Avengers: Endgame Encore has confirmed that Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) is eyeing up the Avengers for his own team in Avengers: Doomsday, and it will include more than just Bruce Banner/Hulk. The re-release of the 2019 Avengers film included a series of new post-credits scenes, all of which contain important connections to Marvel Studios' upcoming Multiverse Saga film, Avengers: Doomsday.
One of the new post-credits scenes that has audiences talking is Doctor Doom's appearance to recruit Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) for his own gain. Ruffalo was last seen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where he hulked out unexpectedly and then subsequently locked himself underground to avoid another incident. Banner's plan to stay isolated is going well until the unexpected arrival of Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, who tells him, "Mr. Banner, I'm here to collect you."
Ruffalo's name was absent from the list of confirmed Avengers: Doomsday cast members, but Avengers: Endgame Encore suggests the Hulk will have a role to play in Doctor Doom's agenda. He also won't be the only one. Avengers: Doomsday's directing duo, the Russo Brothers, shared with Empire that Doom's intentions "may extend beyond just [Bruce] Banner," hinting that the new big bad has other MCU characters in his sights.
Joe Russo: "I mean, look, his interest may extend beyond just Banner. So, that’s what we’ll say about that."
The directors tried hard to avoid giving away anything in their responses, telling Empire the questions were "making us sweat," suggesting that whoever else Doctor Doom is approaching could contain big spoilers for the plot and additional cast in Avengers: Doomsday.
Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom is the main antagonist of Avengers: Doomsday, who has his sights set on fixing the Multiverse at all costs. To do this, Doom seems intent on recruiting his own group, including Bruce Banner, whose intellect and genius (plus his strength as the Hulk) could be an invaluable addition. But the question remains, who else does Doom see potential in for his own team?
Who Else Is Doctor Doom Recruiting for Avengers: Doomsday?
There are already several theories surrounding Doctor Doom's recruitment that would make sense for his plans in Avengers: Doomsday.
One hero who Doom might've taken an interest in is Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who is another character that is not currently confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. The post-credits scene of Spider-Man: Brand New Day contained an intriguing hint that Spider-Man might be off-world. Ned's Spidey Tracker app showed Spider-Man's icon moving into the reaches of space, with a static-like glitch interrupting the feed, mirroring a glitch shown in the Avengers: Endgame Encore scene in which Banner is recruited by Doom.
These similarities could hint that Spider-Man has also been collected by Doom, and that Downey Jr. and Holland will be united on-screen once again. It's unclear what intentions Doom might have for Holland's Spider-Man, although the hero did get himself into a pickle in Spider-Man: No Way Home when he meddled with the Multiverse, so that experience may factor into Doom's plans for the web-slinger.
Another theory heading into Avengers: Doomsday is that the mysterious Latverian witches whose costumes have been on display in the film's marketing may all be hiding familiar characters beneath their masks. Knowing that Doom is out collecting more Marvel characters further supports the idea that the Latverian witches may not be mere nameless accomplices but have been intentionally assembled by Doctor Doom.
Some names thrown into the ring as potential behind these masks include Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, Charlize Theron's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness character, Clea, Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter, and Loki's variant, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino).
Doctor Doom has been shown as a sole operative in Avengers: Doomsday marketing so far, but these latest reveals confirm the villain will not be working alone, and if he continues to pluck from the team of available Avengers, that could cause even more trouble for the existing teams as they square off against the big bad.
