Iron Man Is Dead… So Why Does Doctor Doom Have Tony Stark’s Face in Avengers: Doomsday? Trailer Review

Marvel did not simply bring Robert Downey Jr. back. It placed the face of Iron Man behind Doctor Doom’s mask and expected me to behave normally. Sorry, Marvel. That is not happening.

The Avengers: Doomsday trailer feels massive, dark and surprisingly emotional. It does not reveal the complete story, thankfully, but it gives us enough to understand what Marvel is building.

This is no longer one group of Avengers protecting one Earth. The Avengers, Fantastic Four and original X-Men are being pulled together from three different universes, while Doctor Doom appears to believe that some of these heroes are living lives that do not belong to them. Perfectly calm and reasonable multiverse behaviour, then.

The latest footage begins with Sue Storm talking about Victor von Doom as someone she once knew. According to her, Victor was brilliant, kind and caring before everything he loved was taken away. Reed Richards appears to know him too, which gives us the most important connection: Doctor Doom’s story begins with the Fantastic Four, not Tony Stark. In Marvel Comics, Victor von Doom is traditionally Reed Richards’ greatest rival. Both are scientific geniuses, but Doom also understands magic, rules Latveria and possesses the sort of ego that could make even Tony Stark say:

“Okay, calm down.”

The trailer shows Doom confronting heroes from several worlds, easily dealing with Thor and bringing enormous Sentinels into the fight. His warning is simple:

“All of you have lived stolen lives, but now you must give them back.”

That sentence appears to be the heart of Doomsday. Universes are colliding, people are living in altered realities and Doom believes he is the person who can put everything right. Of course, when Doctor Doom says he wants to fix the universe, everyone should immediately begin running in the opposite direction.

The connections stretch back across several Marvel films and shows, but you do not need to rewatch the entire MCU and disappear from society for three months. Although I would understand if you did. Avengers: Endgame remains the emotional foundation. Tony Stark sacrificed himself, Steve Rogers returned the Infinity Stones and chose a life with Peggy, while Thor continued searching for his place in the universe.

Now Steve is back, Thor is facing another world-ending threat and Robert Downey Jr. has returned as the man trying to destroy everything Tony died protecting.

That is emotionally illegal.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps provides the most direct road into Doomsday because Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben come from another universe and already have a history with Victor. Thunderbolts* gave us the New Avengers, while Captain America: Brave New World established Sam Wilson as the current Captain America. That means Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson can exist in the same story without Marvel needing to quietly steal the shield back from Sam. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness taught us how timelines can branch and universes can collide. The Marvels and Deadpool & Wolverine opened the door further for the X-Men and Marvel’s older film worlds.

Now that door has apparently been removed from its hinges.

Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Ian McKellen’s Magneto, James Marsden’s Cyclops, Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique and Kelsey Grammer’s Beast are all returning. Channing Tatum’s Gambit is joining them too.

Alongside them, the official cast includes Thor, Loki, Ant-Man, Shang-Chi, Shuri, M’Baku, Namor, Yelena, Bucky, Red Guardian and several members of the New Avengers.

Basically, Marvel opened the contacts list and pressed “Select All.”

Well, almost everyone.

Black Widow is still missing.

Ahem. Ahem.

Soul Stone.

Yes, I am still hurt. But let us address the massive metal elephant standing inside the room.

Why is Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom, and is Victor secretly connected to Tony Stark?
The honest answer is that Marvel has confirmed Downey is playing Victor von Doom, not a resurrected Tony Stark. It has not confirmed that he is an evil Tony variant, Tony’s secret relative or the same man from another universe.

Those are fan theories. Very tempting theories. But still theories.

In the main Marvel Comics universe, Tony Stark and Victor von Doom are completely separate people. They are not brothers, variants or alternate identities. However, the comics have connected them several times. In the classic Iron Man: Doomquest, Iron Man and Doctor Doom are transported to the time of King Arthur. The story treats them as two armoured geniuses with enormous confidence, mutual respect and absolutely no ability to share a room peacefully. Then came Infamous Iron Man, where Tony was left incapacitated and Victor attempted to become a hero by taking on an Iron Man-style role. Yes, Doctor Doom effectively tried to continue Iron Man’s legacy.

That actually happened.

Marvel also published What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor, an alternate-universe story in which a young Victor transfers his mind into Tony’s body. So there is comic-book precedent for Doom becoming Iron Man and even for Tony and Victor exchanging bodies.

However, none of that confirms what Avengers: Doomsday is doing.

Same actor does not automatically mean same character.

My feeling is that Marvel chose Robert Downey Jr. because his face carries enormous emotional weight. We trust that face. We watched it launch the MCU, protect Peter Parker and save the universe.

Now Marvel wants us to fear it. That is either genius or extremely cruel.

I genuinely hope the movie allows Doctor Doom to remain Doctor Doom. I do not want Tony Stark painted green and instructed to behave badly. Victor deserves his own history, voice, tragedy and terrifying intelligence.

From the trailer, Downey already looks and sounds completely different. The mask, the cloak and the colder delivery make him feel less like Tony’s return and more like something deliberately uncomfortable.

I am going to miss Iron Man.

Honestly, I already do. But seeing Steve, Thor, Loki, the Fantastic Four, the New Avengers and the original X-Men sharing one movie has brought back that Infinity War-level excitement I have been waiting to feel again.

The Russo brothers are directing, Alan Silvestri is returning with the music and Avengers: Doomsday arrives in UK cinemas on 18 December 2026.

First day. First show.

Possibly wearing an Iron Man T-shirt while supporting the heroes against the actor who played Iron Man.

This is going to be emotionally complicated.

Tony Stark saved the universe. Now the same face may bring its Doomsday.

Marvel, you have my attention and probably my money already.

Marvel Fan
aKi Malik