10 Years Later, the MCU Can Pay Off One of Its Most Important Lines (With a Twist)

The most important coffin in Marvel Cinematic Universe history is about to swing open, and the Undertaker isn’t the one crawling out of it. Robert Downey Jr. is set to return to the franchise he helped build in 2026 with Avengers: Doomsday. Rather than getting fit for another Iron Man armor, though, the actor will slip into another metal suit, one that has some magical qualities. It remains to be seen how the MCU will utilize Doctor Doom’s resemblance to Tony Stark to its advantage, but it’s sure to play a significant role in the movie. After all, a couple of characters already confirmed for Doomsday, including Thor and Captain America, have lots of history with the founder of Stark Industries.

There are also numerous rumors about other Avengers joining the team-up movie. The biggest name who can’t stay out of the headlines is Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans. Everyone and their mother seems to believe that the original Cap will be back in a big way, which makes sense, given the scale of Doomsday. And using the character in a particular way could allow the MCU to pay off a line that it has been sitting on for a decade.

Steve Rogers Makes a Promise to Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War

Captain America and Iron Man butt heads in their first couple of live-action appearances together. Tony can’t move past how his dad always talked up Steve as this great man, and Steve believes that Tony only became Iron Man to serve his own interests. Both heroes have a right to be mad to a degree, but they let their squabble get out of hand in Captain America: Civil War. Tony presents the Avengers with the Sokovia Accords, which would subject them to the oversight of the United Nations. The arrangement doesn’t sit right with Cap, who had just had to dismantle S.H.I.E.L.D. because it had been taken over by the evil organization HYDRA. However, despite not signing the Accords, Steve can’t stay out of the action, creating an international incident by saving his dear friend Bucky Barnes.

A fight between the two factions of heroes breaks out when Steve tries to take Bucky to Siberia to stop Helmut Zemo from activating the rest of the Winter Soldiers, and Tony’s best friend, James Rhodes, gets badly injured. Fortunately, Tony moves past his anger and goes to Siberia to help Steve. What he doesn’t see coming, though, is that the whole thing is a trap by Zemo to reveal the truth about Howard and Maria’s deaths. After learning Bucky is responsible, Tony lashes out and takes a nasty beating from his former teammate. The two part ways on bad terms, but Steve reaches out at the end of Civil War and informs Tony that he’ll always be there for him. Steve proves to be a man of his word in Avengers: Endgame, being by Tony’s side during the Time Heist, and he might get another chance to be a good friend if Doomsday plays its cards right.

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Doctor Doom Could Seek Out His Own Captain America in Doomsday

All signs point to Doctor Doom being his own character and not an evil version of Tony Stark. It’s also doubtful that Victor von Doom dreamwalks into the corpse of Earth-616’s Tony. However, there will be some connection between the two characters, which means Doom can take advantage of all the connections that Tony has across the multiverse. Maybe the villain seeks out Howard Stark, since he’s every bit as intelligent as his son, or a variant of Rhodey who is ready to raise hell. Of course, he could also set his sights on a single figure: Captain America. If Steve will always be there for Tony, an evil version of Cap might be there for Doom.

The idea of facing off against one villain who looks like a hero is scary enough, but bringing another one into the fold would open the door to endless possibilities. The Avengers will surely be thrown off their game, and that might be the difference between victory and defeat. Doom will probably be able to do enough damage on his own, as he’s one of the most formidable villains in the Marvel Universe, but playing mind games ensures that he doesn’t have to flex his muscles too much in his MCU debut.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

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