Another day, another wave of Avengers: Doomsday merchandise that pulls back the curtain on what's shaping up to be Marvel Studios' most ambitious project yet. Of course, the start of the show thus far has been the titular villain, Doctor Doom, who will be played by none other than Robert Downey Jr. However, Downey Jr.'s first MCU character, Iron Man, doesn't want to take a backseat any longer, gracing a bit of Doomsday merchandise with his presence and potentially teasing his return to the franchise he built.
Chinese retailer MINISO recently held a pop-up event featuring a variety of Doomsday-related items. The event featured plushies, keychains, miniature cars, and more, all spotlighting different characters from the highly anticipated movie. But Marvel Studios didn't stop with the usual suspects like Cyclops and Black Widow. Members of the original Avengers team, Iron Man, Captain America, and The Hulk, also clocked in, offering excited fans the oppurtunity to turn back the clock with their purchases.
Iron Man's items stood out a bit more than the others, though. At first, it didn't seem like there was much to write home about, almost as if MINISO was hoping to cash in by offering items with more recognizable names attached to them, even if they hadn't secured a spot on Doomsday's roster.
A deeper dive into the images posted on X by users like @AvengersUpdated and @JoshDenofNerds painted a different picture. An Iron Man keychain of the hero's iconic arc reactor appeared alongside Doom's mask. One of Tony Stark's helmets also sat between Doom's face covering and a mini-figure of the villain.
In just about any other instance, the powers that be could explain these items away. And the explanation would likely be believable, because Marvel Studios rarely leaves a stone unturned. However, there's far too much smoke around the fire of Iron Man's MCU return to ignore the possibility that Kevin Feige and Co. are trying to tease a massive cameo right under everyone's noses.
Iron Man's Return in Avengers: Doomsday Makes Far Too Much Sense
As soon as the Russo brothers walked out on the stage at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 and revealed to the world that Robert Downey Jr. is playing Doctor Doom, the floodgates opened. Social media platforms were flooded with theories about how the MCU's latest big bad could look like its greatest hero. The simplest explanation was that he's a variant. But that's been shot down in the last two years, with the Russos confirming that their frequent collaborator is playing Victor Von Doom, not another version of Tony Stark.
The elephant is still in the room, though. Red Guardian actor David Harbour was recently asked to reveal an out-of-context line from Doomsday. And he chose to say, "You … are Tony Stark," referencing the subject that's been keeping fans up at night for the last two years (via Variety).
It's hard to imagine the MCU bringing an Iron Man lookalike into the fold without bringing the original back in some way, shape, or form. There doesn't even need to be a lot of twisting and turning to pull it off. Doomsday is set to cover a battle for the multiverse, with Doctor Doom at its center. More likely than not, realities outside of the main three that house the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four will appear.
Bouncing from world to world will let Doomsday drop in all those jaw-dropping cameos fans are looking forward to. While Ghost Rider and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man are strong potential candidates, Iron Man is certainly at the top of the wish list. His inclusion would provide a strong foil for Doom and rally the troops, who surely will struggle against their new adversaries' unique abilities and need a boost only he can provide.
Another strong piece of evidence for Iron Man's return is that Marvel Studios is positioning Doomsday as an Avengers: Endgame sequel rather than just the culmination of the Multiverse Saga. Tony's sacrifice at the end of Endgame is easily the MCU's most iconic moment, which means Doomsday can't gloss over it if it intends to act as a true follow-up to its 2019 predecessor.
At the end of the day, the new Iron Man merchandise could be just a blip on the radar, something that subreddits joke around about years from now. If Marvel Studios has taught its fanbase anything over the years, it's that sometimes the most likely scenario is the one that comes to fruition, and it'll be glorious regardless. Tobey and Andrew Garfield's cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home proved that.
