I think we can all admit, Marvel Studios really took a nosedive after the global film event of the century, The Infinity Saga conclusion, Avengers: Endgame. But hear me out, with the cards stacked against its eventual story progression post-Endgame, one can wonder, are we bound for a comeuppance and return to form for our beloved Marvel Universe? While we experienced hits like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi, and Thunderbolts, there also came disappointments such as The Marvels, Captain America 4, and Quantumania. Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the franchise as Dr. Doom in the MCU, or is it just misdirection? With Phases 4 and 5 making up the multiverse saga, connecting Avengers, variants, and mutants, it’s worth speculating about the next big team-up film, Avengers: Doomsday. Let’s deep dive and discuss.
Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom Theory
Robert Downey Jr. revealed himself as the next major antagonist of the MCU at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con. And what a great presentation it was. Having multiple Dr. Dooms walk out on stage, only for RDJ himself to remove his mask and unveil himself as the next big baddie. I was plum surprised! Some fans are speculating that this version of Dr. Doom could be a Tony Stark variant under the guise of Victor Von Doom. Tony Stark sacrificed himself in Earth-616 during the Endgame battle against Thanos, marking a significant moment in cinematic history. There is speculation about whether we will see another version of Tony Stark, possibly one who is much more malevolent and self-centered.
In the comic series entitled Infamous Iron Man, Victor Von Doom possesses the Iron Man mantle, making himself a doppelgänger suit to that of Earth-616’s. This could make for a rather intense exposition in Avengers: Doomsday. With Kang the Conqueror banished to the multiverse shadow realm, following Jonathan Majors’ recent legal issues, the focus has shifted to a prominent Fantastic Four adversary, Dr. Doom. Phase 5 has demonstrated that characters can return even after presumed dead in prior universes and timelines. For example, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine was reintroduced separate from his portrayal in Logan and Singer’s X-Men timeline, and Kelsey Grammer reprised his role as Beast at the end of The Marvels. We were given several variants of Loki, Dr. Strange, and well, your favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man during No Way Home. The multiverse possibilities are endless, making Tony Stark’s return even more dramatic when he returns as Doom and comes face to face with some old friends.
Is Chris Evans Captain Hydra?
Heil Hydra. In the words of Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent in 2008’s The Dark Knight, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” it appears our favorite all-time American hero, Captain America actor Chris Evans, is switching to the dark side and finally becoming the very thing he chose to defend humanity against in The Infinity Saga.
Chris Evans rumors were swirling when he seemed to be signing a new deal with Marvel. Many fans speculated and finger-pointed to Chris appearing as Captain Hydra. Captain Hydra is an alternate version of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the MCU, where he is converted to Hydra and becomes their leader. In a particular Marvel comic storyline, Steve Rogers joins Hydra and leads them as Hydra Supreme.
And while Chris seems to be enjoying other roles, he stresses that his time in the MCU is dead and buried. In an interview with Empire, Chris backed up his claims he isn’t returning for Avengers: Doomsday. “That’s not true, though,” he said. “This always happens. I mean, it happens every couple years — ever since Endgame. I’ve just stopped responding to it. Yeah, no — happily retired!” Sure thing, Chris… sure thing.
X-Men/Fantastic Four Incursion Theory
With the notable castings of legendary X-Men actors and actresses such as Rebecca Romijn, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Alan Cumming, and Patrick Stewart returning, as well as newcomers Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, we’re in for a Battleworld situation. What does this entail for Avengers: Doomsday? The speculation is that the Russo Brothers are using a popular storyline from Marvel — maybe you heard of it — Secret Wars, as its focal storyline. A cosmic entity known as the Beyonder becomes interested in Earth’s superheroes in the Marvel Universe. He constructs Battleworld, a planet in a distant galaxy, equipped with various weapons and technology. The Beyonder then teleports groups of heroes to Battleworld without their consent, causing a rift between the X-Men and other Marvel heroes.
And while the Beyonder is a notable character, this might be replaced with Victor Von Doom, forcing the X-Men and Fantastic Four to battle against our friends of Earth-616. Another hunch would be the new cast of Fantastic Four opening a multiverse portal that would bring them, along with the X-Men, notable supervillains, and Doom to our current roster of Marvel heroes for a superhero slugfest.
Multiverse Thanos Will Be Around
Despite the desire to avoid callbacks, Marvel might bring back Thanos to have him defeated by an even greater foe in Doom. And what better way to open a film than to have Dr. Doom absolutely run through the Mad Titan? There is speculation that Eternity from Thor: Love and Thunder could be involved, though this could undermine the entire Infinity Saga. With variants and time travel in the Marvel Universe, a variant Thanos from another multiverse remains a possibility, even if that is speculative amongst the die-hard Marvel community.
What would stop our beloved Marvel brass from bringing back the big bad from the Infinity Saga? Money talks, but Robert Downey Jr.’s death as Iron Man would be for nothing and water everything down. So this one seems like a wash to the JoBblo Crew.
Kang Will Be Wiped Out by Doom
This is something a little more believable. Jonathan Majors, who was cast as Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, faced assault allegations involving his girlfriend. His role as Kang was positioned as the next major villain in the MCU after Thanos, with appearances in Loki and Quantumania highlighting his significance.
Due to these allegations, Marvel chose to redirect its storylines, omitting Kang entirely. This change opens a possibility for Doom to eliminate Kang and his multiverse variants at the start of a film, resolving any loose ends. Do you think this would be a great conclusion to a troubled actor’s past, or would you want to see Jonathan Majors return? Kang can easily be CGI with a new voice actor, eliminating any form of return for Majors and putting the final nail in Kang’s coffin.
Deadpool and Wolverine Redemption Arcs Fulfilled
When we saw Deadpool and Wolverine, and to our delight watched the Merc with a Mouth slice and dice his way in devilish glee, we were introduced to a potential Easter egg for a future team-up with Thor within the TVA. It showed Chris Hemsworth’s almighty god, Thor, clutching a dying Deadpool in his arms.
Some fans have speculated that this is Deadpool’s ultimate sacrifice, potentially towards the end of Avengers: Doomsday, resulting in a teary-eyed Thor saying goodbye to our favorite trash-talking mutant. Even more of a coincidence is that Ryan Reynolds claims to be writing a Deadpool/X-Men movie team-up. It’s even more interesting legendary X-Men actors are signed for Avengers: Doomsday, and Ryan Reynolds wants an X-Men team-up movie soon. Hugh Jackman’s variant still exists on Earth-10005, as shown in Deadpool and Wolverine. Could Wolvie return and redeem himself by saving the new X-Men casted for Avengers: Doomsday? Seems plausible.
Sentry Will Become the Void When a Thunderbolt Dies
Thunderbolts proved that Marvel still has it when it comes to story, execution, and a whole lot of fun. Sentry played a prominent role, with superpowers like Superman. He also has an alter ego called The Void, which possesses a different set of abilities. The Thunderbolts unified to neutralize the Void by bringing Sentry back to the light.
However, the death of a team member in Doomsday could make Sentry revert to the Void. Dr. Doom might use this to his advantage, as The Void can become a roadblock for our superheroes to one-up Doom by the movie’s end. It may not look good, however, for Red Guardian or John Walker being stuck in the crosshairs and serving as the catalyst for Void’s return.
ENDING
While Avengers: Doomsday is underway in production, all we can do is speculate the many what-ifs and theories prior to the movie opening. And while we brought out some left-field scenarios, we hope some of our multiverse wrap-up theories hit the mark on opening day. We can only hope. The introduction of Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, and a variant X-Men can pave the way for some mind-blowing set pieces. We’ve seen this with the Infinity Saga’s Thanos showdown, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield teaming up for that Statue of Liberty slobberknocker in No Way Home, or the return of Wesley Snipes’ Blade in Deadpool and Wolverine. Marvel can flex its muscle when it wants to. It has the IP to do so, and we are ready for the next big thing for 2026 when it goes head-to-head with Dune: Part Three on opening weekend. Are you ready for Dunes-Day?! Eat your heart out, Barbenheimer.
