A new Avengers: Doomsday rumor claims Marvel has gone through several different ideas for Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, including versions involving Tony Stark, Mephisto, Pepper Potts, Sue Storm, and Doom’s family.
The info comes from MyTimeToShineH on X, so as always, treat it as rumor for now.
Marvel hasn’t confirmed the plot of Avengers: Doomsday, but the details are interesting because they line up with other rumors about Doom’s motivation and how Fantastic Four could set him up.
Warning: Possible spoilers may follow.
Doctor Doom’s origin reportedly changed several times
According to MyTimeToShineH, Doom’s origin story in Avengers: Doomsday didn’t always involve him having a family.
The scooper claims other versions of the story included Doom’s parents dying, while another version had Doom believing he was a reincarnation of Tony Stark and that he “belonged” in the MCU.
That version would have leaned hard into Robert Downey Jr.’s return, making Doom’s connection to Iron Man part of the story instead of just a casting twist.
The craziest rumored version involved Doom working for Mephisto, who would have been revealed as the real villain.
The Mephisto angle would have been a huge swing, especially after Marvel spent years with fans speculating Mephisto would appear in WandaVision and other MCU projects, only for Mephisto to appear in Ironheart, which, interestingly enough, Robert Downey Jr. helped to promote.
Another version reportedly had Doom obsessed with either Pepper Potts or Sue Storm.
Doom may be out for revenge
Previous rumors have claimed the current version of Avengers: Doomsday gives Doom a more personal motivation.
The rumor is that an incursion kills Doom’s family, which sends him on a path of revenge.
That would give the character a direct reason to go after the multiverse and could explain why Doom becomes such a major threat heading into Avengers: Secret Wars.
It also makes Doom less of a generic villain and more of a damaged figure who sees himself as justified. That is usually when Doctor Doom works best. He isn’t just evil for the sake of it. He believes he is right. The Russos did something similar with Thanos.
Fantastic Four may set up Doom’s tragedy
That family angle could also explain why Doctor Doom reportedly has a scene with Franklin Richards at the end of Fantastic Four.
Franklin is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics, and his presence could be key to the MCU’s multiverse story.
If Doom loses his own family because of an incursion, seeing Franklin with Reed and Sue could push him further over the edge.
It could also make Doom’s connection to the Fantastic Four more personal before Avengers: Doomsday gets underway.
Rumors have even said Downey’s Doom is from the same universe as the FF.
Franklin Richards could explain Doom’s unmasked look
As I previously went over, there is also speculation from a Hollywood VFX artist friend that Franklin Richards may heal Doom’s face.
That would explain why Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom could be shown without a mask in Avengers: Doomsday.
Traditionally, Doom’s scarred face and mask are central to the character, but Marvel also has a big reason to show Downey’s face after bringing him back to the MCU.
If Franklin heals Doom, Marvel could have it both ways: Doom still has the mask, but Downey can appear unmasked without completely throwing out the character’s mythology.
It would also make Franklin even more important to the story if he has a direct effect on Doom before the Avengers movie.
Marvel may have moved away from the stranger ideas
The rumored earlier versions sound like Marvel was trying to figure out how far to push the Robert Downey Jr. twist.
Doom believing he was a reincarnated Tony Stark would have directly tied the character to Iron Man.
The Mephisto idea would have added another hidden villain behind the scenes.
The obsession with Pepper Potts or Sue Storm would have made Doom’s motivation more personal, but also risked making the story feel too strange or forced.
The family revenge angle sounds cleaner. It gives Doom a reason to hate the multiverse, ties him to the Fantastic Four, and sets up Avengers: Doomsday without turning him into a Tony Stark variant gimmick.
Don’t forget the Avengers: Doomsday teasers also featured Chris Evans as Steve Rogers with a baby, and Thor now has a daughter.
Avengers: Doomsday release info
Avengers: Doomsday gets released December 18, 2026.
The movie brings back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and is expected to lead directly into Avengers: Secret Wars, which follows on December 17, 2027.
Marvel hasn’t released an official plot synopsis yet, but the latest rumors suggest Doom’s story could be more tragic and personal than fans expected.
