Robert Downey Jr. has been dropping clues about Avengers: Doomsday, and his latest one could point to Doctor Strange's intriguing role in the story. Downey Jr. is returning in the fifth Avengers film to play Victor von Doom, aka Doctor Doom, the main antagonist of Marvel Studios' Multiverse Saga. Dozens of Avengers are assembling for Avengers: Doomsday, although the list is still missing a few notable names, including Benedict Cumberbatch's wizard, Doctor Strange.
Downey Jr.'s latest hint may point to Doctor Strange's involvement in Avengers: Doomsday, if a popular theory pans out. The Iron Man star appeared in a new promo for Avengers: Endgame Encore, wearing a vibrant mechanics shirt with custom patches that are full of Marvel Easter eggs.
Downey Jr. has been known to drop hints in his outfits, with the latest being a series of cryptic clues written in Latverian on his custom Comic-Con suit. Now the actor appears to be at it again with this latest attire, which contains references to Reed Richards, Doom-Bots, Thanos, Peter Parker, Stan Lee, and more.
One intriguing patch on the jacket reads "Boris Towing" and features a logo with a bearded man in a hat, with a lantern on the back of a tow truck.
The name Boris may ring a bell for Marvel Comics fans, as a reference to Boris Karela, the loyal servant, guardian, and best friend of Victor von Doom. The man in the logo even resembles Boris, who is known for his white beard and lantern.
What's more intriguing about this reference is that a popular rumor has it that Benedict Cumberbatch will portray a character named Boris in Avengers: Doomsday. Earlier in the year, scooper @MyTimetoShineH reported that Cumberbatch would not be playing Doctor Strange in the new Avengers film, but would instead be playing Boris, Doctor Doom's sidekick, who is also a wizard and wears a sling ring. The rumor may indicate that Boris is a variant of Stephen Strange, just as Doctor Doom appears to be a variant of Tony Stark.
Cumberbatch has gone back and forth on his involvement in Avengers: Doomsday. The actor was not included in the lineup of chairs who confirmed the initial cast for the film, but Cumberbatch later said he "is in the next [Avengers movie]" after initially saying he wasn't.
Notably, Cumberbatch didn't confirm who he would be playing in Avengers: Doomsday, which does leave the door open for him to play someone other than Doctor Strange. He's not the only Marvel actor suspected of being included in the film in a different role, with Elizabeth Olsen also theorized to be in the movie, but not as the Scarlet Witch.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026. Robert Downey Jr. is joined in the cast by Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Hayley Atwell, Pedro Pascal, and more. The Russo Brothers return to direct Avengers: Doomsday, which will lead into 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars.
Benedict Cumberbatch May Leave Doctor Strange Behind in Avengers: Doomsday
Regardless of whether the Doctor Strange theory pans out, Downey Jr.'s newest outfit seems to be a solid hint that Boris will be present in Avengers: Doomsday in some shape or form.
Marvel may opt to cast a new actor as Doctor Doom's loyal accomplice, or it could use its existing lineup by putting a twist on Boris and casting Cumberbatch in dual roles. The move would further establish the notion that MCU actors can play multiple different characters in the same universe, or variants on the same character, as Downey Jr. is with Victor von Doom.
There is a history between Doctor Doom, Boris, and Doctor Strange in the comics. At one point, Doom and Boris call upon Doctor Strange for help when trying to free Doom's mother. For the movie, Marvel Studios may be looking to simplify this by merging Doctor Strange and Boris into a single character, capitalizing on the star power of its existing cast and making the character reveals in Avengers: Doomsday more impactful.
This doesn't mean Benedict Cumberbatch is done with Doctor Strange. The end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness left the character with a third-eye problem, and a new accomplice in Charlize Theron's Clea. Both of these are expected to be touched upon either in Doctor Strange's next MCU appearance or in Doctor Strange 3, which is still supposedly in development.
If Marvel wanted to hold off on answering any of the big questions about Doctor Strange until that third movie can move forward, then including Cumberbatch as Boris in Avengers: Doomsday would be a clever way to still include the MCU actor without having to address Doctor Strange's narrative directly.
