Marvel Studios Unveils First HD Photo of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom

The digital release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally showcased high-quality screenshots of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. The menacing villain from Latveria is one of the highly anticipated MCU debuts ahead of his looming arrival in Avengers: Doomsday. As the Multiverse Saga's big bad, Victor von Doom's evil plan for the MCU is largely kept under wraps, but Doomsday's official synopsis hinted that he will "unleash a cascading crisis" across the Multiverse. 

Part of the conversation among fans is Doctor Doom's design in the upcoming mega crossover in Avengers: Doomsday, especially after previous live-action iterations fell short and were widely criticized. Despite that, The Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits scene dismissed those concerns after it unveiled an incredible first look at the masked villain. 

Set four years after the events of the film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits scene showed Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) reading a bedtime story to Franklin Richards. After she stepped away to grab another book, Sue noticed that Franklin was no longer on the couch. Instead, Franklin can be seen interacting with Doctor Doom himself. 

While Doom's face is obscured, his mask can be seen being held by him, confirming that Avengers: Doomsday will break a hated MCU trend by not using nanotechnology for the villain's costume: 

A closer look at the scene shows Franklin touching Doctor Doom's face, seemingly hinting that he is being manipulated into changing it to his liking. Interestingly, The Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman also confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. was actually in the suit as Doctor Doom in the scene. 

One of Doctor Doom's targets in Avengers: Doomsday appears to be Franklin Richards, and he seemingly wants him for his Power Cosmic abilities as part of his grand plan for the Multiverse. 

A full look at Doctor Doom's comic-accurate hood and cape can be seen in the post-credits scene. It's reasonable to assume that there are hidden technological advancements within his full costume. 

Following Doctor Doom's menacing presence in the post-credits scene, Robert Downey Jr. will return to portray the villain in Avengers: Doomsday alongside a star-studded cast of returning MCU heroes led by the likes of Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Chris Hemsworth (Thor). 

Avengers: Doomsday is set to premiere in theaters on December 18, 2026. 

Why Doctor Doom Is the MCU's Most Dangerous Threat in 'Avengers Doomsday'

Avengers: Doomsday has a lot to fulfill to establish Doom as a menacing threat because the movie marks his first proper appearance. 

Despite having a limited presence in the Multiverse Saga, what makes Robert Downey Jr.'s Doom scarier is the fact that he has no ties to the heroes of Earth-616, meaning that he will not hold back and even kill beloved heroes to prove a point. This is unlike Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, who simply wanted to retrieve the Infinity Stones. 

Official Avengers: Doomsday promo art offered the best look at Downey Jr.'s version of Doctor Doom, strongly hinting that it will be comic-accurate and hold many unexpected secrets. After the synopsis confirmed that the MCU's Doctor Doom is a master of both science and magic, this makes this Variant a terrifying foe that will be hard to defeat even by the combined might of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. 

More so, the fact that Doomsday is poised to showcase the X-Men in the fight against Doom suggests that the combined might of the Mutants, Fantastic Four, and two factions of Avengers are needed to fight a powerful threat like him, strongly cementing how dangerous Doom really is. With Franklin Richards by his side (whether he is forced or not), Doom appears to be unstoppable in Avengers: Doomsday.