A new statue for Avengers: Doomsday shows off an exciting look at Doctor Doom without one iconic part of his costume. Robert Downey Jr. is on his way back to the MCU as Doom in Doomsday, which is expected to be Marvel Studios' biggest and most ambitious movie to date. Delivering one of the most iconic villains in Marvel history, Downey will also bring the most comic-accurate version of Doom's classic look from the comics to the big screen this year.
Marvel Studios is unveiling statues and other visual displays for Avengers: Doomsday at theaters worldwide ahead of the movie's December 18 debut. One of these displays is a life-size statue of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, complete with his silver-plated armor and the iconic green cape flowing off his shoulders.
Interestingly, one of these statues depicts Doom without the green hood attached to his cape over his head. Here, he stands menacingly with his arms crossed, as his metal mask takes center stage as part of the design.
This is the first time in the entire marketing tour for Doomsday that Doom has been seen without his hood on, especially after he was featured so heavily in the trailers that were released before and after San Diego Comic-Con.
The statue also highlights multiple other intriguing details on Doom's costume, including clasps on the shoulders of his cape that pay tribute to other major Marvel heroes across the multiverse.
Throughout the promotional tour, including in promo pictures and the trailers featuring Doom, Downey's villain has been shown wearing the green hood firmly over his head with the mask.
Marvel did not start showing off official looks at Doctor Doom until long after the first trailers for the movie were released, which centered around Steve Rogers, Thor, the X-Men, the Wakandans, and the Fantastic Four.
Then, Downey's Doom was the main focus of the film's fifth trailer, which was the first to feature more than a few heroes in the same shot and the first to include anything from the movie's central villain. Fans also got to hear Downey's unique Doom voice for the first time here, as his mask, hood, and cape were highlighted throughout.
This is not the first time Doom has been seen without his hood, as this look was also featured in the first modern live-action solo movie for Marvel's First Family, 2005's Fantastic Four.
While the late Julian McMahon's Doom wore the classic hood for most of the movie's end, it came off during the final battle with the Fantastic Four, who then melted him and subsequently froze him in place, sending him off in a shipping container to the middle of the ocean.
Now, this statue sets up the idea of Doom using multiple distinct looks throughout the movie, even though he may wear the same costume throughout its likely two-and-a-half-hour runtime. Additionally, comparing the two masks, Downey's Doom appears to be using a full helmet with a back on the other side of his head. This design is similar to what McMahon used in his two Fantastic Four movies and what Toby Kebbell wore in 2015's Fan4stic.
How Many Looks Will Doctor Doom Have in Avengers: Doomsday?
Considering Doctor Doom is the central character in Doomsday (similar to Thanos in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War), fans are likely to see plenty of evolution from the powerful villain during his time in this movie. While the classic look with his green hood and cape is sure to be featured most prominently, the MCU sequel could potentially show Doom in different stages of his life and reign of terror, giving him a few different looks to match.
One question many have is whether the movie will show Downey's face without the mask, as Doom is known to never take it off in the comics. However, it would almost seem to be a waste of having Downey back as Doom after so many years of work as Iron Man if he were to never show his face in this movie or Avengers: Secret Wars.
While plenty of details about Doom and his look are still being kept under wraps ahead of the movie's debut in December, the visuals for Downey's villain are sure to be one of the most notable talking points about this movie when everything is revealed in full.
