Robert Downey Jr. Hypes Avengers: Doomsday Return With Perfect Social Post

Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. teases his upcoming return to the franchise in Avengers: Doomsday with the perfect social media post. To celebrate Valentine’s Day today, the actor took to his Instagram page to share a holiday-themed post with his followers. While a couple of the images in his slideshow are dedicated to his wife, Susan Downey, MCU fans will take great interest in the first picture: an illustration of Doctor Doom’s mask as a box of chocolates for a special someone from “Victor von Valentine.” You can see Downey’s post in the space below.

After famously portraying Tony Stark in the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Downey is coming back to the franchise to play Doctor Doom in the latter stages of the Multiverse Saga. The character is replacing Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the overarching villain, as he will be the main antagonist in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. There’s also been speculation Downey’s Doom will make his debut in a post-credits scene during this summer’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

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A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr)

Downey’s post comes on the heels of word that Avengers: Doomsday will begin production next month. Anthony Mackie, who will reprise his Captain America in the blockbuster, recently said he’ll be busy shooting Doomsday “through the summer” before the cast and crew reconvene next year to film Secret Wars. Other cast members include Benedict Cumberbatch, the stars of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the Thunderbolts* ensemble. Doomsday hits theaters in 2026, with Secret Wars following in 2027.

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The Multiverse Saga has been a bumpy ride for Marvel — this month’s Captain America: Brave New World earned mixed reviews — but the studio is hoping to end the overarching story on a high note with the pair of Avengers movies. That’s why it opted to bring Downey back to the fold, this time as one of Marvel’s most powerful villains. Throughout the Infinity Saga, Downey was the MCU’s poster boy and beloved by fans, becoming synonymous with Stark. It remains to be seen how exactly Marvel pulls this off, but Downey’s return is worth getting excited about. As an Oscar-winning actor, he’s proven he has the range to play a variety of roles, and it’ll be fun to see him chew scenery as the bad guy.

Given Marvel’s penchant for secrecy, there probably won’t be too many (if any) set leaks when Doomsday starts filming, meaning there’s still a long wait ahead for fans to see Downey’s Doom in action. Perhaps Marvel will showcase footage at an event like San Diego Comic-Con, but for now, the general public is going to have to make do with teases like Downey’s perfectly timed Valentine’s post. The actor knows how to get fans hyped up, and hopefully his take on Doom delivers something special.