Doctor Doom's MCU Identity Confirmed in Latest Casting Update

There is still over a year to go until we finally sit down in cinemas and watch the next highly anticipated entry in the Avengers franchise.

Now with some time left to still wait, fan theories are reaching fever pitch as the discussion around Robert Downey Jr.’s role continues.

As we all know, it was revealed that Downey Jr. would be taking on the role of Doctor Doom in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, making him the next major antagonist that our Avengers have to face.

However, with the actor having previously portrayed Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008 up until the character’s death in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, it is no wonder that fans had a few questions.

Will the fact that both Iron Man and Doctor Doom are portrayed by the same actor have any correlation on the future of the MCU? Or is it totally unrelated and just the result of the Russo brothers being a huge Downey Jr. fan?

It is doubtful that these questions will be answered until next December when Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas but until then, a recent Disney event which took place in Italy may shed some light on the situation.

Paramount Pictures

Are Doctor Doom and Iron Man Connected At All?

At the event, Downey Jr. is clearly labelled as playing Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday with no mention of a possible Iron Man variant.

However, it is also pretty obvious that if he is playing an Iron Man variant too, this is not going to be randomly spoiled at an event.

Nevertheless, the recent event listing has inspired yet another discussion over on r/marvelstudios in a since deleted post.

“They've called him Victor Von Doom from the jump. Whatever the Stark connection is they won't give it away until the movie comes out,” one comment read.

Another fan shared their theory: “Howard and Maria Stark give up their baby at birth and he is adopted by Werner and Cynthia Von Doom.”

“I mean he still could be a variant,” another added.

“Personally? I doubt it. But he could be.

Plus I still expect him to come back as Tony in some form in Doomsday/Secret Wars through the multiverse.”

It remains to be seen if Downey Jr.’s casting is for a reason and we could be setting our eyes on a Tony Stark variant on 18 December 2026 when Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas.