Iron Man knew a thing or two about an unknown threat, but Avengers: Doomsday will prove that there’s a bigger danger out there than he had ever anticipated. Clint Barton may have mockingly called Tony Stark the “futurist” in Captain America: Civil War, but there’s actually merit to that nickname without the thinly-veiled insult that came with it. As someone who dealt with science and technology long before he became a superhero, and then creating his groundbreaking suit in a cave with a box of scraps, the MCU’s inaugural hero was chasing the future, pushing for innovation.
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That said, Stark’s knack for paving the way for what’s to come wasn’t limited to his high-tech suits and fun gadgets. He routinely tried predicting the future in the hopes that he and the rest of the Avengers were prepared for whatever was coming. His near-death experience in The Avengers reinforced the idea that a bigger threat was coming, and it became the crux of his story for the rest of the Infinity Saga. Wanda Maximoff’s mind control in Avengers: Age of Ultron made his fears of the unknown worse, as he went ahead of boldly and recklessly went ahead with the Ultron Program. While that mistake was fairly on him, it’s also worth noting that he made repeated warnings about a threat looming, saying: “That up there, that’s the endgame.”
Avengers: Doomsday Makes Iron Man’s Avengers: Age of Ultron Scarier
The MCU already paid off that set-up with the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, which ended with the Blip. While Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were able to defeat him in Avengers: Endgame, his impact on the MCU is long-lasting. All that being said, Avengers: Doomsday is proving that what was up there wasn’t exactly the endgame that Stark had predicted. Seven years after the Battle of Earth and the death of Iron Man, the MCU is facing a much bigger and more dangerous enemy with the impending introduction of Doctor Doom, also played by Downey Jr..
Marvel Studios is currently keeping the motivations of the new villain close to the chest, but returning directors Joe and Anthony Russo have already confirmed that Stark’s death is part of Doctor Doom’s story. Unlike Thanos, who was only terrorizing planets, his contemporary is wreaking havoc on full timelines, threatening to destroy a variety of realities, including Earth-616, the main MCU. This paves the way for Avengers: Doomsday to assemble some of the most prominent Marvel characters on the screen, even though they weren’t technically part of Marvel Studios’ primary reality, such as the legacy X-Men heroes.
How Marvel Studios sets up Doctor Doom’s story is still uncertain at this point. One prominent theory suggests that he is going after the children of superpowered beings to be his new anchor beings. So far, Avengers: Doomsday‘s marketing has included Thor and Love, as well as Steve Rogers’ newly introduced child. Before those, The Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credit scene showed Doctor Doom actually seeking Franklin Richard. Their children being in direct danger is such a strong motivation for these heroes to work together, even the original Captain America coming out of retirement.
How Iron Man’s Involvement Would Have Changed Avengers: Doomsday
Bar the behind-the-scenes ramifications of Downey Jr. still being involved in the MCU as Stark, it’s curious how the story of Avengers: Doomsday, based on what’s known about it, would play out if Iron Man was still around. While his warning in Avengers: Age of Ultron was specifically referring to Thanos, he did have another ominous line in Avengers: Endgame, hinting that he may have an idea of the fallout that would have come from their time-travelling shenanigans, saying: “You mess with time, it tends to mess back.” Unfortunately, because he didn’t have time to fully explore that idea, it’s unclear if there’s anything specific that led to this realization. Had he lived, it’s safe to say that he would have continued exploring the concept of time travel.
Given that, perhaps the MCU would be more prepared for what’s to come. Assuming that he came out of retirement, perhaps there’s a clearer idea on the status of the new generation of Avengers. Beyond that, discovering alternate realities and dealing with them wouldn’t have been specific to characters like Doctor Strange and Loki. Perhaps, Earth-616 would have already established ties with the Fantastic Four’s Earth-828. Whether Iron Man’s involvement could have stopped Doctor Doom’s arrival is difficult to predict without knowing for sure what led to the villain’s crusade in the first place.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
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