Robert Downey Jr. may have offered a small tease into what fans can expect from him upon his return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday. Downey's comeback has been the talk of the MCU community since it became official at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. As filming continues for Doomsday, which will reintroduce fans to his new all-powerful villain, the franchise veteran still knows how to play the tease game for his projects.
MCU star Robert Downey Jr. posted new videos and images from his trailer on the set of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday. Outside of a few mysterious set photos, the Doomsday set has been on lockdown for Marvel Studios ahead of its debut at the end of 2026. However, that has not stopped Marvel's top names from offering little nuggets of information that may tease what's coming.
On July 25, via his Instagram account, he shared a video of himself listening to and lip-syncing the words to a song titled "Change of Scenery," recorded by his son, Indio Downey. The second image shows the iPad with the aforementioned song playing on it, and an issue of Marvel Comics sits above it. Specifically, this is the West Coast Avengers Vol 2, #35 issue, which features Doctor Doom on the cover.
The next day, Downey returned to Instagram to share a new video from his trailer, listening to the same song. This time, above the iPad, he laid out two separate Marvel Comics issues for fans to dissect. On the left is Secret Wars Omnibus, a collection of twelve issues from the Super Heroes Secret Wars run, including stories for Thor, She-Hulk, and What If?. On the right sits Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #1 from 2008, showing both of Downey's characters, Iron Man and Doctor Doom, charging at each other on the cover.
Currently, Downey is still filming with the rest of the cast of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday, in which he will complete his comeback to the MCU after 11 years. While details about Doomsday's story are still being kept a secret, Downey will embody the film's main villain, embracing a full heel turn after 11 years of playing the Infinity Saga's leading hero, Tony Stark/Iron Man. Avengers: Doomsday will debut in theaters on December 18, 2026.
What These Comics Means for Avengers: Doomsday
In the comic from the first, the West Coast Avengers wind up in Latveria and encounter a young, fake Doctor Doom while going on the run from Communist Hungary. Ironically enough, this story does not feature Doctor Doom as a part of the plot at all, although Downey's use of West Coast Avengers imagery is still notable.
Even so, Downey has sported multiple shirts featuring West Coast Avengers in interviews, most recently in one he conducted with Ironheart star Dominique Thorne. In Marvel Comics, this team has included heroes like Hawkeye, Tigra, Mockingbird, and even Iron Man, who Downey turned into a household name through his time in the MCU. He seems hopeful to see that team take their place in the MCU, which could become a reality thanks to so many other heroes being included in Doomsday.
However, the second picture highlighting two more comic runs is potentially much more intriguing. In the story with Iron Man and Doom on the cover, the two are forced to team up to stop Mephisto from bringing about the End of Days. However, several twists and turns ensue after their alliance, leading them to do battle with one another in the last couple of issues.
With multiple variants of characters played by the same actors already teased for Doomsday, many are already pondering if Downey's portrayal of Doom could come alongside a return to the heroes' side as Iron Man as well. Looking at how many Doom/Avengers interactions fans are already looking forward to, a Downey vs. Downey battle is also on the table, as the MCU's most famous actor could embrace the nature of the multiverse by playing both characters.
Whether these specific comics mean anything in particular for the upcoming Avengers films is still a mystery. However, considering Downey and Marvel's propensity to allow teases like this during production for MCU movies, fans will watch out for anything else connected to this comic run over the coming months.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
