Marvel Studios has revealed a new connection between Robert Downey Jr.'s two MCU characters, Tony Stark and Victor von Doom. For over a decade, Downey Jr. was a cornerstone of the MCU as its headlining hero Iron Man, although it seemed like the actor had hung up the mask after Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame. However, his absence from the MCU was not permanent, as Downey Jr. was announced to be returning in a new role at Comic-Con in 2024, this time as the villain Doctor Doom.
Marvel Studios has played coy about whether Victor von Doom and Tony Stark will be connected in any way in-universe, given that the characters share the same face behind their masks. The MCU has introduced the idea of variants in its Multiverse, which has become particularly relevant in the recent Multiverse Saga, although it's still not clear whether Victor von Doom is meant to be a Tony Stark variant or if they are distinct characters played by the same actor.
While the true relationship between the two (if there is one) is still shrouded in mystery, Marvel Studios has made its first official connection between Tony Stark and Doctor Doom in one of the new scenes in Avengers: Endgame Encore. The re-release of the 2019 film includes several new post-credits sequences that build up the connection between the final Infinity Saga film and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, in which Downey Jr. will make his first appearance as Doctor Doom.
Warning: The rest of this article contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame Encore's post-credits scenes.
In the original cut of Avengers: Endgame, a post-credits sting included the sound of a hammer striking iron, a reference to the MCU's first film, Iron Man, in which Tony Stark hand-forges his first Iron Man prototype helmet. In Avengers: Endgame Encore, this scene has been updated to include the same hammer sounds, now accompanied by new visuals of Doctor Doom forging his signature steel mask.
This post-credits update creates an immediate symbolic connection between Tony Stark and Doctor Doom, as both characters are seen forging their masks in a similar manner, with Marvel Studios using the iconic nature of that original Iron Man scene to represent Downey Jr.'s new MCU character.
Initially, the hammer sounds at the end of Avengers: Endgame were meant to be a reflection of Tony Stark's legacy; now, they set up Downey Jr.'s future in the MCU as Doctor Doom.
Avengers: Endgame Encore opens in theaters on September 25th, a couple of months ahead of Avengers: Doomsday's release on December 18, 2026. Both films are directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, and several more starring in both.
Doctor Doom and Tony Stark May Share More Similarities Than Just Masks
Doctor Doom has yet to be officially introduced into the MCU, apart from a brief post-credits scene appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where he appeared masked and caped in the Baxter Building to approach Sue Storm and Reed Richards' son, Franklin. He has since been shown further in trailers for Avengers: Doomsday, where he is consistently shown in his outfit, with no indication of what Downey Jr. looks like beneath the mask.
The origin story of Victor von Doom has not been revealed, although comments from Reed Richards and Sue Storm in Avengers: Doomsday's marketing confirm that the Fantastic Four have a history with their iconic villain and that this iteration of the character likely originated in their universe, Earth-828.
A major question going into Avengers: Doomsday is how the current Earth-616 Avengers will react to Victor von Doom sharing the same face as their previous friend and comrade, Tony Stark, and whether this could be an added weakness for the team in their fight against Doctor Doom.
Apart from seemingly sharing the same face, these brief flashes at the end of Avengers: Endgame Encore suggest that Doom, like Stark, forged his own mask by hand, setting up both characters to be self-made and capable.
Victor von Doom is also known as a genius, channeling his intellect into many brilliant inventions, a trait Tony Stark is also known for at Stark Industries. The major areas in which the two characters diverge are that Tony Stark becomes the hero Iron Man and adopts a savior mentality, while Victor von Doom chooses a villainous path as Doctor Doom and harbors a god complex.
Downey Jr. teased the similarities and differences between his MCU characters at San Diego Comic-Con this year, sharing that "they're considered pretty brilliant guys," but they are also "exact opposite[s]" in terms of their trauma:
"There’s the science thing, and they’re considered pretty brilliant guys, but Tony had the trauma that turned him into a hero, and Doom’s got the exact opposite, where it takes the prowess of all of these folks to go up against him, and it was a joy to behold."
Avengers: Doomsday will continue the Russo Brothers' trend of making its villain relatable and understandable, so it could be an advantage to have an overt connection to Tony Stark in the MCU to establish greater sympathy for the character.
