed 47463b

You know Iron Man. You may even know Iron Lad. But get ready for… Iron Tot! Marvel and Disney have just announced an unexpected new incarnation of Tony Stark — the preschool-age protagonist of a new animated series headed for Disney Junior and Disney Plus next year.

As per Variety, Iron Man and His Awesome Friends will follow Tony Stark (Mason Blomberg) and his “world-saving besties” Riri Williams (Kapri Ladd) and Amadeus Cho (Aidyn Ahn) as they battle bad guys, with a little help from Vision (David Kaye) and Gamma (Fred Tatasciore).

“To help them in their Super Hero endeavors, they each have their own Iron Suits that allow them to fly and give them each enhanced super-strength. In addition, Iron Man has a Nano-Shield; Ironheart has a Heartbeat Bubble forcefield to protect people, and Iron Hulk has his strong Iron Boom clap and Iron Hulk Stomp,” reads the official character descriptions.

Every superhero team needs an HQ, of course, and Iron Man and his awesome friends will “work out of their beachfront base, Iron Quarters (IQ), under the supervision of their superpowered android, Vision, and their furry pup, Gamma, who has her very own Iron Pup suit and accompanies the Iron Friends on many of their adventures.”

If the title and format of this show is ringing any bells that’s because it’s very clearly inspired by the success of Disney’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends animation, which similarly takes a pint-sized Peter Parker and pairs him with Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen. Confusingly, though, Awesome Friends definitely doesn’t share continuity with Spidey because the latter series already features an adult Iron Man, as voiced by John Stamos.

Naturally, Marvel fans are getting a kick out of imagining how Toddler Tony will be brought to life.

Maybe don’t expect an adaptation of Tony’s infamous alcohol addiction storyline.

Will Jarvis the butler now be Jarvis the nanny?

Believe it or not, there are avid Spidey and His Amazing Friends fans on X who aren’t here for this errant pretender.

Although ’80s kids can agree that nothing will ever beat the GOAT — Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. We’re still waiting on Firestar to make her MCU debut.

With Downey shooting Avengers: Doomsday, Ironheart releasing, and Iron Man and His Awesome Friends hitting Disney Plus, all generations of Iron Man fans should be catered for in 2025. We love it 3000.

Hot Items On Amazon This Week 4dd3u

Photo	Title	Price	Buy
	Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds, Active Noise Cancellation, Hearing Aid Feature, Bluetooth Headphones, Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio, High-Fidelity Sound, H2 Chip, USB-C Charging	$169.00
	Bluetooth Speaker with HD Sound, Portable Wireless, IPX5 Waterproof, Up to 20H Playtime, TWS Pairing, BT5.3, for Home/Party/Outdoor/Beach, Electronic Gadgets, Birthday Gift (Black)	$26.99
	Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (newest model) with AI-powered Fire TV Search, Wi-Fi 6, stream over 1.5 million movies and shows, free & live TV	$29.99
	Stanley Quencher H2.0 Tumbler with Handle and Straw 30 oz | Flowstate 3-Position Lid | Cup Holder Compatible for Travel | Insulated Stainless Steel Cup | BPA-Free | Lilac	$34.35
	Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel (SCV700-S-BR), Versatile Cookware for Large Families or Entertaining	$47.99

A lot of things can make you feel ancient. Maybe it’s watching your child grow up, which is a beautiful and heart-wrenching reminder of how quickly time es. Maybe it’s realizing your favorite movie came out 20 years ago. Or maybe it’s watching a funny interview with the stars of Agatha All Along and realizing once again that one of those stars is super, super young.

Joe Locke, who plays the noteworthy character Teen (or should we say Billy?), in the MCU‘s latest series, shared his superhero origin story in a recent interview. You’re going to want to hear this one. The actor said, “I grew up with the MCU” and explained how he was just five years old when Iron Man came out in 2008. Yes, five years old! Locke’s equally hilarious costar, Kathryn Hahn looked flabbergasted at this, which was when he said jokingly, “You’re all so old!”

Locke continued by saying Marvel was “an integral part of my childhood,” which is a sobering thought. It’s also another reminder that no matter how astute and wise he is, he’s still only 21 years old. For comparison, when Iron Man came out in 2008, Hahn, who is 51, was 35. So, it’s no wonder she had that exasperated reaction. This whole thing is even more mind-boggling when you realize 2010 was 14 years ago and not just yesterday.

Locke has talked about being a Marvel fan elsewhere, and every time he brings his sharp sense of humor, intelligence, and frankness to an interview, it’s a good day. In April 2024, he told Variety what is perhaps the biggest understatement ever uttered when he acknowledged the difference between the Heartstopper fandom, who adore him for his character Charlie, and the Marvel fandom, who always have a critique at the ready. “Marvel fans are very open with their opinions. But they’re not in a Marvel show, so—” Here he blew a raspberry. “I’m doing the one thing that they really wish they could be doing. Sorry!” It may be harsh, but he speaks the truth.

Imagine having the delightful experience of watching Iron Man as a kid and then, 16 years later, playing a character whose identity reconfigures the entire MCU and whose big reveal goes down in history as one of the franchise’s best. Sure, everyone would probably feel better if Locke didn’t share that he was a child when he first got into Marvel, but does anyone actually get the chance to star in the very fandom they have ired for so long? Maybe he’s right and people really are just envious. Of course, Locke has put in hard work and deserves everything he gets. Before being cast as Charlie Spring in Netflix’s Heartstopper, which premiered in 2022, he acted in several plays while growing up, but for the most part, he’s a relative newcomer in the Hollywood scene. And look at him now!

Locke isn’t a kid anymore, though, and he had that quintessential coming-of-age experience when filming Agatha All Along that everyone hopes for. Sure, you might feel like a grown-up when you move away for college or get your first apartment, and Locke experienced this while starring in a Marvel project. But, you know, it’s still relatable. The actor told Rolling Stone UK he “matured a lot” when filming the series. He said, ‘This is adult sh*t. I’m going into this on the same plane as everyone else.”

Everyone is glad Locke ed the MCU and has brought his glorious talent to Agatha All Along, but hopefully, he doesn’t say anything else that makes us feel old. I, for one, already don’t understand all the slang kids these days use on TikTok and I don’t need any more reminders about the age of time.

In a surprise to no one, the new Deadpool sequel is on the fast track to making Marvel history. After being officially inducted into the MCU, Deadpool & Wolverine has blazed past other comic book movies of its ilk.

The film accomplishes what was once thought possible in luring Hugh Jackman back into the role of Wolverine. Decades after his big screen debut as the ferocious Canadian character, he returns as a Wolverine variant who agrees to help Wade (Ryan Reynolds) save his world — albeit reluctantly. The third Deadpool film seamlessly integrated the Merc With the Mouth into this reality, as well as providing a love letter to a Marvel era that is no more. Deadpool 3 was a return to form for many fans as the brand has faltered in recent years in the court of public opinion. But it shows no signs of slowing down at the box office as it approaches one of the less beloved features of Marvel canon.

Deadpool & Wolverine continues to climb box office charts as it boasts the title of 7th highest-grossing MCU movie of all time. This means it will be supplanting former chart holder, Iron Man 3. As many noted on X, this is an odd milestone, considering how the film is ed in pop culture.

The film has always been divisive with fans, particularly with how comic villain, The Mandarin is adapted. Providing a twist on how the character is portrayed in the comics, Iron Man 3 casts Guy Pearce in the role. Well, sort of. The L.A. Confidential star plays Aldrich Killian, CEO of Advanced Idea Mechanics. Similar to the Winter Solider program, he uses an experiment called Extremis to make super soldiers which he uses for terrorist activities. To hide his plans, he casts actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) to act as a known extremist, The Mandarin, taking credit for these activities.

In intervening years, this concept became a little controversial, particularly after the premiere of Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings. In the film, it surmises that Killian was not in fact The Mandarin. This character is actually Shang-Chi’s (Simu Liu) father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung Chiu-wai). Trevor even makes an appearance in the film to reinforce the idea that many have been taking on the moniker because they are inspired by Wenwu’s activities. Iron Man 3 certainly won’t be considered one of the best films in the franchise — or even in the Iron Man pantheon — but it seemed to do well enough at the box office.

This result is most likely thanks to Shane Black, who holds a lot of weight in the entertainment industry. After Robert Downey Jr. collaborated with the director in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, the actor suggested Black to helm the new Iron Man film. What it does, it does well. Like any Black venture, it takes place at Christmas and takes on internal struggles, such as Tony grappling with PTSD post-Chitauri attack. And of course, it has the humor fans are used to. Fans may not have connected to it as a good Marvel film, but it was a great Shane Black movie. Deadpool and Wolverine ittedly has more crossover appeal, making it no surprise that the new film is climbing its way to the top.

In 1883, the volcanic Indonesian island known as Krakatoa erupted, causing an explosion that clocked in at about 172 decibels. This was roughly one-third of the volume of Hall H when Robert Downey Jr. was revealed as the MCU‘s Doctor Doom during San Diego Comic-Con.

Indeed, as far as the fans are concerned, the Oppenheimer Oscar winner is the North Star when it comes to endorphins, and given Marvel’s apparent commitment to fan service after the show that Deadpool & Wolverine put on, roping Downey Jr. back into the fray was a financial no-brainer.

It’s only a financial no-brainer, however, in that it’s a particularly steep investment in equal measure. By a firm distance, Downey Jr. is the highest-paid Marvel actor ever, and with Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars reportedly set to net him even more money, no one’s going to be catching up with him any time soon.

All this begs the question; how did we get here? Here’s how much money Downey Jr. pocketed from each Marvel movie he had a hand in.

Iron Man — $2 million 5216e

Just as we all have to start somewhere, we also all need to start over somewhere. For Downey Jr., that was the shoes of Tony Stark, which he was paid $2 million to fill in 2008’s Iron Man film, and later in a brief cameo in The Incredible Hulk. His salary initially began at $500,000, but a share of the film’s profits (Iron Man made $585.8 million at the box office) brought the final tally in and around $2 million.

The inaugural MCU film and one of the superhero genre’s finest flicks ever, Iron Man flew on the back of what would become one of the defining performances of a generation; a performance that Downey Jr. brought to roaring life until the very end (which, evidently, wasn’t quite the end in the purest sense).

Iron Man 2 — $10 million 4u2k6o

Downey Jr. received a pretty significant pay raise for Iron Man 2, going from $2 million to $10 million in what would be the first of many payday increases for the leading man, who very quickly became figuratively (and perhaps literally) essential to the Marvel organism.

That said, one would be forgiven for thinking that the additional $8 million on Downey Jr.’s salary came out of Iron Man 2‘s storytelling budget. This to say that, for those who can look past Downey Jr.’s nostalgic x-factor, it’s clear he doesn’t render the franchise completely bulletproof.

Spider-Man: Homecoming — Between $10 million and $15 million 1h4b5o

By 2017, Downey was able to get a salary equal to or greater than his Iron Man 2 payday with a fraction of the screentime. Such was the case in Spider-Man: Homecoming, where Downey Jr. was paid between $10 million and $15 million to appear in a relatively small ing role.

Tom Holland, the MCU’s Spider-Man, would go on to make $10 million for his work on the bombastic and lucrative Spider-Man: No Way Home, in case you needed a scale for how deeply Marvel and its fanbase valued (and continue to value, evidently) Downey Jr.’s presence.

The Avengers — $50 million 681u6c

When it came time for the Avengers to first assemble back in 2012, it was abundantly clear just how all-in Marvel was about propping Downey Jr. up as their MVP, with a $50 million paycheck landing in Downey Jr.’s pocket for his work on The Avengers. The sum includes both box office bonuses and back-end compensation.

Reportedly, Downey Jr.’s Marvel compatriots Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo all made just $3 million from the film at the end of the day. Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson, meanwhile, clocked out of Avengers with $6 million each. As with Holland, the gulf in those numbers speaks for themselves.

Iron Man 3 — $50 million 3w1710

The $50 million payday continued with Tony Stark’s third solo outing in Iron Man 3. After kicking off Phase One with Downey Jr., it probably made sense in Marvel’s mind to kick off Phase Two with him, too.

In many ways, they were correct; the film snagged $1.2 billion at the box office and was a critical success, although it remains rather divisive in the realm of the MCU fandom. But, as long as Downey Jr. is involved, the complaints will probably never truly take center stage there (which, we assume, is the logic that was applied when he was cast as Doctor Doom).

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — $50 million apiece, reportedly 6z4i5y

That’s right folks, if these numbers are accurate, a $100 million payday is on the horizon for Downey Jr. as he prepares to step into the shoes of Victor Von Doom, with $50 million due to come from Doomsday, and another $50 million due to come from Secret Wars.

It is, of course, hard to say at this point how things are going to shake out for the franchise as we approach the Multiverse Saga’s attempt at the Thanos-level one-two punch. Indeed, with Downey Jr.’s casting already being dubbed by many as a desperate attempt by the MCU to fan-service its way to box office victory rather than actually make good movies, Doomsday might just end up being too apt a title for the next Avengers film.

Avengers: Age of Ultron — Between $50 million and $80 million r384f

His highest unofficial payday yet, Downey Jr.’s second participation in the Avengers ensemble earned him between $50 million and $80 million. It sounds ludicrous to pay anyone that much, and it is, but the correlation between Downey Jr.’s face and Marvel’s box office fortunes at the time was all Marvel needed to keep full-sending this particular outlay (and indeed, Avengers: Age of Ultron crossed the $1.4 million mark during its theatrical run).

Captain America: Civil War — $64 million 4q40o

How very like both Tony Stark and Downey Jr. to cheekily nab a payday with a number as untidy as 64. Just as well, of course, because Captain America: Civil War saw Downey Jr. take on a more antagonistic role in the Marvel proceedings, depending on who you ask.

$64 million remains Downey Jr.’s third-highest (soon to be fourth-highest) payday ever, on of his last two hurrahs as Iron Man rounding out to the same amount.

Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame — $75 million each 5i163q

Roughly $400 million in earnings all became justified in a single snap of the fingers; a snap that was heard around the world before that very world burst into tears like never before. Indeed, when it came time for the Infinity Saga’s curtain call, Downey Jr. was paid $75 million to inspire us, and then another $75 million to shatter our hearts.

And now he’s about to get paid even more to toss on a green cloak and rescue the MCU from itself. Life is strange.

when Marvel Studios managed to upstage Deadpool & Wolverine, the biggest movie of the year, on its opening weekend by revealing that Robert Downey Jr. was coming back to the MCU to play Doctor Doom? Yeah, that was weird. Ironically, just like that Ryan Reynolds movie, while it got people talking, not everyone talking about it had nice things to say.

On paper, bringing back the Iron Man icon as one of Marvel’s most legendary villains must’ve seemed like a win-win scenario, but Marvel may have underestimated the fandom’s ability to find fault with every storytelling decision made in the Multiverse Saga. Many view Downey’s (re)casting as a shameless attempt to recapture the franchise’s bygone glory days by throwing a unique and beloved character under the bus.

That viewpoint has only been cemented following Downey offering his first words since his Comic-Con unmasking about why he elected to make the surprise move back to the Marvel multiverse.

“[Feige said] how can we not go backwards, how do we not disappoint expectations, how we can continue to beat expectations,” Downey told The Hollywood Reporter when recalling the meeting with the studio president that convinced him to take the title role in Avengers: Doomsday. “Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.”

Unfortunately, Downey’s words are now being thrown back in his face over and over again online. Luckily, he’s got a metal mask to protect himself.

One big problem some fans have with the Downey-Doom debacle is that it keeps a fresh talent — possibly even an actor of Romani descent — from getting their spot in the limelight.

“This was the wrong choice,” boldly declared one reply. Premature? Maybe, but it’s how a lot of folks are feeling.

Others are theorizing that Downey’s meeting with Feige is just a big fat fib to cover up Kevin’s casting goof. What if… he meant to call Cillian Murphy instead but when RDJ answered he just rolled with it?

Officially, we won’t get to see Downey’s Victor Von Doom in the flesh metal until Doomsday comes on May 1, 2026. However, the odds are high that he may sneak himself into July 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps somewhere. Maybe then everyone will get on board with the casting, but for the moment not all are convinced this Victor is a victory.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most in-depth and successful franchise of all time during its 16-year run at the box office. While it began with Iron Man in 2008, for fans following the narrative, that’s not where the story actually begins.

There are currently 34 movies in the MCU — soon to be 35 with Captain America: Brave New World — released in five phases. Phases One through Three, known as the Infinity Saga, collectively bring viewers closer to the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and its epic follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. Meanwhile, phases Four through Six, known as the Multiverse Saga, began in 2021 and will eventually bring viewers closer to Robert Downey Jr.’s ultimate MCU comeback as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and its subsequent multiversal showdown in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. : Kang is a thing of the past.

Phase Four began in 2021 with the Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and continued into 2022 with three major franchise sequels: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase Five began in 2023 and also included four franchise sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and most recently Deadpool & Wolverine.

Following the success of Marvel’s Disney Plus streaming hits like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, we’ve received fresh entries like Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and soon Agatha All Along. They aim to continue the budding tradition of bringing focused character studies to the small screen, but in light of criticism over reduced quality, Marvel has scaled back these productions a bit. Nevertheless, these shows tie into the larger Marvel universe, which is actually more of a multiverse now. However, those shows won’t be mentioned on this list, as this list pertains to feature films only.

There are numerous ways to enjoy Marvel films, including the order in which they were released, or drawn out of a hat at random, although that last option isn’t recommended for first-time viewers. However, in this article, we’ll be breaking down the chronological timeline of all films in the MCU so you can watch them in the correct narrative order. An at-a-glance lineup of Phases One through Three can be found below:

Below is a breakdown of every MCU film in narrative-timeline order, all of which, save Deadpool & Wolverine, are available to stream now on Disney Plus. Thanks to Marvel’s official The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, we now have a clearer picture of not only what is and isn’t MCU canon, but also whether the nuggets of information we’ve compiled over the years do, indeed, fit into the slots we’ve given them. Spoiler alert: they do.

Captain America: The First Avenger f3o2r

Taking place first in the timeline, Captain America: The First Avenger provides the origin story for one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, Steve Rogers, played by the dynamite Chris Evans. This film mostly takes place in 1942 and showcases Rogers’ journey from a scrawny infantry soldier to full-blown Captain America who faces off against Red Skull.

Captain Marvel 5b2g4g

Next up is Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, much closer to modern times. This movie is the first in the timeline to explore space travel and intergalactic threats. As we are introduced to both Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and soon-to-be S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the pair gets involved in the conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls, with surprising results.

Iron Man 172v6n

The third film in the timeline was the very first Marvel film to be released: Iron Man. The billionaire philanthropist-turned-superhero Tony Stark has his origin story told in this fan-favorite film. Thanks to its box office success and fans’ adoration of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance, the film ultimately kicked off the entire MCU franchise.

Iron Man 2 3o4b2w

Picking up shortly after the events of the first Iron Man, Iron Man 2 continues the story of the suited superhero now with his identity known to the public. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of a scientist who previously worked at Stark Industries, is back with a grudge and creates his own weaponry with the goal of taking revenge for his fallen father. The film also introduces a soon-to-be Avenger in Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

The Incredible Hulk 3w6z19

While many fans may choose to forego 2008’s The Incredible Hulk in their MCU binge given that it features Ed Norton in the role instead of Mark Ruffalo (who later became the official Banner), it’s still technically a part of the MCU timeline. This movie gives fans a unique take on the Hulk’s origin story and hints at more things to come in the closing credits.

Thor 6f1s3m

Thor’s initial big-screen debut took place in 2011 and gave fans their first look at Asgard and other realms via the Bifrost. This one finds the titular god traveling to Earth to defend the world from Loki and a Frost Giant threat. For many moviegoers, this was their introduction to the beloved character, played by Chris Hemsworth, and for many it solidly delivered.

The Avengers 231d6t

The first crossover film in the timeline came with The Avengers, which was set at the conclusion of Marvel’s Phase One. The Avengers brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to protect the Earth from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Chitauri invasion. The movie also played a key role in introducing the Tesseract as the first of the Infinity Stones. These stones were ultimately the key to all future plans in the MCU.

Thor: The Dark World 4d2uc

The second Thor film in the MCU, Thor: The Dark World, gives us a closer look at Asgard, its inner workings, and the relationship between Thor, his brother Loki, and their father, Odin. The film also gives us insight into the second Infinity Stone, the Aether, which was wielded by the movie’s antagonists, the Dark Elves. Though it’s largely considered one of the less-impressive Marvel films, it serves its purpose and thankfully paves the way for a wonderful Thor threequel.

Iron Man 3 5n731d

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with anxiety after experiencing the intergalactic invasion of the Chitauri. After diving into full damage control mode and assembling an army of suits, he’s forced to choose between being Iron Man and protecting those he loves. Meanwhile, he must also deal with the looming threat of “The Mandarin.”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3t4q4l

Hailed as one of the best films in the entire MCU franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier introduces viewers to more of Captain America’s past and throws Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, back into the fray. The movie also reveals the hidden HYDRA threat still present among the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that ultimately leads to its demise.

Guardians of the Galaxy 84f6i

When it was announced that Disney was going to bring the Guardians to the big screen, many were skeptical, but Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be one of the best space films ever, let alone one in the MCU. It introduced us to Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), an unlikely team that attempts to stop the plot of Ronan the Acc (Lee Pace) from using the Power Stone to destroy Xandar.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 1v49y

Taking place shortly after the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gives us a closer look at Peter Quill’s backstory and heritage while also introducing a new member to the squad in the form of Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The story also dives deeper into the sibling rivalry between Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan) and shines a light on their relationship with their adoptive father, Thanos, which would pay off in just a few short films.

Avengers: Age of Ultron 6s46z

Crossing over once again, the cast of the original Avengers film s forces to defend the Earth from the threat of Ultron (James Spader), a supercomputer developed to be a peacekeeping program by Tony Stark, which overrides its programming and now seeks to eliminate all mankind. In the latter half of the film, the Avengers get a few new additions in the form of Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Maximoff twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Ant-Man 6a3z4p

Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a thief who is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym to assist him with stopping the plot of his former protège, who cast him away from his own company. During the film, Lang becomes Ant-Man after being gifted a suit and trained to use Pym Particles to shrink his size, giving him superhuman strength and the ability to control ants.

Captain America: Civil War 2y2w66

While not an Avengers film by name, Captain America: Civil War brings most of the superhero cast together for a face-off over a disagreement on the Sokovia Accords following the events of Age of Ultron. Civil War was also used to introduce a few new characters to the Avengers’ roster, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

Black Widow 2o2dl

Finally getting her own origin film after being part of the MCU for over a decade, Natasha Romanoff heads back to her roots in Black Widow, which launched earlier this year. The film introduced us to Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who fans got to see again in Hawkeye and who will undoubtedly be appearing again, possibly in a villainous team-up compliments of a certain character who appears in the post-credits scene.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 4b1vh

Despite what the movie may have led you to believe, it does not take place eight years after The Avengers. Marvel finally addressed the snafu after years of sweeping it under the rug in the official Marvel Studios: The MCU — An Official Timeline book, confirming it was indeed only four years after the Battle of New York. Taking place right after the events of Civil War, Spider-Man’s MCU debut chose not to retell the hero’s origin story, instead giving us a coming-of-age film that finds Peter Parker juggling his duties as Spider-Man with the demands of high school. There are plenty of comic book Spidey villains teased throughout the film, but his biggest threat is the Vulture, menacingly played by Michael Keaton, who is apparently bad with math.

Black Panther 5p1pc

Instead of an origin story, when we pick up in Black Panther, T’Challa has already taken on the mantle as the titular hero after the ing of his father in Civil War. This film gives viewers their first look at the inner workings of the afrofuturistic Wakanda, as well as an epic tale of personal and ideological rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).

Doctor Strange 14e30

The first time we are treated to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the MCU is in his self-titled film. The story explores the origins of Stephen Strange’s character and teases the ideas of multiple dimensions, cosmic beings, and time-traveling threats. As you’d expect, the Time Stone is also a crucial element of the film and only becomes more important from here on out. Other standout characters in the film include Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Wong (Benedict Wong), Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

Thor: Ragnarok e4233

Directed by Taika Waititi and taking on a different style and tone than the previous Thor films, Ragnarok has a more comical personality while maintaining high-quality action sequences. The film addresses many of the loose ends following Age of Ultron and follows Thor and Loki as they attempt to stop their half-sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett) from taking over Asgard. The ending of this film offers a jaw-dropping lead-in to what quickly becomes the beginning of the end of the Infinity Saga.

Avengers: Infinity War 2d161c

The first part of the epic culmination of all the previous MCU films, Avengers: Infinity War finally gives us our first major introduction to Thanos (Josh Brolin), who has been working behind the scenes to gather the Infinity Stones with the goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. The movie takes place in 2018 and ultimately, leaves fans with a stunning cliffhanger that segues directly into Avengers: Endgame.

Ant-Man and the Wasp 704558

The sequel to Ant-Man, this film takes place at the same time as the events of Infinity War in 2018 and does a great job of telling its own story within the Ant-Man comic book canon. This one digs deeper into the relationship between Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer), and also introduces a mysterious new villain, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Just like Infinity War, the final moments of this film leave viewers breathless for answers in anticipation of the impending Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame 6x3k5y

The epic conclusion to over a decade of storytelling, Avengers: Endgame has everything fans could ever want in a Marvel film. It takes place in October 2023, five years after the events of Infinity War, and sees the remaining Avengers attempt to regain hope of defeating Thanos and restore what was lost after his infamous “Snap,” which was later renamed “The Blip.” In the closing act, Endgame boasts one of the most epic action sequences in all of cinema, blasting expectations wide open and forever changing the MCU as we know it.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 5p1k67

Shang-Chi is one of the latest heroes to the MCU, and in this first film exploring his character’s origin, we learn more about his role amidst the greater events playing out within the franchise. Alongside his friend Katy (Awkwafina), Shang-Chi is drawn back into the life he used to know and must face the father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) he thought he left behind. During the iconic bus fight scene between Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings operative Gao Lei, we’re shown the dates July 21 to 28 in a Jazz Blues Festival ment. Since Katy’s grandma also mentions the “Day of the Dead,” a festival resembling the Chinese Qingming Festival — which takes place in April — and the film itself spans two weeks, we can assume the movie takes place in April 2024. This would put it before Far From Home.

Spider-Man: Far From Home 4m3k3h

Picking up right after Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home addresses the events that took place during the previous film while also introducing some new faces and returning characters from the past. It takes place during the summer of 2024, eight months after The Blip. This is the perfect bridging point to close out Phase Three and enter Phase Four of the MCU — after watching Shang-Chi, of course.

Eternals 5f5f2f

With its many flashbacks telling the story not only of the Eternals themselves but also the history of the universe, it can be difficult to give this film a true place in the MCU timeline. That said, its present-day moments take place around the same time as Far From Home in 2024, likely just afterward given that the events of the film were not mentioned in the Spider-Man sequel. Fans and critics were largely split on the film (to put it mildly), except in regard to that colorful cameo by Harry Styles in the post-credits scene. Whether Styles will actually return to the MCU is another matter entirely.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Logan took place in 2029, so Deadpool & Wolverine must also take place during or after that, meaning it should be at the bottom of this list. Well, no. The Merc with the Mouth’s first foray into the MCU actually occurs in 2024. We know this because after Happy Hogan rejects Wade’s request to the Avengers (on March 14, 2018, on Earth-616) the time stamp on the screen tells us we jump six years into the future — back on Earth-1005 — which would place the film in 2024. And because we see Wade celebrating his birthday and he’s said in the comics that he’s a Scorpio (on the cusp of a Libra, thank you very much) — and because Deadpool & Wolverine showcases a decent amount of fall foliage — we can safely assume the film occurs in October 2024. As for why Earth-10005’s Wolverine is already dead at the beginning of Deadpool & Wolverine when Logan’s death shouldn’t have occurred for another five years — well, it’s likely that Wade jumped forward in time using the TVA’s TemPad. That, or we’re just going to file the mistake away with all of Marvel’s other embarrassing timeline errors.

Spider-Man: No Way Home s5h53

Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place immediately after its predecessor, Far From Home around Nov. 2024. The film brings Peter Parker on the most mind-blowing adventure of his life ⏤ which, unfortunately, no one but he will . The film saw him grapple with everything from losing his Aunt May, to facing off against villains from completely different universes. It also led to Peter finding an unexpected brotherhood with alternate versions of himself, perfectly brought to life by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in tear-inducing appearances that will stand the test of time.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2c3y6h

Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as the title character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picked up after the events of No Way Home. It saw Strange deal with the implications of multiversal travel while facing new friends and foes, some of whom created serious trouble for him (ahem – Wanda). Wanda’s future was thrown into flux after she was presumably killed off in the movie’s final moments, but she is rumored to return in a Disney Plus spin-off series, which may or may not happen since Marvel subtly announced that the Earth-616 version of the character is canonically dead. Strange, too, received a cliffhanger ending, something we hope will be addressed in the rumored Doctor Strange 3.

In the meantime, you can rest assured that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after Spider-Man: No Way Home, which takes place right around the events of Hawkeye, which takes place around Christmas 2024.

Thor: Love and Thunder l5k6a

Thanks to Disney Plus, we now know that — in the eyes of Marvel Studios — this film takes place after Doctor Strange 2. It also takes place after Ms. Marvel, which is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 because of the school’s homecoming dance. However, in Love and Thunder Jane Foster’s eppendorf vial’s tag includes the date April 30, suggesting it takes place in the beginning of 2025. Unfortunately, since we don’t know exactly when Thor and Jane broke up, the God of Thunder’s comments about their breakup happening 8 years 7 months and 6 days before the movie doesn’t exactly paint a clear picture either. Our best bet is to just assume Love and Thunder takes place in April 2025, especially when looking at the next MCU installments on the timeline.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 5i3s70

According to Black Panther Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, we have a place in the timeline to slot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Moore says that this film takes place alongside the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, around the start of 2025, so for all rewatching purposes you should be able to enjoy either film first. This placement would make a lot of sense, since neither film directly affects the events of the other. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, almost had us questioning the timing of things when our favorite CIA from Wakanda Forever was revealed to be a Skrull (that was all put to rest in the season finale, though).

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania u5q6j

For those who are sticklers for dates, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes place during the start of 2025, like Wakanda Forever. How do we know this? A news clip in Wakanda Forever mentions Scott Lang’s book tour, and because book tours don’t last entire years, Quantumania definitely takes place before The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which occurs later that year during Christmastime, which also means it takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, Disney Plus messed with the timeline when it decided to place Quantumania after The Guardians Holiday Special, which it most certainly is not, resulting in MODOK-sized canon headache, if you ask us. It wouldn’t be the first time Disney Plus goofed with the MCU’s timeline, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the time Quantumania was accidentally erased from Phase Five. (Don’t worry, it’s not).

The Marvels 25512c

Ms. Marvel provides us with a pretty good guestimation where The Marvels takes place on the MCU timeline. Because the Disney Plus series is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 and Kamala Khan’s body-swapping problem doesn’t go unaddressed long, The Marvels likely takes place before 2026, which means it comes before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Carol Danvers’ intergalactic team-up with Captain Rambeau and Kamala to defeat the Kree general Dar-Benn in the highly-anticipated sequel to her billion-dollar predecessor, Captain Marvel, also happens to be the shortest movie in MCU history. Should any information in the movie, which will premiere in just a few short days, contradict this entry, we will revise it ASAP.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 244x22

It’s hard to give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an exact place on the MCU’s timeline since it is unaffected by previous films and has little effect on the overall MCU storyline. However, it’s safe to say that this intergalactic, twisty-turny threequel takes place in 2026 since it occurs after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in Dec. 2025. As a rule of thumb, here’s every MCU movie you should watch before starting Vol. 3.

Imagine you completely missed the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, wake up a few days later, and see that Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Doctor Victor von Doom. Surprised? Everyone was.

During the Hall H show on Friday, July 26, Marvel revealed the surprises it had been safeguarding up its sleeve. Kevin Feige not only confirmed that the two actual Marvel Jesuses, the Russo brothers, will be back to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — and hopefully redeem the MCU — he also revealed the main villain of the MCU going forward would be Doctor Doom, played by no other than the true Marvel Cinematic Universe icon, Robert Downey Jr.

Naturally, one of the first things to come to mind is that Disney/Marvel must be truly desperate to save itself if it has to resort to such a bold move. Secondly, is Doom a variant of Iron Man? Well, let’s try to unpack that last one.

Has this ever happened in the comics? 5o4z4u

Since the MCU movies and shows are based on comic books, let’s dive into said comics first. Was there ever an Iron Man variant that became Doctor Doom? Well, no.

There is a comic where Victor von Doom takes up the mantle of Iron Man, believe it or not, but not the other way around. In the 2016-2017 Marvel comic Infamous Iron Man, Doctor Doom becomes the man in shining (red) armor. At its beginning, Doom rescues Maria Hill and then visits Tony Stark’s lab without any obstacle, since Stark himself is presumed dead after the events of Civil War II. There, he takes up the mantle of Iron Man. Many unexpected events take place afterward, such as Victor’s Iron Man having a vision of elderly Stark, who’s now the Sorcerer Supreme. But let’s leave it at that for now.

The point is, there was never a variant of Tony Stark who later became Doctor Doom. But is there a chance of it happening in the MCU? Possibly.

Will Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom be a variant of Iron Man in the MCU? 5t4u5q

Unfortunately, for now, we don’t know what will happen in the MCU, so that leaves plenty of room for speculation. We know that Marvel likes to sometimes take a shortcut, so it’s possible Doom could just be Iron Man-turned-evil from another timeline. However, with Victor being shaped as the main villain of the two Avengers features, Doomsday and Secret Wars, it seems unlikely they’ll use such cheap tricks to build the next big bad guy’s story.

Nevertheless, there are already many such theories. If Marvel wanted to head in such a direction, casting RDJ is a perfect choice. Still, it’s hard not to see it as a desperate move to save the MCU from its current crisis rather than a story-dependent decision. Because let’s face it: Downey’s return to the MCU after his heroic departure in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame is bound to attract millions of viewers to the theater. He’s basically a money printer at this point, and I don’t say that to criticize him, because I’m sure he’ll do a stellar job. I’m just stating facts.

With that in mind, at this point, it’s impossible to say for certain if Doom will be Iron Man’s variant in the MCU. He could be, or he could not. We will certainly be one step closer to finding out with next year’s release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doctor Doom is the first family’s arch nemesis, who hates Reed Richards with all his heart and has a massive crush on Susan Storm, so while the movie is set to have Galactus as its main enemy, it’s not too far-fetched to assume we’ll get a cameo of Doom now that he’s a confirmed villain of the MCU.

Robert Downey Jr. is Doctor Doom. Nope, no matter how many times you say it, it still feels weird. And yet it’s the Thor-honest truth. Marvel’s biggest announcement of the year occurred at Comic-Con when the Iron Man icon was announced to be returning to the MCU, against all the odds, to play the big bad of the next two Avengers movies, 2026’s Doomsday and 2027’s Secret Wars.

Maybe Marvel thought the universal adoration for Downey’s portrayal of Tony Stark would immediately win over the entire fandom, but in true Multiverse Saga form, the truth is that some people ionately detest this unforeseen twist. Surely, the desenters have decried, turning Doctor Doom into an Iron Man variant is doing perhaps the greatest Marvel comic book villain a massive disservice?

Sure, the Russo brothers confirmed Downey would be playing Victor Von Doom, not Tony Stark from Earth-123 or whatever, but that has to be a white lie, right? After all, there’s no way they can show Downey’s very recognizable face in this franchise without establishing his new character as another version of Stark. Right?

Well, that’s true, but the problem with this is that it assumes Downey will be showing off his face in the first place…

Robert Downey Jr.’s role as Doctor Doom might be entirely different from what we’re expecting 1nch

Now that Doom is being played in the MCU by one of the most famous faces in the world, there’s one, all-important element of the character that is being entirely forgotten: the guy never, ever takes off his mask. Sure, Julian McMahon’s iteration did in Fox’s Fantastic Four films, but he was also a poor facsimile of the comics creation. And don’t even get me started on the Fant4stic depiction. If Marvel wants to, in any way, do justice to Victor’s spirit from the source material than he will have to keep his metal mask on.

What that means, then, is that despite Downey’s casting, he might never actually appear unmasked on-screen. While his voice is still ultra-recognizable, this would allow for Marvel to somewhat obfuscate the Iron Man connection for both the audience and the Avengers. That way, he could legitimately be portraying a Victor Von Doom who really isn’t a Stark variant. Similar to how Benedict Cumberbatch played both Doctor Strange and Dormammu, even though there was no multiversal link between the two.

One of the biggest surprises about Downey’s MCU return is simply that he would be willing to invest so much more of his time making Avengers movies, now that he’s at the top of his game post-Oscar win. If Doom will remain behind his mask, however, then that means that he could pull a Pedro Pascal — the Fantastic Four star may voice Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, but he’s only occasionally the one in the suit. So Downey’s role in Doomsday and Secret Wars may be mostly a voiceover one.

Of course, casting Downey as Doom and then not have him whipping off his mask to reveal he looks like Iron Man would probably be a wasted opportunity, as surely having the Avengers come up against a villain who looks like the greatest Avenger of them all (sorry, Cap!) is the whole point of his hiring. Even so, the permamask route is the most authentic and logistically ideal way for Marvel to allow Downey to play both Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom without throwing the latter character under the bus.

Just hear me out, what if the truth is… he isn’t Iron Man?

Marvel fans were stunned when Kevin Feige announced Robert Downey Jr. would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Doctor Doom. The news also begs the question worth repeating till we get a concert answer: Is the MCU’s Doctor Doom a Tony Stark variant?

The MCU has a history of reimagining classic Marvel characters to fit within its interconnected narrative. One of the most significant examples of this approach was the treatment of Spider-Man’s origin story. When Tom Holland’s Peter Parker was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, his backstory was dramatically altered to create a mentor-mentee relationship with Tony Stark. This change allowed for a fresh take on the character while tying him closely to the established MCU continuity.

Unfortunately, Tony Stark’s shadow accompanied Peter Parker for multiple movies, and it would take No Way Home to soft reboot the character and allow Spider-Man to be a hero on his own. The same cannot happen with Doctor Doom, one of Mavel’s most iconic villains who deserves to be more than a Tony Stark variant.

The MCU’s Doctor Doom shouldn’t be a Tony Stark variant 482o6d

Victor von Doom is one of Marvel’s most iconic and complex villains, with a rich backstory that is crucial to his character. In the comics, Doom is a scientific genius and sorcerer from the fictional Eastern European country of Latveria. His tragic past and his iron-clad belief in his own superiority are all essential elements of his character.

Turning Doctor Doom into a Tony Stark variant could undermine the character’s unique identity. While it might provide an interesting twist for MCU fans, it risks simplifying his complex personality and reducing him to “evil Tony Stark.” This approach would also limit the storytelling possibilities for future Fantastic Four movies, as Doom’s rivalry with Reed Richards is a cornerstone of many classic Marvel stories.

Having the same actor playing two major characters in the MCU might cause confusion. However, since Victor von Doom is so proud of his mask, Avengers: Doomsday could solve this problem by never showing the villain without his costume – to be fair, we fans really want to see Doctor Doom sporting his classic green cloak. Or perhaps Downey Jr. could play a version of Doom from an alternate universe where he conquered his world, serving as a dark mirror to the heroic Tony Stark we knew. Finally, Marvel Studios can avoid any controversy by simply never addressing the fact that Victor von Doom looks like Tony Stark in the MCU.

While the idea of Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU is undoubtedly exciting, Marvel Studios must handle Doctor Doom with care. The character can potentially be one of the MCU’s greatest villains, but only if he’s allowed to be true to his comic book roots.