Marvel superstar Robert Downey Jr's Instagram posts from the set of Avengers: Doomsday have given me renewed hope that he'll be a great Doctor Doom
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Robert Downey Jr has posted two new behind-the-scenes images from the set
The photographs don't give anything away about the Marvel movie
However, they've given fans renewed hope over his performance as the film's Big Bad
Ever since Robert Downey Jr took to the stage at Comic-Con 2024 to reveal he'd be playing Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it's safe to say fans have been divided into two camps.
Indeed, Marvel optimists believe the returning MCU superstar, who previously played Tony Stark and Iron Man between 2008 and 2019, is a great fit for the Multiverse Saga's new Big Bad. However, others hold the opinion that his return is a sign of the comic titan's desperation amid the mixed reception to its recent film and TV releases.
It seems, though, that the number of those who were seated firmly in the naysayers' camp is slowly dwindling. That's been particularly noticeable over the past few days, too, especially in light of new behind-the-scenes images that Downey Jr has posted from the Avengers: Doomsday set.
It should be noted that there are no story spoilers for Doomsday from this point onwards. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to say that, if you don't want to know a single thing about the highly anticipated Marvel Phase 6 film, you're best turning back now.
The first image, which was uploaded to Downey Jr's Instagram account on May 14, showed the A-lister reading fellow MCU actor Jeremy Renner's recently-released autobiography.
Ordinarily, you'd think that's nothing worth reporting on. But if you look closer at said photograph, you'll notice two things.
For one, Downey Jr is wearing a muscle suit. This implies his take on one of The Fantastic Four's most notorious foes will be as physically imposing as he is mentally, and suggests he'll be able to go toe-to-toe with many of the Marvel heroes who were included as part of Doomsday's initial 27-strong cast.
The other, arguably more important detail is the black dots on Downey Jr's face. This indicates that, with a bit of CGI trickery, Marvel will give Downey Jr's Doctor Victor von Doom his unmistakable scarred face, which he usually hides behind his iconic metal-based mask.
Now, this doesn't confirm that Downey Jr won't show his face as Doom at some point in one of 2026's new movies. My reading of the situation, though, is that his disfigured face will be covered by said mask for a fair amount of this movie's runtime. I believe it'll only be revealed if his mask is knocked off during a fight, or if Doom wants his adversaries to take a look at the permanent physical damage he's endured in his potential quest to halt (or cause, we don't know which yet) the Multiverse's destruction.
The other image, which appeared online yesterday (May 16), doesn't contain any teases that might spark new fan theories about this iteration of Doom. Nonetheless, it's intriguing to see that Downey Jr is reading Marvel comics that star Doom, especially ones written by Jonathan Hickman.
For the uninitiated: Hickman is the scribe behind the 2015 edition of Marvel's 'Secret Wars' comic series. Joe and Anthony Russo, who returned to the MCU alongside Downey Jr to direct the next two Avengers films, previously told me that Hickman's run, plus the original 'Secret Wars' storyline, have inspired the plot of Doomsday and its sequel, aka the 2027 MCU flick Avengers: Secret Wars.
Considering both comic runs will influence this movie duo, it's no great surprise to see Downey Jr reading Marvel literary works penned by Hickman, especially those that involve Doom. Downey Jr is someone who appears to conduct plenty of research for whatever role he's playing, but it's still pleasing to see that he'll tackle this role with the same gusto and seriousness as any other.
Such preparation hasn't gone unnoticed, either. As I alluded to at the beginning of this article, fans have unsurprisingly picked up on the work that Downey Jr is putting into this role, and many are becoming increasingly impressed. Indeed, a quick scan of threads on the Marvel Studios and Marvel Studios Spoilers Reddit pages confirms as much.
Of course, as the saying goes, the proof will be in the pudding as to whether Downey Jr's performance is as good as fans expect. I'm still concerned that his Doom will be revealed as a multiversal Stark variant, which would be the wrong approach to take for such an iconic Marvel supervillain. That said, I have renewed hope that Downey Jr will be a good, if not great, Doom, and these images definitely prove why he likely will be.
After Thunderbolts*, Marvel has the perfect opportunity to do the unthinkable with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday
Marvel sleuths think they've solved the case about Avengers: Doomsday's story, and it's all down to a single chair's shadow
17 Marvel heroes I want to see added to the Avengers: Doomsday cast
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