An exciting MCU theory suggests Doctor Doom replacing Kang the Conqueror in the next Avengers will be bigger than just Robert Downey Jr. Shocking the masses at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel Studios revealed that the fifth Avengers movie would be pivoting away from Kang the Conqueror, instead focusing on Doctor Doom who will be played by none other than Robert Downey Jr., despite having played Iron Man from 2008-2019. However, certain elements may remain the same despite the major villain change.
Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann
Originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the next Avengers movie was meant to have Jonathan Majors reprising his role as Kang the Conqueror. However, the movie has since been renamed by Marvel Studios to Avengers: Doomsday with RDJ playing Doctor Doom. The Russo Brothers are set to direct both this film and the following Avengers: Secret Wars (which is expected to conclude the MCU’s current Multiverse Saga). However, Doctor Doom’s plans as an upcoming multiversal threat in the MCU may share some key DNA with what was originally set up for Kang.
The MCU Was Setting The Council of Kangs As The Threat of Avengers 5
Led by A Triumvirate Of Different Kang Variants
Following both seasons of Loki with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in between, the MCU had established that legions of Kang the Conqueror’s variants had been unleashed upon the multiverse. Assembling into the massive Council of Kangs ripped straight from the page of Marvel Comics, these Kangs were preparing to lay claim over multiple timelines and realities, all while being led by a trio of more predominant Kang variants (Centurion, Rama-Tat, and Immortus). As a result, it was expected that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would see the Avengers having to contend with this sizable Kang army to save the entire multiverse from being conquered.
However, Marvel Studios has since altered their upcoming Avengers plans for a few key reasons. Firstly, Quantumania did not perform well critically nor commercially, despite a variant of Kang being featured as a primary antagonist. As such, a pivot to Doctor Doom had been rumored even before Marvel cut ties with Kang actor Jonathan Majors due to his legal issues surrounding a domestic violence case. Likewise, Marvel Studios has also been refocusing their release plans, focusing on quality over quantity as well as building up more known entities, a core reason why Robert Downey Jr. was likely brought back to play Doctor Doom.
MCU Theory Suggests The Avengers Will Now Face An Army of Doctor Doom Variants
Led By RDJ’s Dark Iron Man/Doom Variant
At the moment, it’s unknown if Robert Downey Jr. is playing a dark Iron Man variant who becomes Doctor Doom or if he’ll be playing a more legitimate version of the character beyond the classic metal mask. That said, RDJ being brought back as a villain has more likely to do with Tony Stark to some degree, seeing as how “Evil Iron Man” is exactly how the character will be viewed by the masses. This is more than likely Marvel’s intention, hence why the Iron Man/Doom variant idea makes just as much sense as a more genuine Doom.
Keeping that in mind, it’s also worth noting that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom reveal at SDCC saw him emerging from an entire group of Dooms on stage before taking off his mask at San Diego’s Hall H. On the one hand, this could have simply been showmanship on Marvel’s part, perhaps a depiction of Doom’s frequent robot soldiers in the comics known as Doombots. However, it could also be a tease that RDJ’s Doctor Doom will be leading his very own army of Doom variants from across the multiverse, not unlike the Council of Kangs that had been set up in Quantumania.
An Army of Doom Sounds Intimidating, But A Single Doctor Doom Could Be Just As Scary
Will The MCU Have More Than One Doom?
Armies of Doctor Dooms from across the multiverse have been seen more than once in the original comics. One of the first was the “Parliament of Doom” which followed the primary Doctor Doom who at the time was wielding two Infinity Gauntlets (but was eventually overthrown). Likewise, one of the more recent “Army of Dooms” appeared in Jason Aaron’s culminating Avengers Assemble crossover event. Led by “Doom Supreme” who eventually became known as “The Doom Above All” and the “Doom of Dooms”, legions of Doom variants assembled on a Doom variant of Ego the Living Planet to remake the multiverse in their image.
