Marvel Studios officially changed the name of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in new Avengers: Doomsday promotional merchandise, which could hint at his game-changing MCU future in the movie. Marketing for Doomsday has heavily pushed Victor von Doom to the forefront, showcasing Doom wearing his heavy armored battle suit while swatting Chris Hemsworth's Thor aside as if the God of Thunder was a paperweight. The official Special Look trailer of Avengers: Doomsday from D23 implied that Doom was once an ally of the Fantastic Four on Earth-828, after Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm told the assembled heroes that Victor "was always the smartest guy in every room," and he used to be kind, but it all changed when "everything he loved was taken from him." This revelation explains Doom's absence from the United Nations scene in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, implying that it looks less like isolationism and more like grief from the loss of his family.
The present-day Doom is clearly hellbent on making sure that those who wronged him suffer, claiming that a good chunk of the opposition "all lived stolen lives" and they must give them back. Avengers: Doomsday's official synopsis confirmed that Doom has evil plans for the Multiverse, which explains why the Avengers, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four need to stop him before it's too late.
While official footage only showed Doom's battle-ready suit, Marvel Studios confirmed that the MCU big bad will wear a second costume at the studio's D23 display, showcasing a more regal take on his classic design. The second, more polished attire could be meant to emphasize his royal Latverian roots, potentially as a way to declare to the Avengers that what they're dealing with is not just a typical foe.
Funko's new Concept Series figure officially confirmed a third costume for Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, showcasing a major redesign featuring a Latverian flag on the chest, epaulettes, the cut of a European monarch, and almost no armor. Beyond the new costume, the interesting revelation in this official Avengers: Doomsday merchandise is Doom's new name on the official label: Lord Doom.
It's worth noting that this Funko pop vinyl figure is from Funko's "Concept Series," meaning that it is based on concept art and may not actually reflect what will happen in the movie. Regardless, Avengers: Doomsday's new title of Lord Doom could hint at what's to come for the villain's potential future in the MCU crossover.
Whatever the case, this Lord Doom framing on Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom matches the man Sue Storm is describing in the official D23 Expo trailer, which is a ruler of Earth-828's Latveria before he became the weapon threatening the Multiverse.
Doctor Doom's second costume with gold accents serves as a preview of Victor's royal iconography. The third costume, which has a flag-bearing court uniform, would push that further. A separate Bitty Pop set paired the same Lord Doom name with the Doomstadt Tower, meaning that Doomsday will no doubt explore his origin and potentially set the stage for Latveria to be the site of the last stand of the heroes against him in the movie.
Why the Lord Doom Title Sounds Ominous for Avengers: Doomsday
The Lord Doom name is more than just a title; it's a terrifying declaration in Avengers: Doomsday. Lord is the title of a man who already rules, meaning that this is a potential hint that Robert Downey Jr.'s MCU villain will win in the upcoming MCU crossover.
In Marvel Comics, Victor von Doom is monarch of Latveria long before he is God Emperor Doom, the figure who stitches Battleworld out of dead universes in Secret Wars and holds it together with power taken from Franklin Richards. Official merchandise from Avengers: Doomsday, combined with the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, already showed Doom with Franklin, indicating that Reed and Sue's powerful child is part of his master plan in the MCU.
There is a strong chance that Doom will abandon his classic armor in favor of the Lord Doom attire to announce his victory. The armored suit is for the fight against the combined might of the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four while the Latverian general dress is being positioned for when he would claim the Multiverse (or Battleworld) for himself.
