Tony Stark’s path to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now clear thanks to Avengers: Doomsday. While the Infinity Saga took 11 years to culminate in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios is taking less time to do the same with the Multiverse Saga. Avengers: Secret Wars is poised to hit theaters in December 2027 — just six years since Phase 4 started with WandaVision. Before that, however, Avengers: Doomsday sets up the ultimate payoff for the MCU’s post-Infinity Saga storytelling, with the film bringing together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four for an intense showdown with Doctor Doom.
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Admittedly, there was skepticism about the upcoming Joe and Anthony Russo-directed film when it was first announced, partly because of how tumultuous the Multiverse Saga has been. The confirmed return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers did little to assuage the public’s concerns about how it would ruin the well-loved ending of Avengers: Endgame. Luckily, the Avengers: Doomsday CinemaCon trailer seemingly did the trick. Robert Downey Jr.’s return doesn’t involve undoing Iron Man’s heroic death, but because he’s playing a new character, Doctor Doom. After a new Marvel Studios announcement, however, Stark can now easily return to the MCU.
Avengers: Endgame’s Re-release Means New Tony Stark Scenes
On the heels of Marvel Studios’ CinemaCon 2026 presentation, it was announced that Avengers: Endgame‘s return to theaters in September will come with new scenes, which will directly tie to the events of Avengers: Doomsday. No word yet on what scenes will be added to the already three-hour movie, or who will be involved in those sequences. However, it’s safe to say that whatever goes down in them, it will have something to do with what’s coming in its sequel. After all, it has been confirmed that Avengers: Doomsday will pick up after Avengers: Endgame.
Because there are no parameters given for the additional scenes, Marvel Studios can include new scenes featuring Stark before his death during the Battle of Earth. Because Avengers: Endgame had a lot of stories to tackle, it had to be discerning about which parts of the film it would spend time on and which ones it could breeze through. Much has been said about how Stark was able to figure out time travel quickly. While there have been a couple of reasons for this, it’s one point in Avengers: Endgame that Marvel Studios can flesh out more, especially if they are able to tie it to what’s going to happen in Avengers: Doomsday.
In addition to that, Stark’s line, “you mess with time, it tends to mess back,” can be another point of expansion for Avengers: Endgame. Since the Multiverse Saga tackles time travel and diverging realities, Marvel Studios can add some new context to this particular dialogue, especially if it means that Iron Man knew something about the potential threat that Doctor Doom is bringing to the MCU years after they defeated Thanos.
Why Additional Tony Stark Scenes In Endgame Might Be Vital For Doomsday
From a storytelling perspective, this is one way to help the Russos, as well as writers Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, properly set up the events of the film. Unlike the Infinity Saga, most of them haven’t been involved in the Multiverse Saga until they were recruited for the next Avengers movie. This makes it difficult to create a proper overarching narrative that would warrant such a big payoff in Avengers: Doomsday. By planting plot seeds all the way back to Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios can shift the focus away from how chaotic the Multiverse Saga has been.
Beyond the bigger picture, re-releasing Avengers: Endgame with new scenes in preparation for Avengers: Doomsday can also draw a clear parallel between Doctor Doom and Tony Stark. While the upcoming villain will likely don his signature metal mask for the majority of the movie, it’s safe to assume that he will eventually be without it, showing how much he looks like Iron Man. That would raise questions, not just from fans, but actual characters in the MCU, especially those that Stark spent a lot of time with, such as Thor — the new leader of the Avengers, Steve Rogers, and even Doctor Strange. Including a clue for their potential connection in Avengers: Endgame would be a nifty way to address the matter.
For what it’s worth, Downey Jr. was already on set for Avengers: Doomsday, so filming new scenes for Stark in Avengers: Endgame wouldn’t have needed them to recruit the actor again. The same goes for Evans as Rogers, considering that the re-release of the 2019 film will likely feature new details about what happened to him after his final Infinity Stones mission. At this point, since both actors are already back in the MCU, Marvel Studios might as well make the most out of it.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
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