Robert Downey Jr. took the holidays as an opportunity to share official Doctor Doom and Iron Man artwork amid the hype for Avengers: Doomsday. Downey Jr. is confirmed to make his highly anticipated comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in Doomsday as Doctor Doom. By playing the villain, the MCU mainstay is effectively transitioning away from being the hero after portraying Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) for a decade. However, some still believe that Downey Jr. will return to portray a Variant of Iron Man in the culminating chapter of the Multiverse Saga, and he shared new artwork to ignite fans' desire to see him become the Armored Avenger again.
In celebration of the holidays, Robert Downey Jr. shared official artwork of Doctor Doom and Iron Man on his Instagram, featuring two Christmas ornaments designed to resemble the faces of the two Marvel characters, hanging side by side, with the text "Silver & Gold."
While this official artwork may seem to hint that Iron Man is returning in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, it's worth noting that Downey has a pattern of posting playful, holiday-themed Marvel art, so there's a strong chance that this could mean nothing for the future of the Multiverse Saga. Still, this may be an intentional tease to drum up hype for Doomsday.
Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Doctor Doom is expected to be as menacing as ever, mainly because Avengers: Doomsday's official synopsis revealed that Doom has evil plans for the Multiverse.
Doom is also a formidable opponent for the combined might of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, as Marvel has confirmed that the villain is "a master of cutting-edge science and powerful magic."
Directed by the Russo Brothers, Avengers: Doomsday is already making headlines due to the confirmed return of Chris Evans' Steve Rogers, meaning that he is set to reunite with his fellow Infinity Saga co-stars like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, and more. The upcoming MCU crossover movie is set to premiere in theaters on December 18, 2026.
Will Robert Downey Jr. Return as Iron Man?
Given that Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man already had a perfect ending in Avengers: Endgame after he sacrificed himself to save the universe against Thanos, some have claimed that a potential comeback for the character would undo his journey and cheapen one of the MCU's most emotional moments.
Despite that, the Multiverse Saga offers the perfect opportunity for Downey to make a final return as Iron Man, considering that this chapter in the MCU's story makes the most sense due to the endless possibilities of alternate realities.
It doesn't necessarily cheapen the stakes, as it would be a missed opportunity for Downey to don the armor once again and fight alongside other Multiversal heroes, such as Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, in either Doomsday or Secret Wars.
Considering that the Russos managed to showcase Steve Rogers' comeback convincingly, it's safe to assume that Iron Man's return (who is likely a Variant and not Earth-616's version) will be adequately explained and seamlessly incorporated into the narrative of the next two Avengers movies. More so, seeing a clash between Doctor Doom and Iron Man (both played by Robert Downey Jr.) would be intriguing to witness on-screen.
