Back in 2019, Avengers: Endgame seemed to be the sendoff for both Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and also for directors Joe and Anthony Russo within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed Downey and the Russos were returning for Avengers: Doomsday. While all of these figures have gone on to explore other storytelling realms since 2019, Joe Russo recently teased that he wouldn’t have returned to the MCU if it wasn’t for good reason, claiming that the upcoming Doomsday is on “equal footing” for how game-changing both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame were for the superhero genre. Avengers: Doomsday currently has a release date of May 1, 2026.

“We’re all very close,” Joe Russo shared with GamesRadar+ of the connection between the filmmakers and Downey. “We had been working on another project before Marvel approached all of us – so we’re working on another project with Robert – and there was a story that evolved through conversations that we got very excited about. Because it’s always got to be the story.”

He continued, “Why would we come back if we didn’t feel like we had a story that had that possibility of being on an equal footing with Infinity War and Endgame unless there’s a kernel there for an idea that’s really explosive?”

[RELATED – How Marvel’s Fantastic Four Could Set-Up Avengers: Secret Wars With Just Two Actors]

Virtually ever since Endgame, the Russo brothers and Downey have been asked about the likelihood of a return in any capacity, which resulted in a broad spectrum of answers about such returns. The Russo brothers have often expressed that a project in which Secret Wars could be brought to life would be enticing to them, with those hopes being announced as a reality at this year’s SDCC.

While fans are understandably excited about the upcoming returns, it comes as a result of a tumultuous period for the studio. Before Feige confirmed that Avengers 5 would be Doomsday, the project was expected to be Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Much like the studio had done with Thanos, various installments in the MCU were poising Jonathon Majors’s Kang the Conqueror to be the multiverse-spanning threat, specifically with Kang’s inclusion in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In 2023, Majors was found guilty on charges of both assault and harassment, resulting in Marvel announcing that they were parting ways with the performer.

The narrative seeds of Kang’s importance in the MCU understandably caused a number of questions about how the franchise would handle the figure going forward. With Kang not having earned as significant of a footprint within the MCU as Thanos and with The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to be released in 2025, the franchise likely has a more organic opportunity to hint at Doctor Doom next year before Downey fully embraces the character for the 2026 Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026.

Are you looking forward to the return of the Russo brothers? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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Spider-Man movie star Tom Holland is trying to show everyone that he’s a changed man when it comes to leaking secrets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland has finally been cleared to admit that he knew that Robert Downey Jr. was returning to the MCU franchise as Doctor Doom well before it was announced to the world during Marvel’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Holland was so determined to turn around his infamous reputation as a leaker of MCU secrets that he claims “I strategically have done no press,” since finding out RDJ was going to be MCU Doom.

In his full breakdown of the situation during the Rich Roll podcast, Tom Holland revealed that “I’ve been speaking to [Robert Downey Jr.] a lot, especially about him making his [Marvel] return, which is super exciting.”

Holland had to admit that getting that hot scoop left him burdened by knowledge like he was Thanos: “That was a tough secret to sit on, because I have a reputation for ruining things and I strategically have done no press,” Holland said.

How Many Marvel Movies Has Tom Holland Spoiled?

Tom Holland’s history of spoiling his Marvel movie projects is extensive. In 2016, during production on Spider-Man: Homecoming Holland told fans on a live Facebook Q&A about a scene they were filming in Homecoming involving helicopter harnesses and a dunk in a lake for his stunt double. This turned out to be the first battle between Spider-Man (Holland) and The Vulture (Michael Keaton), which left Peter Parker getting dropped in a lake by the flying villain. A year later, right before Spider-Man: Homecoming was released, Holland jumped the gun on confirming the new MCU Spider-Man movies would be a trilogy.

When Holland’s Spider-Man became a breakthrough character, Marvel Studios included him in their big two-part Infinity Saga finale, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Holland turned out to be a nightmare for Marvel PR: months after Homecoming was released, Holland did an Instagram live unboxing of a gift from Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo, which included a first print of the Avengers: Infinity War poster, which Holland was not all supposed to reveal. The next year (2018), the massive cast of Infinity War was doing media events around the world to promote the movie. Screenwriter Stephen McFeely gave Holland the wrong tip about one event, making the actor believe it was held after a premiere screening of Infinity War – leading Holland to take the stage exclaiming “I’m alive!” and spoil his death scene as Spider-Man before release day.

Blowing up Infinity War’s big twist ending didn’t teach Tom Holland to be better: during the promotional tour for Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Holland nearly tripped over his words and nearly revealed that there would be more than one Spider-Man in the film – and his beau Zendaya had to stop him from mentioning who bought Avengers Tower after Homecoming – an MCU secret that is still going to this day.

Now it’s 2024 and it seems Tom Holland has finally stepped his game up as a human vault. Tony Stark would be proud of his protege (if he were still alive). However, news that Holland was in the loop on RDJ being Doom – and the recent non-spoiler that a Spider-Man 4 script has him and Zendaya hyped (Venom? Miles Morales?) – makes us wonder if the big plans for an awkward Spider-Man and Doom meeting aren’t already in the works.

Avengers: Doomsday has a release date of May 1, 2026. Spider-Man 4 is in development.

via Variety

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Agatha All Along’s latest massive reveal makes the big rumor surrounding Avengers: Doomsday even more interesting. In case you missed it, Episode 5 of the Disney+ series told the audience that Joe Locke’s mystery Teen is actually Scarlet Witch’s son Billy. It’s a ground-shaking reveal for this series. But, maybe more interestingly, it lends some credence to the hottest rumor surrounding Avengers: Doomsday. Writers like Alex Perez from The Cosmic Circus have hinted that the next Marvel Studios team-up movie might adapt elements of The Childrens’ Crusade. This storyline heavily involves Billy and the rest of the Young Avengers heroes. They strike out to find Wanda Maximoff, because two of their teammates would like to know what happened to their mother. (That’s Wiccan and Speed for those playing at home. Speaking of, where is Scarlet Witch’s other son?) So, Billy would have to be around for that story to take place in the same way.

Avengers: Doomsday is one of the biggest moments on the foreseeable MCU timeline for a number of reasons. Take your pick of Robert Downey Jr’s return as Victor Von Doom, a sorely-missed Marvel crossover movie, or even more direct Multiverse Saga developments in a live-action project. If the rumors about Scarlet Witch being in a romantic entanglement with Doctor Doom are true, fans could toss Wanda’s long-awaited appearance onto the fire as well. There’s so much anticipation building around Joe and Anthony Russo’s big Marvel Studios movie. This development would only heighten things as we move toward the crucial moments of The Multiverse Saga. If the Young Avengers begin looking for Wanda by the end of Agatha All Along, don’t be shocked about that development.

A lot of credit should go to director Jac Schaeffer for managing to weave in these big MCU developments during Agatha All Along. The WandaVision creative force has tried her best to keep the spotlight on Kathryn Hahn and her coven. But, in a franchise this big, there are some story elements that need attention. Even when they come in unlikely places. Episode 3’s Mephisto mention shook the Internet, and revealing Billy as the teenager that’s been tagging along with these witches would qualify as well. Still, it’s a delicate balance for a creative team that wants to tell a story about Agatha Harkness and not just provide MCU updates every week. It would seem that they’ve done that here. Schaeffer told The Hollywood Reporter that Marvel president Kevin Feige helped make the call for Mephisto in the early going. So, the gears are always turning. 

Agatha All Along Laying The Groundwork For Children’s Crusade

When it comes to the Young Avengers, they already have a leader in Ms. Marvel. Iman Vellani sat down with ComicBook’s Phase Zero after the release of The Marvels to discuss getting the team together. During our chat, the actress revealed that The Marvels actually cut a sequence where Ms. Marvel had all of the heroes together. The theatrical cut of that movie actually featured Vellani speaking to Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. A fun reward for fans who had been following these younger characters. Marvel Studios must have thought this was all a bit much too soon. But, in the time since The Marvels, more pieces keep getting added to the puzzle at different points. Bill is just the latest Young Avenger to pop-up after all these honor students keep cropping up.

“Yes, I mean, it was like pretty much the same lines,” Vellani told us. “I think they were trying their best to incorporate as many as they can. But, I think its better that we see Kamala actually form the Young Avengers starting from the beginning. Because, there was a version where they already exist and I was like, ‘That doesn’t make any sense’ and they were like ‘We know, we’re not gonna film this.’”

“But, yeah, I think it was really fun and I loved working with Hailee for just that one day that I got to meet her and see her and talk to her. She’s so… it was nice just having someone to relate to about the super suits and… you know, where the future of the Young Avengers lies,” she continued. “So, yeah I’m very excited. Hopefully, that turns into something real…. It’s my favorite part about the first Avengers film too. When Nick Fury and Scarlett Johansson, they all gather together, and they’re like ‘we’re a team now.’”

Do you think Children’s Crusade is on the way in the next Avengers movie? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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Marvel’s Thunderbolts* trailer has Marvel Cinematic Universe fans buzzing – and yet one of the biggest trending topics about the movie is its title. Eyebrows were raised when Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige presented the official Thunderbolts* title logo with an asterisk at the end. Feige teased that the asterisk was very much intentional and that by the end of Thunderbolts* fans would understand all too well why it was necessary. 

Naturally, MCU fans have been dropping all kinds of theories about why Thunderbolts* is titled Thunderbolts*. Now that the trailer has dropped, there are two leading theories about why Thunderbolts* is playing with its title in this way. 

Why Marvel’s Thunderbolts Has an Asterisk in Its Title

It’s A SUICIDE SQUAD – There’s a lot of speculation that Thunderbolts* is actually Marvel Studios’ version of DC’s Suicide Squad. There’s precedent for it in the comics: Wilson Fisk/Kingpin once formed his own Thunderbolts squad and sent them on a high-risk mission to help defeat Knull, the symbiote god; from the look of the trailer, and past rumors, that could certainly be the case for this Thunderbolts* movie. 

The trailer footage seemed to make it clear that characters like Yelena/Black Widow II (Florence Pugh), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) are all lured to a facility that looks like a Saw-style death trap, and houses “Bob” (Lewis Pullman) who is also the mentally-broken superman known as The Sentry. Add other MCU espionage agents like Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and Thunderbolts* seems like it could turn out to be a major “cleaning” operation, where some of the MCU’s biggest spies and assassins all get clipped in one fell swoop, after carrying out some game-changing high-risk mission (like freeing The Sentry). 

By the time the movie is over, the Thunderbolts “team” may be down to just one or two survivors (if that). It would be a bold and shocking twist for an MCU film – the kind the franchise could use right about now. 

These Are The NEW AVENGERS – The other big theory is that Thunderbolts* is titled with an asterisk because “Thunderbolts” isn’t the actual title of the film! Based on Marvel Comics lore, many fans think that Marvel Studios will finally introduce the MCU version of “Dark Avengers.” 

After the comic book version of “Secret Invasion” took place, Norman Osborn exploited public distrust of heroes to rebrand his team of Thunderbolts as Avengers. Osborn used Starktech armor to become “Iron Patriot,” while villains took on hero mantles, like Bullseye becoming “Hawkeye” or Mac Gargan’s Venom posing as Spider-Man. These ‘Dark Avengers’ operated in the public eye, until the heroes were eventually able to rally and oust the villains from controlling the levers of society.

There’s speculation that the story of Thunderbolts* will turn out to be a twisted sort of recruitment test and team-bonding exercise. Even if some members of the team don’t survive, the ones who do will presumably be tapped to be part of a not-so-heroic Avengers team. While no one really expects Marvel Studios to ever use the title “Dark Avengers,” there is another way they can go… 

 It could turn out that the word “Thunderbolts” never appears in the actual film – that the movie will start without revealing any title card, and at the very end, we’ll see a title that reads “The Avengers,” “New Avengers,” or “Secret Avengers” in a major twist reveal. Maybe it will be a single-word flip, and Avengers* will become the final punchline of this title game. 

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* has a release date of May 2, 2025. 

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Iron Man star Jeff Bridges may have just teased his Marvel Cinematic Universe return in a new interview. Bridges played the very first MCU “big bad” Obadiah Stane, the man who helped Howard Stark turn Stark Industries into a corporate powerhouse. When Tony Stark developed the Iron Man armor, Stane (and his puppets, the Ten Rings) developed the dreaded Iron Monger armor out of Tony’s original Iron Man prototype. In the final battle between Iron Man and Iron Monger (known as the “Duel of Los Angeles”) Stane (seemingly) is fatally electrocuted by his prototype arc reactor when it explodes under him. He fell into the reactor, which then exploded. 

MCU fans have kept a spark of hope alive that Obadiah Stane could make a comic book-style return, with his death (and SHIELD’s whole cover story about it) getting debunked by a surprise return. With the Iron Man side of the MCU about to get rebooted through projects like the Ironheart TV series and Armor Wars movies, now would be the suitable time for Obidiah Stane to re-enter the chat. 

While talking to Josh Horowitz during the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Jeff Bridges not only acknowledged that there’s room for Obadiah – or any multiverse variant of him – to return in the MCU (“Who knows? It’s all science fiction and I could maybe pop up again…”), he explained that an original version of the Iron Man script set that up that very scenario: 

“Well when I read the script, Obadiah Stane falls into that vat at the end,” Bridges explained. “In the script that I read and agreed to do, they pulled it [the armor] out and they opened it and I’m not there.”

It doesn’t sound like Iron Man director Jon Favreau ever shot that sequence of Iron Man, but that doesn’t mean a future MCU project can’t reveal it as a major flashback twist. It would be interesting to see what Stane has been up to in the years since Iron Man, given the reveal that the Ten Rings wasn’t at all what it seemed. 

Then there’s the more obvious and timely scenario of having an Obadiah Stane variant from another MCU reality appear in an upcoming MCU Multiverse Saga project. A lot of fans will instantly jump to the idea of seeing Bridges and his Iron Man co-star Robert Downey Jr. reunite onscreen. Avengers: Doomsday will see RDJ’s Doctor Doom menace the MCU Multiverse – it would be interesting to see Bridges’ Stane playing a different kind of role in and a different reality – maybe where he’s a heroic industrialist (iron Man?), and RDJ as the archvillain. 

Bridges seemed excited by Downey’s MCU return (“But he’s playing a bad guy! I love that!”) so who knows? 

Iron Man is now streaming on Disney+. 

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The Marvels brought MCU fans quite a shock when Kelsey Grammer returned as Beast. Little did Marvel hopefuls realize they would be in for a year of wall-to-wall X-Men. Speaking to ComicBook recently, Grammar revealed that he’s had conversations with Marvel Studios about some future plans. After that reveal, the only question is where the Beast actor would pop-up next in the MCU. While some fans would argue Avengers: Secret Wars would be the most natural choice. (Honestly, that seems probable with all the rumored Marvel returns on the docket.) There is a dark horse candidate that would fill that role nicely in Avengers: Doomsday. First, let’s focus on what Grammer said during our conversation.

“There’s nothing I can talk about,” Grammer told us. “What I do know is that there was a huge sort of outburst when I showed up at the end of The Marvels, I guess it was. The response was really almost… it wasn’t unexpected. There’d be some response, but it was pretty overwhelming, and so there are some conversations.”

So, clearly there are some things bubbling between the Frazier star and Marvel Studios. Every fan of these movies has been looking forward to the next Avengers crossover. (Dating back to it being called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.) It would seem from all the other developments in the MCU that our set of heroes is headed for an incursion. The ones averted in Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Marvels are just the tip of the iceberg. A battle with an X-Men world with Doctor Doom featuring heavily would immediately grab people’s attention. 

Beast Could Be The One To Explain The Stakes of Incursions

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made sure to explain incursions for the audience. The Marvels reaffirmed the threat with Monica Rambeau. But, the heroes of Earth-616 still don’t know what’s on the horizon. Well, Ant-Man does. However, some super genius is probably going to want to get Captain America, Hawkeye, Shang-Chi, The Hulk, and all their friends up to speed. If the X-Men’s world comes into conflict with our heroes, someone is going to have to lay out the stakes. In the Secret Wars comics from the last decade, different worlds would try to have a peaceful solution before things got ugly between them. Grammar’s mutant is usually a diplomat in a lot of the X-Men movies. It would be easy to see him filling that role here too.

When things inevitably break down and get chaotic, this will also bring back some of the characters that were teased at the end of Captain Marvel’s movie as well. Both Binary and Monica have to make their way back. Interestingly, a lot of Grammer’s X-Men teammates were absent from Deadpool & Wolverine. Getting them all in there before things get even more wild in Avengers: Secret Wars would be really exciting for fans. Lashana Lynch talked about her X-Men future and is leaving us all in suspense.

“I mean, even that sentence, I’m like, ‘Am I?'” Lynch mused when asked about the cameo. “That’s not a sentence that’s been put to me at all; we’ve not had a conversation about that. I dipped in for, I think a day. I think I had one day on that film which is wild for it to be so impactful. I was there for a day because I was on Matilda at the time, so that’s wild. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

She continued, “I used to find it a little bit of a hindrance to not know as I like to know what’s coming and plan, but I love now that I don’t know. I love that I didn’t know that was happening. That’s something that came across time as a slow plan. Well, for me, anyway. They probably had it planned the whole time. I genuinely don’t know what’s next, but I think with where the franchise is going, it’s naturally going to be exciting. And I’m excited to see where it goes next.”

Where do you think we could end up seeing Beast and the X-Men next? Do you think it will be before Secret Wars? Check out all the pop culture discussion at @ComicBook!

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Avengers and Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. shocked the world at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 when he revealed that he’s returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Not only is Downey returning to the MCU – he’s playing a completely new character, trading his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man for the villain role of Doctor Doom.  There are a lot of Marvel fans who are already excited at the thought of Downey’s Doctor Doom having onscreen interactions with some of the veteran MCU characters he once stood side-by-side with as Iron Man. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is one of those characters – Don Cheadle’s Col. James Rhodes/War Machine is another. 

Since Comic-Con, you better believe that Marvel actors have had to answer questions in the press about their reaction to RDJ coming back to the MCU. “I was like, ‘What the f*ck?'” Cheadle said to Collider’s Steve Weintraub, revealing his own shock at the RDJ Doom casting. 

However, Cheadle isn’t letting anything slip about what’s happening with War Machine’s arc in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars, now that RDJ is returning as Doom:

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Cheadle said humorously. “I’ve heard of a Russo Brother. There are two?” Cheadle cut the bit short, confirming that he’s under the usual weight of Marvel secrecy: “You know I can’t talk about that stuff.” 

Cheadle did hint that things are (as rumored) still very much in flux at Marvel Studios, as the MCU continues trying to change tactics and following some rocky years: “They’re rewriting, they’re reworking, and so I honestly can’t even tease anything,” he said. 

There are a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to Don Cheadle’s future in the MCU. War Machine has had his own Armored Wars spinoff of the Iron Man franchise in development for years, with the current iteration being a movie. However, in the same week that Don Cheadle was deflecting questions about  RDJ’s Doom casting, he was also out there dodging questions about where things stand with Armor Wars. 

“What’s Armor Wars?” Cheadle joked with The Today Show hosts. “You know the line, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. And, I just met you guys, so I don’t want to have to do that.” 

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One Marvel villain’s fateful words continue to explain why we haven’t seen the Avengers assemble in live-action since Avengers: Endgame. All the way back in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck wanted to create an “Avengers-level threat” as a means to seize power. Now, almost 5 years on from that film, there hasn’t been any event deemed worthy enough to summon Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together. Mysterio, somehow, correctly laid out the conditions that will lead to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever happens to the Earth will have to be downright massive to get those heroes on the same page. 

Since Endgame, the MCU has seen reality threatened on like three different occasions, a deity homicide spree, a rogue Celestial birth and kidnapping by another massive Cosmic judge, a Kaiju battle in the desert, an extra dimensional being breaking through to our world, and Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange cause multiple incursions. Whatever’s going to trigger that massive fight between Doctor Doom and the Avengers is going to have to be a doozy. (Maybe a certain Devourerer of Worlds is sizing up another meal?) Whatever the case, the stakes in that next crossover movie are going to be nothing short of massive when we see the entire team together again.

Why Isn’t There An Avengers Disney+ Show?

Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum’s comments to CinemaBlend help illustrate this all really well. “I think the Avengers are about, there came a day when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes had to assemble,” the executive explained. “In a feature film, which is a statement piece, it makes sense that there’s an event that galvanizes them all. I think that on a long-form television show, it becomes more of a challenge to have, ‘There came a day’ every day.”

“In the comics, you can do it. It’s the Marvel universe, and there’s just spectacular things happening all the time. Yeah,” Winderbaum added. “But if you read the comics, you know that the Avengers really assemble so that they can disassemble, and then assemble again, and then disassemble again. Is it possible? Yes. But from a narrative point of view, it becomes like ascension and descension, which … it could be really interesting for a long-form story. But it would be a very unique pattern for a television show.”

Do you think the Avengers should have already assembled? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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One of Marvel Studios’ top producers explained why we haven’t seen the Avengers on Disney+ yet. It seems like Earth’s Mightiest Heroes can only unite for a true Avengers-level threat. Brad Winderbaum talked to CinemaBlend before Agatha All Along hits the streaming service. He talked about the Avengers and the challenges of getting the big guns like Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Ant-Man and their friends together on the small screen. Finding a way for all of those heroes to have to stick together over the course of an entire series feels like a daunting task and Winderbaum would agree with that assessment. Hear what else he’s got to say about getting the Avengers together down below!

“I think the Avengers are about, there came a day when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes had to assemble,” Winderbaum began. “In a feature film, which is a statement piece, it makes sense that there’s an event that galvanizes them all. I think that on a long-form television show, it becomes more of a challenge to have, ‘There came a day’ every day.”

“In the comics, you can do it. It’s the Marvel universe, and there’s just spectacular things happening all the time. Yeah,” he continued. “But if you read the comics, you know that the Avengers really assemble so that they can disassemble, and then assemble again, and then disassemble again. Is it possible? Yes. But from a narrative point of view, it becomes like ascension and descension, which … it could be really interesting for a long-form story. But it would be a very unique pattern for a television show.”

Agatha All Along Is Up Next For Marvel

Marvel Studios describes the upcoming Disney+ series: “In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…”

“In addition to Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along stars Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, with Debra Jo Rupp, with Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Jac Schaeffer. The directors for the series include Jac Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg and Gandja Montiero.”

Would you like to see the Avengers get a show? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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Marvel Studios has put forth a lot of renewed effort this year, trying to assure its fanbase (and Disney shareholders) that the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise still has promising years ahead of it. Numerous reports broke alleging widespread trouble behind the scenes of the MCU after Avengers: Endgame, while fans and insiders both seemed to agree that the franchise had begun putting out too much quantity, at the high cost of quality. Then there have been real-life events like celebrity scandals (Jonathan Majors) and Hollywood politics (Actors and Writers strikes), which have forced Marvel to make big pivots with production timetables and the overarching story of the current MCU Multiverse Saga.

But now, big changes have been made. Disney CEO Bob Iger stepped back in; the entire content strategy for franchises like the MCU or Star Wars is changing back to ‘quality over quantity’. Marvel Studios has started to have major PR successes with its previews for upcoming 2025 projects like Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, or Daredevil: Born Again, but there still so many unanswered questions facing the franchise, moving forward. One of the biggest questions is, without a doubt: Can the MCU Multiverse Saga land this nose-diving plane? 

The End Is Nigh

Let’s take a look at how much runway we have left: 

Phase Five of the MCU will conclude next year, following the releases of Agatha All Along, Captain America: Brave New World, Daredevil: Born Again, Thunderbolts* and Ironheart (in that order). 

Phase Six of the MCU will end the Multiverse Saga, and is currently scheduled to run 2026-2027. Confirmed projects in that phase include Fantastic Four: First Steps and Blade (in 2025); Avengers: Doomsday and the Vision Quest Disney+ series (in 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. 

There is room in that schedule for other projects to be added, like the Wonder Man Disney+ series already in development, or any number of Marvel Special Presentation features. However, there’s not a lot of runway between now (Fall 2024 at the time of writing this) and the summer of 2027, when the Multiverse Saga will end. Given how many characters and storylines will have been introduced in MCU Phases 4 – 6, it feels nearly impossible that this Multiverse Saga can pull off a massive, well-earned climax like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame did; or that the franchise can even find a way to make the Multiverse Saga feel like a tight, interconnected story like the Infinity Saga (mostly) was.

Why The Multiverse Saga Ending Will Be A FAIL

It’s hard to see how the Multiverse Saga can do little more than pull together many of the characters that were introduced in Phases 4 – 6, but that will (in many cases) be only the second (third, tops) time we see those characters operating in the MCU. We haven’t had multiple projects featuring Shang-Chi, Shuri/Black Panther II, or The Eternals; meanwhile, veteran franchises like Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man have seen massive status quo shifts that haven’t been addressed, while the Fantastic Four will be a very new set of characters and mythos in the MCU. 

Equally unsure are the relevance and importance of the Disney+ series and their characters. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Anthony Mackie’s Captain America are obvious sure bets for the climatic Secret Wars event – but Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Hawkeye, and Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, Peggy Carter or even Daredevil are far less certain to make an appearance. Even if they do, again, it will be only the second time dedicated fans see many of those characters onscreen – and it will be a first introduction for all those fans who only watch movies and skip the TV shows. 

…That’s not even counting Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom and the work needed to re-introduce the Multiverse Saga’s main antagonist and replace Jonathan Majors’ Kang. 

Can Marvel Studios bring the Multiverse Saga to an end by Summer 2027? Certainly. And frankly, the sooner the franchise moves past this quagmire of character variants and alternate timelines, the better. But the ending is most likely going to feel rushed and the larger interconnect story will likely still look riddled with plot holes, logical inconsistencies, and dangling plot threads for individual franchises that are not sufficiently answered – and a soft reboot into Phase 7 will look more like an escape hatch, rather than another hard-earned win. 

The next MCU release will be the Agatha All Along Disney+ series on September 19th. 

The post Can Marvel Studios Still Bring The MCU Multiverse Saga to a Satisfying End? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness certainly shook things up with her Marvel Cinematic Debut in , with the nefarious witch and her machinations ultimately helping to send Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch down a dark and dangerous path with major repercussions across the Multiverse. But while Agatha is back next month in her own series, Agatha All Along, the future of the fan-favorite antagonist in the larger MCU is still a question mark — though Hahn has some thoughts about what she’d like to see next. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Hahn isn’t necessarily opposed to Agatha popping up in the upcoming crossover films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, but she thinks it would only happen if it was “necessary”.

“I think I’d only be asked if it was necessary and juicy,” Hahn said. “So, who knows? The craziest, most perfect, side-door entrance to this world is to be a witch. It feels wicked step-sister-y. And I really like it like that.”

That said, definitely don’t confuse Agatha for a “side character”. In the same interview, Hahn was asked about it being tricky to take a “scene-stealing sort of side character” like Agatha and give them their own show, which is what is happening with Agatha All Along, and Hahn definitely doesn’t see Agatha as just a side character.

“I was going to say, who are you calling a side character?” Hahn laughed. “That’s definitely a tricky thing. But from the beginning, we always joked that it would just be so annoying to Agatha Harkness that she wouldn’t have her own fricking show.”

When Did Hahn Learn About Agatha All Along?

Fortunately, it sounds like Hahn didn’t have to wait very long to find out that Agatha would, in fact, get her own show. She revealed that she found out that she was going to get her own Marvel show while she was working on Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

“I remember [WandaVision head writer and Agatha All Along showrunner] Jac Schaeffer saying ‘God, I’d love to write for you again.’ We both kept saying, ‘we have unfinished business’ to each other at the end of WandaVision,’ Hahn said. “I didn’t even know if it necessarily meant something in this world or somewhere else, but our minds melded. I loved her point of view and her sense of humor. And this character just felt very easy.”

She continued, “Then over the summer, when I was in Serbia shooting Glass Onion, the Knives Out movie, I got a call from [Marvel Studios co-president] Louis D’Esposito saying, ‘How’d you like your own Marvel show?’ — a call you never get. My heart was pounding. I could barely understand what he was saying. I knew what it meant, but I just kept finding ways to minimize it for myself until the first day of shooting. Someone had put a sign on the window of my trailer that said, ‘welcome to your first day on your very own Marvel show’ and I burst into tears. It was very, just very exciting, especially with a character that you just love and just want to explore every nook and cranny.”

What is Agatha All Along About?

Here’s the official description of the new series: “In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps her break free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…”

“In addition to Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along stars Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, with Debra Jo Rupp, with Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Jac Schaeffer. The directors for the series include Jac Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg and Gandja Montiero.”

Agatha All Along premieres September 19th on Disney+.

The post Kathryn Hahn Reveals if She Wants Agatha Harkness to Appear in an MCU Crossover appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While it is still a year away, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of the most eagerly anticipated upcoming films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe largely because the film will deliver unto fans something that they’ve wanted for a long time: Marvel’s First Family arriving as part of the MCU. Anticipation for the film keeps rising, too, with production underway and fans starting to get more glimpses of the film — this week, set photos got fans excited for the possibility of the most comic-accurate take on The Thing to date. But fans are also excited for how the Fantastic Four will fit into the larger MCU, especially with some major movies coming after it, specifically Avengers: Secret Wars. While we don’t know much about The Fantastic Four: First Steps — or even really about how the MCU will approach Secret Wars — we do know that the Fantastic Four will be a part of both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars and the Fantastic Four film could very easily set up for Secret Wars with just two actors: Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller.

One of the things we do already know about The Fantastic Four: First Steps is that it takes place in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s in a different world than what most of the rest of the MCU inhabits. Since the MCU has already established its Multiverse, the opportunity is there to have previous incarnations of Reed Richards appear as part of the Council of Reeds — Gruffudd played Reed in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer while Teller played Reed in 2015’s Fantastic Four — and it wouldn’t necessarily have to be something that would have a major direct impact on the actual plot of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

All The Fantastic Four: First Steps would really need to do is do what the MCU often does and that’s utilize its post-credits scenes to lay the groundwork for future installments of the overall franchise. All the film would need to do is use one of those post-credits scenes to introduce the idea of the Council of Reeds with Pedro Pascal’s Reed meeting Gruffudd and Tellers’ versions in the scene. In comics, the Interdimensional Council of Reeds is a group that is composed of various versions of Reed Richards from across the multiverse who, have come together to “solve everything” — including dealing with major threats such as Galactus and Doctor Doom.

Could Robert Downey Jr. Appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

Of course, Avengers: Secret War isn’t the only future Marvel film that The Fantastic Four: First Steps could set up for in a post-credits scene. The film could also introduce Downey’s Doctor Doom. Victor Von Doom just so happens to be a major enemy of Marvel’s First Family so an appearance in their film would make a lot of sense, but it would also help set the stage for the film before Avengers: Secret Wars. With the Fantastic Four set to appear in both upcoming Avengers films, using those post-credits scenes to lead into the future films seems almost like a no-brainer in terms of using the Fantastic Four to bring the whole Multiverse Saga together.

About The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025. The film is directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman and stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The cast also includes Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer. Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich also appear.

The post How Marvel’s Fantastic Four Could Set-Up Avengers: Secret Wars With Just Two Actors appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe got a major shakeup over the summer with the news that Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as the franchise’s take on Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom. Downey, who previously starred as Tony Stark / Iron Man in the franchise, will be stepping into the role in the next two Avengers films, 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. The return has already garnered a wide array of reactions from former and current MCU stars — and apparently, we can now add Grandmaster actor Jeff Goldblum to that list. During a recent appearance on Happy Sad Confused, Goldblum was asked to share his thoughts on Downey’s return — which he did, before going on a tangent about the name Victor von Doom itself.

“Excellent news,” Goldblum answered. “I think I vaguely heard the… yes, yes, I’d heard whispers on my peripheral. Yes, channels. Victor von Doom… I like that name. If my name had been Victor von Doom, I’d be a long further along than I am now. That’s a great name. Or Von to anything. Or Van.”

Why Is Robert Downey Jr. Returning to the MCU?

In the same interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast, Downey revealed that his return as Doctor Doom was first floated a year or so prior, and came about through conversations with Marvel Studios exec Kevin Feige.

“Probably a year ago, because Feige and I have kept in touch,” Downey revealed. “We’re pals. Favreau and Feige and I have kept in touch. I’m close with the Russo brothers. We have other business we’re doing. So there’s this little group of fellow travelers, and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger. And I had an idea, outside of the cinematic universe, for how I could be of service to what’s going on in the parks and all their location-based energy. And Susan and I were sitting down with Feige at one point, and he said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me that, if you were to come back…’ And Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?’ And then we both realized, over time, that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy. [He’s] a very sophisticated, creative thinker about, ‘How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to to beat expectations?’ And he brought up Victor von Doom, and I looked into [the] character, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ And later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor von Doom right. Let’s get that right.’ So then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About?’ I go, ‘About everything.'”

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

The post Marvel’s Jeff Goldblum Has Perfect Reaction to Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was shaken up in a major way earlier this summer, with confirmation that Robert Downey Jr. will be portraying Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom in the franchise. Not only is it shocking that the former Tony Stark / Iron Man actor is returning to the saga in a new way, but we now know that he will be anchoring two new Avengers movies directed by Joe and Anthony Russo — 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

We’re still a ways away from cameras rolling on both films, so there’s no telling at this point what will be in store for Downey’s MCU debut as Doctor Doom. But given the prolific history that Doom has had in the comics, there are some interesting elements that can — and should — factor into that portrayal.

A Strong Motivation

Even at their best, some of the MCU’s Big Bads have faced criticism for being narratively underdeveloped. By the time we got to Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos (Josh Brolin) was revealed to be committing his universe-wide crusade to fight overpopulation — a justification that worked in context, but paled in comparison to his comic-accurate desire to impress Death. Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) was also barely beginning to be fleshed out before Marvel Studios parted ways with the actor and character, with only shades of bitterness towards the Council of Kangs and the other heroes across the multiverse.

In the right context, particularly in the comics, Doom has had motivations that are incredibly strong and easy to translate in a short amount of time — something that is especially vital in the context of the MCU, given how quickly we’ll be thrown into his story in Doomsday. 

Origin Story

Going off of that, unless Downey is somehow a secret cast member of 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it’s safe to assume that we won’t be seeing Doom play a major role in an MCU project until Doomsday. If that does end up being the case, audiences are going to need to be acquainted with his origin story — especially given the added hurdle of the franchise’s recognizable former lead playing the part.

Even a single flashback sequence would work wonders to explain Doom’s deal to MCU viewers, and help lay the groundwork for the carnage he is about to cause across the next two movies.

Rivalry with Reed Richards

One cornerstone of Doom’s origin story — and something that absolutely can and should transfer over into the MCU’s take on the character — is his storied rivalry with Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic. In 1963’s Fantastic Four Annual #2, it was established that Doom and Reed attended the same college and were nearly roommates, but ultimately had a falling out due to Victor’s attitude. This rivalry extended even further, and has been subverted time and time again, once the two men took on their super-powered personas.

Downey’s Doom does not have to have this rivalry with Pedro Pascal’s take on Reed that we will meet in First Steps — and honestly, an argument can be made that he shouldn’t, given that movie’s very specific aesthetic and energy. But it would be a misfire to not have Doom hold a grudge against a version of Reed from across the multiverse, whether it’s one that we’ve already met in a previous movie adaptation, or a new one.

Valeria

There’s no telling at this point if First Steps will lean into the Fantastic Four becoming a family, with the birth of superhero children Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards being a huge milestone in their comics. But one newer component of Doom’s characterization is his unwavering love for Valeria, after having helped deliver her birth. While Doom still has his issues with Valeria’s father, Reed, he has even become a reluctant surrogate member of the Fantastic Four’s family due to their bond.

Even if Valeria isn’t in the picture by the time Doomsday rolls around, a line of dialogue or some sort of acknowledgement of Doom’s connection to her would definitely heighten his feelings towards the Fantastic Four.

Doombots

Ever since Doom first made his comics debut, so have the concept of Doombots, robotic duplicates of Doom who are used to trick and distract the heroes of the Marvel universe when he does not feel like being there himself. The concept has evolved massively in the years since, even appearing in the current season of Fortnite, and it feels inevitable that Doom’s MCU debut will include the robots as underlings as well. 

Sure, it might seem a little repetitive when compared alongside Ultron’s various robots from Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the concept is too tied to his character to leave out of Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Grudges

Beyond his aforementioned hatred of Reed and the Fantastic Four, Doom has developed a reputation for being quite a negative force against other Marvel heroes. Everyone from Namor to Iron Man to Luke Cage has come into conflict with Doom over the years — and it stands to reason that his MCU debut will be equally petty. 

Given the limited economy of storytelling that Doomsday and Secret Wars will have, it would make sense to hit the ground running and showcase Doom’s animosity towards as many heroes as possible, even if he’s only previously vanquished their multiversal counterparts.

Multiversal Casualties

On that note, one of the easiest ways to showcase Doom’s power across Doomsday and Secret Wars would be for him to already be deadly across the multiverse — either through destroying alternate universes, or literally killing the variants of heroes we recognize.

Sure, Kang previously teased in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania that he has killed other Avengers before, but it’s another thing entirely to see it, and it would immediately set Doom apart from previous MCU villains.

God Emperor Doom

And finally, Doom’s role in Secret Wars isn’t complete without God Emperor Doom, the ultra-powerful identity Doom takes in the events of 2015’s Secret Wars. In that storyline, Doom’s quest for power reaches an apex, as he steals the powers of the Beyonders and Molecule Man to create a Battleworld of his own. He then spends eight years manipulating the minds of the remaining heroes, and even co-opts Reed’s family and company for his own, setting the stage for the conflict of the rest of the event.

Before Doom was confirmed to replace Kang in the Multiverse Saga, some fans felt that the storyline wouldn’t quite be the same without God Emperor Doom — but now, there is an opportunity to remedy that. Not only would it massively raise the stakes for Doomsday and Secret Wars, but it would create a very unpredictable fight for the MCU’s heroes.

***

Avengers: Doomsday will be released exclusively in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

The post Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom: 8 Things We Want to See From Him in the MCU appeared first on ComicBook.com.

To the surprise of many fans, it was announced earlier this summer that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios confirmed at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con that Downey has been cast as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in the upcoming movies Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, with Disney Parks also announcing that he will be reprising his role as Tony Stark / Iron Man in a new Avengers Campus ride. This comes after Downey portrayed Iron Man onscreen for over a decade — and as it turns out, we have another Marvel star to thank, in part, for that initial casting. During a recent appearance on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast, Downey specifically shouted out Spider-Man trilogy star Tobey Maguire, who he starred alongside in 2000’s Wonder Boys, for illuminating what the experience of being in a superhero movie could be like. 

“In real-time, I saw how difficult they were, how rewarding they could be, and how popular [comic book films] were becoming,” Downey explained, adding, “I had been clean long enough…hungry even longer and I could feel [the] obsession coming back with manifesting the best version of myself. I had strangely been furiously strength training six times a week before I even knew [this role] was coming, and my shrink had told me, ‘Just start acting like something great is gonna happen and get ready for it.'”

Why Is Robert Downey Jr. Returning to the MCU?

In the same interview, Downey shared a bit of insight on how his dual Marvel returns came to be, revealing the role that both Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger had in the proceedings. 

“Probably a year ago, because Feige and I have kept in touch,” Downey revealed. “We’re pals. Favreau and Feige and I have kept in touch. I’m close with the Russo brothers. We have other business we’re doing. So there’s this little group of fellow travelers, and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger. And I had an idea, outside of the cinematic universe, for how I could be of service to what’s going on in the parks and all their location-based energy. And Susan and I were sitting down with Feige at one point, and he said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me that, if you were to come back…’ And Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?’ And then we both realized, over time, that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy. [He’s] a very sophisticated, creative thinker about, ‘How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to to beat expectations?’ And he brought up Victor von Doom, and I looked into [the] character, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ And later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor von Doom right. Let’s get that right.’ So then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About?’ I go, ‘About everything.'”

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

The post Robert Downey Jr. Credits Tobey Maguire With Getting Him Into Marvel Movies appeared first on ComicBook.com.

After portraying Tony Stark / Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade, Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the franchise’s fold. In addition to being cast as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars movies, it was confirmed at this month’s D23 Expo that Downey will be reprising his role of Iron Man in a new theme park ride at Disneyland’s Avengers Campus. During a recent appearance on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast, Downey shared a bit of insight on how his dual Marvel returns came to be, revealing the role that both Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger had in the proceedings. 

“Probably a year ago, because Feige and I have kept in touch,” Downey revealed. “We’re pals. Favreau and Feige and I have kept in touch. I’m close with the Russo brothers. We have other business we’re doing. So there’s this little group of fellow travelers, and I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger. And I had an idea, outside of the cinematic universe, for how I could be of service to what’s going on in the parks and all their location-based energy. And Susan and I were sitting down with Feige at one point, and he said, ‘It just keeps occurring to me that, if you were to come back…’ And Susan was like, ‘Wait, wait, come back as what?’ And then we both realized, over time, that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy. [He’s] a very sophisticated, creative thinker about, ‘How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to to beat expectations?’ And he brought up Victor von Doom, and I looked into [the] character, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ And later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor von Doom right. Let’s get that right.’ So then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About?’ I go, ‘About everything.'”

“And I’d gone to Bob’s house, which I don’t know how to describe that experience,” Downey continued. “I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences. We go to Iger’s pad, and we sit down and start saying, ‘I just really want to be…’ He goes, ‘I like it.’ I was like, ‘He likes it.’ He goes ‘Come by the Imagineering campus.’ Feige and I go to the Imagineering campus and — you want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time. I can’t say too much about it, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible. no wonder it was numinous to me. It’s also the only way that I felt like I can give a certain entertainment-seeking audience, something that they may have a hankering to have an experience of, in a way where I can continue to develop my interest in the future of entertainment. Where the hell else should you go back there? So it’s this crazy, weird thing that’s going on, and if that all goes to sh-t, we’ll just remake what many people say is the greatest film of all time.”

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

The post Robert Downey Jr. Reveals MCU Return as Doctor Doom Started a Year Ago appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Doomsday is bringing the Russo Brothers back into the Marvel fold, and Zack Snyder had to give his thoughts on the move. CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast saw the Rebel Moon director get asked about the big MCU reveal. He’s a fan of Joe and Anthony Russo and sees the move as a good thing for Marvel. Snyder might have been the face of DC for almost a decade, but he clearly enjoys movies that make him feel. And, the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice director knows talent wins out in the end. Check out what he had to say down below

“I think that’s great for them. They’re amazing, and they’ve done really, I think they’ve done great work with those guys. I’m sure they’ll do something amazing. They’re talented guys, and I think they’ll do something cool. I think it’s time to shake it up a little bit.” 

Getting The Band Back Together

As the MCU continues toward The Multiverse Saga’s conclusion, Robert Downey Jr. also made a traumatic return at San Diego Comic-Con this year. Today the beloved actor described the decision to return with The Hollywood Reporter. Kevin Feige had this plan in the works for a while. On a trip to Bob Iger’s house to talk about adding to the Disney parks, the details start to take even more shape. Things got real very fast.

“And I’d gone to Bob’s house, which I don’t know how to describe that experience. I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences. We go to Iger’s pad, and we sit down and start saying, ‘I just really want to be…’ He goes, ‘I like it.’ I was like, ‘He likes it.’ He goes ‘Come by the Imagineering campus.’ Feige and I go to the Imagineering campus and — you want to talk about two guys that are not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time,” the star continued. “I can’t say too much about it, but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible. no wonder it was numinous to me.” 

“It’s also the only way that I felt like I can give a certain entertainment-seeking audience, something that they may have a hankering to have an experience of, in a way where I can continue to develop my interest in the future of entertainment,” Downey added. “Where the hell else should you go back there? So it’s this crazy, weird thing that’s going on, and if that all goes to sh-t, we’ll just remake what many people say is the greatest film of all time.”

Do you like the Russos being back? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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If a new report is to be believed, Shang-Chi was set for a major role in Avengers 5. Before the Marvel Studios panel on the Saturday night of San Diego Comic-Con, the status of the fifth Avengers movie was up in the air. Previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the film was set to feature Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as the main villain and centered on the multiverse. However, after Majors was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and guilty of harassment of his ex-girlfriend, Marvel Studios dropped the actor and retitled the film Avengers: Doomsday, with Robert Downey Jr. playing Victor Von Doom. But before all that took place, Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi was going to be one of the big leads in Avengers 5.

According to Inverse, Simu Liu’s character Shang-Chi was going to be one of the main leads of Avengers 5, aka Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Of course, this was back when Avengers 5 was leaning on Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. With it being retooled to Avengers: Doomsday, there’s no way to know if Shang-Chi will still be one of the central characters of the film. 

What is the status of Shang-Chi 2?

Destin Daniel Cretton is still set to helm the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with Simu Liu returning to reprise his role as the titular Marvel hero. However, Shang-Chi 2 is not on Marvel Studios’ official release schedule as of 2025 films. Luckily, Liu recently gave an update on the film, stating that it is still in the works.

“A lot of it is above my pay grade, but it’s definitely happening,” Liu told The Press Trust of India. “[I’m] just very excited to kind of work on it and it’s going to be amazing. I really can’t say anything beyond that.”

This is similar to a previous statement Liu gave ComicBook outside of the premiere for Arthur the King. “When I get a call of like, ‘Hey, this is what you’re in, and this is where you’re going to show up, and this is when you’re going to be need to be blacked out for.’ That’s kind of generally what tends to happen,” Liu told ComicBook on the Arthur the King red carpet. “Destin is such a special filmmaker and we’re very happy to have him on the sequel. So he’ll be working on that, and we’re really excited to see what he comes up with. I think he’s going to do a brilliant job.”

The post Avengers 5 Reportedly Would Have Featured Shang-Chi in Lead Role appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ever since the Hall-H reveal of Robert Downey Jr as Dr. Doom, the fandom has been frantically searching for any and all keys related to this reveal. There are many multiverse versions of the Tony Stark/Dr. Doom combo, and there isn’t much information to go on. Fan theories are running rampant, and, in this time of confusion, many misconceptions about certain keys are gaining popularity. Make sure to scroll through our entire Doom list below to get the most accurate information on what key event takes place in each book. Also, an awesome Wolverine and Baroness cover makes the cut!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

1: The Uncanny X-Men Vol.1 #251 | Marvel | November 1989: Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers have been hitting social media at breakneck speeds. If you haven’t already seen the film, here’s a big spoiler for you. During the first act of the film, Deadpool searches for a Wolverine to bring to his universe. In the middle of his multiverse hopping, Deadpool runs into a version of the Wolverine that’s immediately recognizable to fans. The scene is ripped directly from this Marc Silvestri artwork, paying homage to this iconic Wolverine cover. Fans are still chasing this down in the aftermarket, looking to take a piece of movie magic home with them. We tracked it at a high sale of $313 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM+ raw of $125. 

2: Infamous Iron Man #1 | Marvel | October 2016: Here’s another great key book from the multiverse of Dr. Doom. The cover is a great way to confuse fans into believing this book is the inspiration behind the casting choice for Doom. However, this book marks the first appearance of Victor Von Doom as Iron Man. Again, not much is known about what multiversal combination RDJ will embody. While we wait for more information, any and all theories are fair game! We tracked it at a high sale of $300 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $67.

3: Iron Man Vol.2 #11 | Marvel | September 1997: Speaking of confusing covers, this cover is also a book that a fan can associate with the casting choice. RDJ has been so ingrained in our minds as Iron Man that we cannot fathom a universe where Iron Man doesn’t crossover as Dr. Doom. For all we know, RDJ’s Doom will have nothing to do with an Iron Man iteration. Until information is provided to fans, any and all crossover comics with the two characters are up for grabs on the aftermarket. This is a great cover by Whilce Portacio. While it doesn’t have any key appearances or significant events, it is still an awesome Dr. Doom/Iron Man cover to add to the speculation collection. We tracked it at a high sale of $54 for a CGC 9.4 copy and a current FN raw $3. 

4: G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #308 – Sozomaika – 2024 SDCC – KRS Comics / The Comic Mint – Virgin (Limited 300) | Image | July 2024: Among all the Doom stands the beautiful and dangerous Baroness. This Sozomaika cover has seen a late boom in the aftermarket, but it booms nonetheless. There isn’t any key significance behind this book; it’s just a highly desirable and gorgeous cover of a popular character. It is also a highly limited exclusive book, coming straight out of SDCC. The book was limited to a 300-copy print run. As original holders of this book start posting it on the aftermarket, it seems fans are willing to pay any price to add the Baroness to their collection. We tracked it at a high sale of $220 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $212.

5: What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor #1 | Marvel | December 2010: Another interesting theory that is fueled by the RDJ casting for Doom. In this universe, Stark and Doom were college roommates. Doom, craving Stark’s access to resources and technology, tricked Stark into switching minds. Stark is left in Doom’s body with his memories wiped. As Doom builds a Stark empire, Stark is left to start over in Doom’s body… eventually building his own small empire. The two collide, leaving Stark, in Doom’s body, victorious over the imposter. The storyline is a simple one but who knows how well this would translate to the big screen. Still, this early in the game, any theory is a valid theory. Fans are putting their money where their mouth is, and this book is making waves in the aftermarket. We tracked it at a high sale of $165 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $130. 

6: Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars Vol.1 #10 – Direct | Marvel | February 1985: Whether Dr. Doom is successful in taking over the MCU is still left to be found out. One thing is for certain: he has taken over the aftermarket! Iconic Dr. Doom covers are the second most popular buys, right behind Dr. Doom/Iron Man covers. This cover would be hard to pass by if you’re a fan of Doom. This fan-favorite Mike Zeck cover has been a staple in many fans’ collections for years prior to the MCU announcement. It just got a spike in interest thanks to the news, but it has always been a hot book to track down! We tracked it at a high sale of $215 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current VF raw $29. 

7: The Avengers Vol.1 #25 | Marvel | February 1966: This is a great book to see back on everyone’s radar! The first battle between Dr. Doom and the Avengers, story by Stan Lee, and art by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers… this book has it all! If you ever give this a read, this book is a fun, campy adventure. The Avengers are lured to Latveria by snail mail from Wanda and Pietro’s auntie, who was secretly Dr. Doom orchestrating his evil letter-writing campaign. This leads to the heroes falling for Dr. Doom’s trap to defeat them. We can only hope the MCU follows a similar storyline. If it does, many aftermarket speculators will rejoice as this book has seen decent interest growth. We tracked it at a high sale of $1,800 for a CGC 9.4 copy and a current VG raw $88.

8: Exiles Vol.1 #23 | Marvel | May 2003: As seen by the onslaught of Doom-related books, the market is all over the place when determining what book to focus on in terms of MCU speculation. The current approach for collectors is to pick up anything and everything related to Doom, especially if it has an Iron Man connection. What makes this issue interesting, as well as the next two for Marvel Team-Up, is that Tony Stark’s appearances as the Iron Monarch and Iron Maniac highlight issues where Tony has adopted elements of Dr. Doom’s temperament and elements of his costume. Tonally, Tony became Doctor Doom in these issues, but not at all in name. That’s an important fact, as Robert Downey Jr. was announced to play Victor Von Doom specifically. Not Tony Stark playing the role of Doom. Granted, there’s most likely some misdirection from the creative team as play. So, this issue and the Marvel Team-Up issues could be valid in the future. But for clarity, Tony Stark does NOT become or play the role of Victor Von Doom in this issue or Marvel Team #3 & 4 (we’ll get into that). We tracked it at a high sale of $75 for an NM+ copy and a current VF raw $7. 

9: Marvel Team-Up #3 | Marvel | February 2005: We’ve had several users reach out asking us to update this book as “the first appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom.” However, we always like to dig into these requests and confirm firsthand by researching all the issues in question to confirm those claims. After reading this run (up until the end of Kirkman’s run on this series), we can confidently state that there is no appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom or Victor Von Doom in any capacity. This is simply an evil variant of Tony Stark, who later becomes known as “The Iron Maniac.” In this full first appearance as The Iron Maniac (though not named until issue #22), Stark displays a mask and suit that somewhat resembles Dooms. In fact, the Fantastic Four mistake him for the Latvarian ruler. However, Tony quickly reveals himself and claims no relation to Victor Von Doom. We’ve added references to this appearance below. We tracked it at a high sale of $23 for a VF copy and a current VF raw $20. 

10: Marvel Team-Up #2 | Marvel | January 2005: Included is the first cameo appearance of The Iron Maniac. Clearly, writer Robert Kirkman wanted the reader to believe that this was Dr. Doom by highlighting his classic silver suit and green cloak and showing a close-up of his disfigured face under the mask while hiding the Iron Man-style elements revealed in issue #3 on the ears, mouth, chest, and repulsors. Tony Stark is not known for wearing a cloak, except in Exiles above, when he first debuted this look after he defeated Dr. Doom in an alternate reality. If this page was all you would see circulating the internet, then it’s easy to understand why this is being misrepresented as the first appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom. With all this laid out, what do you think? Do you feel this is the first appearance of Tony Stark as Dr. Doom? Let us know. We tracked it at a high sale of $250 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current VF raw $29.

The post Top 10 Comic Books Rising in Value in the Last Week Include Doctor Doom, Wolverine, and G.I. Joe appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Where is the Master of Kung-Fu? Marvel Studios updated its upcoming slate last month at San Diego Comic-Con, rebranding Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday and providing a clearer path to Avengers: Secret Wars in the process, but left a number of in-development projects without new details. High on that pending list is a sequel to 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The Simu Liu-led film overcame the obstacle of being Marvel Studios’ first post-pandemic release, boasting one of the most consistent box office runs in the franchise’s then-13-year history. Shang-Chi was also a hit with critics, maintaining a 91 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Awkwafina Provides Latest Update on Shang-Chi 2

Progress on a Shang-Chi sequel remains stagnant.

Speaking to ComicBook at the Jackpot! junket, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Awkwafina noted that she still does not have any details on plans for a Shang-Chi 2.

“I have not,” Awkwafina said when asked if she’s heard any update on a Shang-Chi sequel. “I haven’t, but [those were] exciting announcements at Comic-Con.”

Shang-Chi 2 has been in the works since December 2021. Marvel Studios was all in on the martial arts property back then, giving the green light to develop a theatrical sequel as well as a Disney+ spin-off series focused on the Ten Rings organization. Marvel also doubled down on its investment in Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton, tapping him to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and executive produce Disney+’s Wonder Man.

Things have changed significantly since then. Cretton stepped down as director of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty last fall, roughly nine months before the fifth installment was rebranded to Doomsday. Simu Liu had previously told ComicBook that he would “assume” he’d be in the Avengers 5 ensemble because of Cretton helming it, but is now unsure.

“I don’t know to be honest,” Liu told ComicBook this past February. “I mean, those things are so above my pay grade. I just want to continue to be a fan of it. When I get a call of like, ‘Hey, this is what your in and this is where you’re going to show up. And, this is when you’re going to be need to be blocked out for,’ that’s kind of generally what tends to happen. 

Regardless of those Avengers 5 shakeups, Liu maintained that Shang-Chi 2 is happening, and Cretton’s directorial status there has not changed.

“Destin is such a special filmmaker and we’re very happy to have him on the sequel,” Liu added. “He’ll be working on that and we’re really excited to see what he comes up with. I think he’s going to do a brilliant job.” 

Awkwafina can next be seen in Jackpot! when it premieres on Prime Video on August 15th.

The post Shang-Chi 2: Awkwafina Shares Disappointing Update Following Marvel’s Comic-Con Announcements (Exclusive) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers: Endgame star Lexi Rabe had to give her reaction to the news of Robert Downey Jr., returning to the MCU. If you missed it, the Iron Man actor announced his dramatic role as Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday at San Diego Comic-Con. His on-screen daughter was playfully confused by his big reveal post on Instagram. Her quick little, “Dad?” Comment quickly racked up a bunch of likes as Marvel fans absolutely loved the nod to their interactions during the end of The Infinity Saga. Along for the ride are The Russo Brothers, back in the saddle after Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War. Maybe we will see Morgan Stark back in the MCU after all.

Rabe isn’t the only marvel actor that was completely caught off guard by the news. In a new interview with US Weekly, Jeremy Renner registered his surprise at Robert Downey Jr. decided to come back to the MCU. The Hawkeye actor shared, “I’m like, ‘What’s going on? Are you hiding this from us?’ I don’t know. That’s exciting news, man. I’m really, really excited about it.”

For the moment, it does seem like Marvel is headed for a big reunion moment. Renner feels that pull as well. Could it mean more Morgan Stark? Only time will tell. “It seems the Avenger movies have always been really fan favorites and there’s so many wonderful characters in them. I think it’s going to be challenging to get everybody together,” Renner explained. “I think they’re going to probably have to piece it together like week-by-week, just for people’s schedules.”

Will She Return Soon?

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Rabe in any role in the MCU. Her surprising turn in Avengers: Endgame is one of those fan favorite threads that is still dangling all these years later. Right after the movie premiered, ComicBook asked Lexi about coming back for another movie. She told us that people kept asking her mother and her that question, “And I don’t know.” Her mom jumped in at that moment and quickly clarified that they hadn’t signed on for a new appearance yet. Jessica said, “We haven’t filmed another one. And we’re not under contract, negotiations, or conversation at this point.”

But, that wasn’t the case for very long as Spider-Man: No Way Home, actually included Lexi in a small role. It got cut for time, but the actress posted about it on social media. As you would imagine the post ignited a fire storm of people trying to figure out where Tony Stark’s daughter would have fit into the narrative. Here’s what she said: 

“Ok here’s a teaser with all the photos. Will be posting them all soon. I absolutely love this movie- even though my part (studio asked to use my image) got cut- it was amazing to see everyone #marvelfam #loveyou3000 #congratstoall @tomholland2013 @zendaya @lifeisaloha @jonfavreau @marisatomei #benedictcumberbatch @iamjamiefoxx #jksimmions #williamdafoe @wongrel #kevinfeige @marvelstudios @therussobrothers @sonypictures ty @abelita_pr”

Do you think there’s plans to bring her back? Let us know in the comments down below!

The post Robert Downey Jr. Doctor Doom Reveal Surprises Morgan Stark appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Jeremy Renner is already thinking about a Marvel return in Avengers: Doomsday. Us Weekly caught up with the Mayor of Kingstown actor to discuss all the MCU hysteria at San Diego Comic-Con. As a founding member of the Avengers, he sounds excited by the news of Robert Downey Jr. coming back to play Doctor Doom in the next team-up film. Renner says that he was blowing up the Iron Man actor’s phone after the news hit. The Hawkeye star said, “I’m like, ‘What’s going on? Are you hiding this from us?’ I don’t know. That’s exciting news, man. I’m really, really excited about it.” Now, the Internet speculation is swirling after all of these announcements. If Marvel calls, Renner is going to try and be there. However, he acknowledges this is going to be a massive undertaking.

“It seems the Avenger movies have always been really fan favorites and there’s so many wonderful characters in them. I think it’s going to be challenging to get everybody together,” Renner told the outlet. “I think they’re going to probably have to piece it together like week-by-week, just for people’s schedules.”

Who Will Be In Avengers: Doomsday?

When it comes to the next Avengers movie, the question of who else is going to show-up it’s been a hot topic among Marvel fans. Since the beginning of Phase 4, audience have been introduced to a lot of new faces across these films and TV series. Io9 asked Kevin Feige about the roster headed into Avengers: Doomsday. The MCU architect, cautioned fans against thinking that every single character that debuted since Avengers: Endgame, would show up in the next crossover movie. In Feige’s opinion, a lot of those heroes will make the cut. However, it’s very possible that some favorites might end up sitting this one out. Scheduling conflicts might also come into play for a handful of these performers as well. But, with Downey back in the fold, expect the established names to come back around for the summer camp feel of Doomsday.

“I rarely speak in absolutes like that, right?” Feige smirked while talking about the next Avengers roster. “The notion of never ever seeing somebody again, we’ve got Tim Blake Nelson in a movie coming up next year, right? So I never talk in absolutes like that. But the truth is, you know, we’re going to tell a story in these Avengers movies, and there won’t be room for 100,000 characters in it. So choices will have to be made, that’s for sure. But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever see anybody ever again.”

Will Hawkeye be back for Avengers: Doomsday? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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Clearly, collectors have greatly missed speculating on MCU content. While most news content drives immediate demand for aftermarket and back-issue copies, this week presented something rather unique. Tied to the recent MCU Hall H announcement of Robert Downey Jr. playing the role of Victor Von Doom, collectors bypassed the collecting norm of focusing on the first appearance and bought everything that had any connection between Victor Von Doom and Tony Stark.  The words mentioned in Hall H are important to note as we jump into this list. To be clear, as everything must be intentional, the Russos didn’t say “Tony Stark as Dr. Doom,” nor did they even say the name “Dr. Doom.” They specifically said that Robert Downey Jr. would be playing the role of Victor Von Doom. However, the comic community cannot disconnect RDJ from Iron Man, leading to that wild west style speculation for at least 16 books and their various variants. And they are not selling at low prices. Numerous books are commanding huge all-time highs, with many jumping from $1 to $100+! The truth is, Feige and his team (hopefully) have a larger plan at play that’s very unclear right now and most likely won’t be until the film is close to release. One or two of these books may hit down the road, but many will not. With that said, the other entries on this list are driven by Deadpool & Wolverine’s massive box office, along with heat from SDCC mand exclusives (we tracked 525!!). Bear with us here as we take you through these trends, as they are a bit confusing. Let’s get to it!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

Top 10 Comic Books Rising in Value for the Week of 07/29/24

1: INFAMOUS IRON MAN #1 | MARVEL | 2016: The events that unfolded in Hall H were monumental. Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU as Victor Von Doom. But, as mentioned in the intro, they didn’t specify the details around what that means in a universe with a multiverse. Much still needs clarification, but the aftermarket immediately began hunting for this issue after the announcement. And why shouldn’t it? As noted, RDJ can’t separate the Iron from the Man, so logically, they would turn to the first appearance of Victor Von Doom taking on the moniker of Iron Man, assisted by Tony Stark A.I, after Tony is left in a comatose state due to the events of 2016’s Civil War II. There’s a good reason it immediately went supernova. That premise right there could fit the initial narrative. Could, being the important part. However, if you read the early tea leaves, the details provided present a flip to this concept, where Tony Stark takes on the moniker of Victor Von Doom. Until we know what we’re dealing with, it might be wise to take a step back, enjoy the moment, and let this concept breathe a bit, as purchasing this book at the current prices might not be wise. However, we all feel it. We’re itching for Marvel to return to the pre-Endgame glory. It’s infectious seeing the hype build for that announcement and the release of Deadpool & Wolverine. We tracked it at a high sale of $249 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $99.

2: X-MEN #251 | MARVEL | 1989: *DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE SPOILERS AHEAD*: Marvel does pretty well at callbacks, homages, and tongue-in-cheek moments. DEADPOOL 3 was not only a love letter to Fox’s Marvel Universe but also offered a splattering of “what could have been” regarding Wolverine. With an almost poetic callback to this cover in Deadpool and Wolverine, it’s not surprising to see it on this list. This book has been a cult favorite for years simply because it rules. With a little assistance from the dominating box office, it almost tops the charts! We tracked it at a high sale of $350 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $20.

3: MARVEL TEAM-UP #2 | MARVEL | 2005: The Hall H firebomb is rocketing up the charts! RDJ returning to the MCU (in any capacity) is apparently what fans have been dying for, and they’re making it known on the aftermarket. However, this one is a bit of a misdirect. Social Media posts, from even Mr. Rob Liefeld himself, pointed to this issue as the first time Tony Stark appeared as Dr. Doom, helping it to get a huge boost in the aftermarket. However, to quickly address it: (1) It’s kind of the first… when you focus on the “appears to be Dr. Doom” part, (2) This is Tony Stark as an alternate Tony Stark (with a Dr. Doom-ish mask who is mistaken for Doom several times), (3) this specific issue (#2) is a quick cameo appearance (full appearance and reveal in issue #3) and (4) RDJ was not announced at Hall H as “Tony Stark as Dr. Doom”, but specifically as Victor Von Doom. Online sources, like Fandom, name this alternate version as “Iron Maniac,” despite not being named that in any of these issues. These factors helped it jump from a back-issue book to an aftermarket darling in less than a day! Keep in mind that we don’t know if RDJ will be portraying Tony Stark as Doom, a variant of Tony Stark, or something that lies in between. But more on that in a bit. Marvel has established that there are some variant trickery at play. We tracked it at a high sale of $250 for a CGC 9.8 copy, and a current NM raw price of $18.

4: WHAT IF? IRON MAN: DEMON IN AN ARMOR #1 | MARVEL | 2010: Marvel is stellar at homages, and this book is exhibit one billion. This book homages one of the most iconic Iron Man covers of all time from the Demon in a Bottle storyline. It also features the timeline where Dr. Doom switches minds with Tony Stark. Oh, the buggery that could ensue! Still, this book marks yet another direction in which Marvel could take the recent Hall H announcement. This issue is the frontrunner for the logical interpretation of what was provided. Out of all the books trending, this is the only one where Victor Von Doom can take on the visage of Iron Man/ Tony Stark. With a stellar cover and immense heat, unfortunately, the train has already left the station of this one (unless you can find a copy in the wild). If you want a more detailed take on this theory, the Youtube channel “Everything Always,’ breaks it down nicely. Keep in mind we have TWO YEARS for plenty of additional interpretations and theories. So buckle in! We tracked it at a high sale of $324 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $162.

5: THE NEW MUTANTS VOL.1 #98 – ROB LIEFELD – REGULAR | MARVEL | 1991: Finally, it’s here! Deadpool & Wolverine has dropped, and the market is booming for Deadpool’s first appearance. Come on, though; it has been booming for months already! We don’t know if he’ll return in future MCU projects, but that isn’t stopping collectors. Those who love the character contributed to the massive Box Office income stream over the weekend. Soon, the hype should subside slightly and offer some better value for those looking to acquire this Deadpool key. We tracked it at a high sale of $1,195 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $404.

6: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #4 – J. SCOTT CAMPBELL – 2024 SDCC – COVER D – FAMILY APARTMENT ASM #601 REIMAGINED – VIRGIN (LIMITED 1800) | MARVEL | 2024: Homage, homage, homage! They’re everywhere this week, but that’s because they’re wicked. J. Scott Campbell homaged his iconic ASM #601 cover for Ultimate Spider-Man #4 a few months ago, but it was a trade dress. He hit attendees of SDCC with a highly exclusive virgin variant, and it sold BY THURSDAY! J. Scott Campbell has a massive audience willing to drop big bucks to secure variants like this. We tracked it at a high sale of $400 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $119.

7: WOLVERINE #88 – DIRECT EDITION – DELUXE – $1.95 PRICE | MARVEL | 1994: Another Deadpool book that’s been hot for months! Mostly because Marvel let it be known Deadpool and Wolverine would duke it out at some point in the film. It was all over the advertising, which caused a ton of fans to discover this book. It’s the first direct meeting and battle between the two, which, as you know if you’ve seen the film or not, is a big deal. The fight shown on this cover is literally played out on screen. Having two of the most iconic heroes(?) of all time on the big screen is gonna make the market shake! We tracked it at a high sale of $450 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $69.

8: ABSOLUTE BATMAN ASHCAN – NICK DRAGOTTA – 2024 SDCC – FOIL (LIMITED 500) | DC | 2024: This book is an SDCC, and now aftermarket, darling due to its reveal – that being the new Batman suit for this absolutely hyped new run. Featuring a look at our hero as a more gritty, underdog tale (AKA Batman), which is something fans are looking forward to. Nick Dragotta has a manga-esque style that also has fans interested. We tracked it at a high sale of $220 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $123.

9: DEADPOOL #31 | MARVEL | 2014: This book features the first appearance of Ellie Comacho, the daughter of Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool. This book is trending due to actual comic book news out of SDCC. Per Marvel, “Deadpool’s daughter, Ellie, takes over as Deadpool following Wade’s death this October in ‘Deadpool’ #7.” While she has a quick single panel cameo appearance in Deadpool #19, this issue a much more substantial, hence the higher trend. We tracked it at a high sale of $145 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw $24.

10: EXILES VOL.1 #23 | MARVEL | 2003: My lord, all these Iron Man/Doom covers hitting the list are incredible! Hall H might become a landmark in the future, thanks to that announcement, but the fanbase may never be the same. Here is yet another book that could play out in the future for Marvel. The key point is, we just don’t know! That’s what’s so exciting, as this book shares a similarity with about 16 other books featuring Tony Stark/Doom/Iron Man in some capacity. That includes this book, when Tony Stark becomes the de facto King of the Earth, ruling as Iron Man while “rocking the drip” he stole from a vanquished Dr. Doom (so, still technically not Tony Stark as Dr. Doom). What a timeline, and one that could potentially look awesome on the big screen. This issue does allude to other theories where an alternate Tony Stark was able to see his vision of a “suit around the world” and was policed by Ultron bots, which came to fruition. There’s also potential where he assumed the identity of Doom when hoping around dimensions. Still, like most of these… not all of them will keep their trend. There can only be one (or maybe two). So, hop off those Buy it Now buttons and get out there and hunt if you’re looking for a copy. We tracked it at a high sale of $50 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $7.

The post Top 10 Comic Books Rising in Value in the Last Week Include Deadpool and a Lot of Doctor Doom appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios has executed a hard pivot on its cinematic universe’s future. This past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige officially announced that Joe and Anthony Russo, the directing duo behind Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, had signed on to direct the next two installments in the Avengers franchise. Alongside the Russo brothers return was the comeback of Robert Downey Jr., as the longtime Iron Man actor was unveiled to be portraying Doctor Doom in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While Secret Wars has been in Marvel Studios’ cards since 2022, Avengers: Doomsday replaces what was originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Back in March 2023, actor Jonathan Majors was arrested on assault, strangulation and harassment charges following a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. Majors played Kang the Conqueror in Marvel projects Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and was being positioned as the next Thanos-level villain within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Majors was found guilty of one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree this past December and was sentenced to 52 weeks of a domestic violence intervention program and probation in April. Immediately after his conviction, Marvel Studios dropped Majors from all future projects.

Jonathan Majors “Heartbroken” Over Kang Replacement

Speaking to TMZ, former Marvel actor Jonathan Majors noted he is “heartbroken” over Marvel Studios’ decision to officially replace his character of Kang with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in the next Avengers films.

“Yeah, [I’m] heartbroken, of course,” Majors said. “I love Kang. Doctor Doom is wicked, though.”

Marvel Studios has been working with Downey since 2008 when it launched its cinematic universe with Iron Man. The studio was originally heavily hesitant to cast Downey in the role due to his own past problems with the law.

“I think it’s fair that Mr. Downey is being and has been greeted with patience and curiosity and love and [he’s] being allowed to work [his] art and be creative at that level,” Majors said regarding how Downey was given a chance with Marvel despite his legal troubles. 

Majors last appeared as Kang in Loki Season 2, which aired in Fall 2023. That season concluded with the threat of Kang seemingly being extinguished, as there were no legitimate teases that the Conqueror would be posing a threat down the line. This appeared to be Marvel’s way of writing the character out of its future.

“Hell yeah! Hell yeah! I love him. I love Kang,” Majors said when asked if he would still return to the character. “If that’s what the fans want, and that’s what Marvel wants, then let’s roll. Hell yeah.”

The post Avengers 5: Jonathan Majors “Heartbroken” Over Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Replacing Kang appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Long before he was cast Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was reportedly in the running for a role as Doctor Doom. All these years later, that casting is coming to fruition as Downey’s Doom is set to appear as the primary antagonist in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. If fans are lucky, he might even appear before then; after all, Victor Von Doom is not only one of the biggest villains in the Marvel stable, but also the archenemy of Marvel’s First Family as well.

A new report from Jeff Sneider, the Hollywood insider who initially reported Downey’s surprise hell turn prior to San Diego Comic-Con, says Downey will appear in a post-credits scene attached to The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Why is RDJ returning to the MCU?

According to Variety, Downey is set to earn one of Hollywood’s largest-ever paydays for returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The trade says the Russo Brothers will be making upwards of $80 million from the projects while Downey himself will be significantly north of that.

“It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” Downey said in a Variety video last month. “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea… It really is crazy because we look pretty good. I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: “Do we still look kind of OK?” I’m like, ‘We look pretty good.'”

In a separate interview, Downey revealed he’ll never bet against Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and his dedication to the franchise he oversees. “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps — starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Mass-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus — opens only in theaters July 25th, 2025, as part of the MCU Phase 6.

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

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The ComicBook Nation crew gives a spoiler-free review of Deadpool & Wolverine, and then dips into all of the breaking news from San Diego Comic-Con so far! We also review Kite Man: Hell Yeah! And then talk Transformers, Joker 2, Absolute Power, and comics, along with a preview of this year’s Gen Con!

PLUS: Two Bonus Episodes – one LIVE from Comic-Con! ComicBook Nation host Kofi Outlaw teams with Phase Zero hosts Brandon Davis and Jenna Anderson, and ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian to break down the biggest reveals, wild happenings, and crazy behind-the-scenes stories from Thursday and Friday at San Diego Comic-Con! 

A second BONUS episode reunites ComicBook Nation hosts Kofi Outlaw, Janell Wheeler and Matt Aguilar summon their energy reserves to recap SDCC after the convention is done. Tune in for it all! 

Deadpool & Wolverine Review 

Phase Zero host Jenna Anderson said this in her 4.5. out of 5-star Deadpool & Wolverine Review: 

Amid the never-ending conversation around superhero fatigue, too many spoilers, and not enough effective storytelling, it feels rare to be truly surprised by a new superhero adaptation. Deadpool & Wolverine is such a pleasant surprise – both in its jaw-dropping elements and in the sentimental reason for those elements even existing – that it almost feels like a miracle. The movie’s handful of flaws are outweighed by its pure blockbuster storytelling and the gleeful rapport of its two protagonists. Through its no-holds-barred execution and the wildly entertaining performances of its ensemble cast, Deadpool & Wolverine serves as the most unlikely reminder of why we care about superhero movies in the first place.

Comic-Con Recap

ComicBook Nation is here to wrap up all the biggest news from Friday at San Diego Comic-Con! The Boys season 5 news and a Soldier Boy spin off! A new Lord of the Rings Rings of Power Season 2 Trailer! Huge anime updates for One Piece and much, much more!

 ComicBook Nation is bringing you ALL the big news, huge reveals, and major returns cough* Robert Downey Jr * cough from San Diego Comic-Con 2024!

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The post Deadpool & Wolverine Discussion, Comic-Con Recap (ComicBook Nation) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While Marvel Studios is getting the band back together for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, there will be some changes to how the studio normally does its production schedule. In case you happen to be living under a rock, Saturday night’s big news at San Diego Comic-Con was that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play Doctor Doom. Also, Joe and Anthony Russo are returning to helm the next two Avengers films. These are obviously big deals, but a recent report sheds some light on how much Downey and the Russos are getting paid to team back up again, and where and when the new Avengers movies will begin production.

According to Variety, instead of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars shooting in Atlanta like their previous installments, Marvel is taking the two films to London to film, which is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025. The majority of Marvel film productions have called Atlanta home, so this is definitely a departure from the norm. The Russos and Downey will also have hefty paydays and added perks as part of their new Marvel deals. The outlet reports the Russos are getting $80 million for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, performance escalators that begin at the $750 million and $1 billion thresholds, and their AGBO studio will produce both films. As for Downey, he’s getting a private jet for travel, dedicated security, and a “trailer encampment.” 

Robert Downey’s one condition to return to Marvel revealed

Variety reports Robert Downey Jr. opted to return if, and only if, Joe and Anthony Russo were to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. ” An insider said, “They were the only ones he would work with.”

Downey’s also set to make the biggest payday of his career, with the trade saying he’ll likely make somewhere north of $80 million for his MCU return. The Iron Man star also requested travel via a private jet, his own security detail, and an entire encampment on the set for the next two Avengers flicks.

After a years-long hiatus from all things Marvel, Downey seemed to start warming up to the idea of an MCU return as recently as June.

“It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” Downey said in a Variety video last month. “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea… It really is crazy because we look pretty good. I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: “Do we still look kind of OK?” I’m like, ‘We look pretty good.'”

In a separate interview, Downey revealed he’d never bet against Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and his dedication to the franchise he oversees. “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

The post Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars Filming Updates Reveal Potential Start Date, Location appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Robert Downey Jr. is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After Downey’s Tony Stark / Iron Man sacrificed himself to stop Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, most thought Downey was done with the franchise. Fast forward five years later, and Downey is back. Instead of playing Tony Stark this time, however, Downey will be suiting up as one Victor Von Doom. According to new trade reports, all it took was a couple familiar filmmakers back in the saddle to convince Downey to return to the property.

Variety reports Downey opted to return if, and only if, Joe and Anthony Russo were to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. “”They were the only ones he would work with,” one insider reportedly told Variety.

Downey’s also set to make the biggest payday of his career, with the trade saying he’ll likely make somewhere north of $80 million for his MCU return. The Iron Man star also requested travel via a private jet, his own security detail, and an entire encampment on the set for the next two Avengers flicks.

When did RDJ decide to return to Marvel?

After a years-long hiatus from all things Marvel, Downey seemed to start warming up to the idea of an MCU return as recent as June.

“It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” Downey said in a Variety video last month. “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea… It really is crazy because we look pretty good. I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: “Do we still look kind of OK?” I’m like, ‘We look pretty good.'”

In a separate interview, Downey revealed he’ll never bet against Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and his dedication to the franchise he oversees. “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

The post Robert Downey Jr’s One Condition for Marvel Return Reportedly Revealed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The man who started it all for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is returning to the franchise, and getting him back certainly wasn’t cheap. Marvel Studios shocked the entertainment world on Saturday night in Hall H, as the San Diego Comic-Con panel culminated in the reveal that Iron Man star and Avengers stalwart Robert Downey Jr. was coming back to the MCU, this time as iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom. Downey will star in the next two Avengers movies, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, both of which are being directed by .

Downey was already the biggest name in the MCU, having helped launch the franchise in 2008’s Iron Man and lead it through Tony Stark’s on-screen death 11 years later, but his price tag went up earlier this year when he won an Academy Award for his work in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. With all that in mind, Marvel had to back the Brinks truck up to Downey’s house in order to get a contract done for his return.

A new article from Variety about Downey’s Marvel return doesn’t specify exactly how much the actor will be making for these next two Avengers films, only that it will be “significantly more” than what the Russo Bros. are making for the pictures. The Russos, according to the piece, are taking home $80 million for their work. So Downey’s paycheck is more than theirs, and he doesn’t have to share it with a brother.

That payday, which could easily be in the $100M range, likely doesn’t include whatever Downey will make from his cut of the box office. The deals he made to get a cut of the profits of previous Avengers films helped make Downey the highest paid star in the franchise.

In addition to the massive payday, Downey reportedly also had some big asks baked into his contract. First of all, he needed the Russos to direct the films if he was going to return. He also required perks like travel via a private jet, his own private security detail, and an entire “trailer encampment” on set. 

It seems like Marvel bent over backward to accommodate Downey’s return to the franchise, but he’s been the studio’s shining star and poster child from the very beginning. It’s hard to envision a scenario where Marvel would’ve said no to anything Downey asked, as long as his face could be front and center for the next Avengers marketing campaign.  

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Robert Downey Jr. is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Doctor Doom or, at the very least, one variant fans of the franchise can expect to see. The Iron Man star was revealed as the MCU’s first stab at the iconic Fantastic Four villain during Marvel Studios’ jam-packed Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend, and fans are already wondering what a Downey Doom can look like. 

Luckily we live in the time of BossLogic and other fan artists that quickly gave us a glimpse of what the former Avenger could look like as Marvel’s most infamous villain. In thv uy67ye case of BossLogic, the artist released a haunting duo of pieces, including one that pulls inspiration from the acclaimed Infamous Iron Man series.

Did RDJ tease his MCU return?

Though many though Downey’s MCU days were done in a post Avengers: Endgame world, the actor surprisingly said he’s “open-minded” to a return as a recently as June.

“It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” Downey said in a Variety video last month. “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea… It really is crazy because we look pretty good. I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: “Do we still look kind of OK?” I’m like, ‘We look pretty good.'”

In a separate interview, Downey revealed he’ll never bet against Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and his dedication to the franchise he oversees. “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

Earlier in the panel, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirmed the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be appearing in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, including Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Susan Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) 

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

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Marvel Studios has announced that Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom, in the upcoming Avengers film Avengers: Doomsday. It’s a move that few saw coming, and after the fervor of Comic-Con’s Hall H has died down, it’s becoming clear that not everyone is loving this big pivot in the MCU Multiverse Saga. 

Here’s the major problem with RDJ’s return as Doctor Doom: it’s taking comic book movies to a place of fantastical absurdity that rivals actual comic books. There is a reason that comic books have always remained a nice form of entertainment media: their stories are too far out there, outlandish (and yes, silly) to appeal to a wider demographic of people. The trick that comic book movies have always had to pull off is knowing how much of that pulpy material to bring to the screen – and how much to leave behind. Marvel Studios is now losing that balance in a big way. Even Downey’s Iron Man co-star Gwyneth Paltrow has responded by saying she doesn’t understand the move (not that she’s the biggest MCU expert), and that sentiment is being echoed all over social media. 

It’s become abundantly clear from projects like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that the average audience member doesn’t engage with multiverse stories. Even when films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Deadpool & Wolverine or DC’s The Flash take the approach of adding nostalgic layers to multiversal stories, they prove to be a mixed bag: Unbridled fan enthusiasm and hype when the cameo-filled event films first release – only to lose value as standalone movie experiences afterward. 

Now, Marvel Studios is going so far as to recast the original marquee star of their franchise (RDJ) as another character (Doom). Yes, it’s obviously a twist rooted in the multiversal framework, with Downey playing something like the What If…? “Demon in an Armor” version of Iron Man who was mind-swapped with Doom (or became Doom – however the MCU Multiverse Saga approaches the story). And yes, there is a certain amount of obvious intrigue that will be created if characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, or Rhodey find themselves in a room with Doom-Stark – but even that intrigue will be rooted in audiences knowing the backstory of Iron Man’s history in previous MCU films, rather than being intrigue created by the movie itself. 

That same issue extends to the character of Doctor Doom – one of the greatest Marvel villains. Fans have been waiting for Doom to appear in the MCU since it began in 2008; now it seems that audiences’ introduction to Doom won’t be a true depiction of the character. Instead, we’re likely in for a darker twist on the Tony Stark character – because does anyone really expect RDJ to not tackle this role in his usual winking, charismatic, hammy, way? It will be more great RDJ performance, for sure, but it won’t be Doctor Doom. And even if a more traditional Doom appears after the events of Doomsday and Secret Wars (and the inevitable MCU soft-reboot), are audiences ready to keep up with even more variations on these characters? 

Unless we hear more about Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars that justifies this way of bringing Downey back, it’s going to look like stunt casting, at best; at worst, it’s a sign that Marvel Studios is losing faith in the marketability of its characters and universe. Either way, it’s far from the game-changing turn that Marvel Studios probably hoped for… but here we go (again). 

Avengers: Doomsday has a release date of May 1, 2026. 

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The biggest news to come out of San Diego Comic Con this weekend was the revelation that Robert Downey, Jr. would return to play Victor Von Doom, the big bad behind Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Those two films, which will be shot soon and will land in theaters in May of 2026 and 2027 respectively, will bring together the casts of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and Fantastic Four: First Steps to face off against Doom. It isn’t immediately clear which other Marvel stars will and won’t return, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of that news start to take shape in the coming months.

Apparently, though, this is not the first time Marvel has considered Downey as a possible Doctor Doom. In their 2021 book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, authors Tara Bennett and Paul Terry quoted Jon Favreau as saying as much. Reflecting his meeting with Downey, the Iron Man director revealed that Marvel had already put the two in a room once before…

“Marvel had already had me in a room with him [before], I think, to play Doctor Doom,” Favreau recalled. “I was a little startruck, because I grew up watching him.”

Bennett shared a scan from that section of the book to Instagram over the weekend, with the quote circled and the news of Downey’s MCU return. You can see that below.

Without more context, the likely scenario seems to be that Downey was considered for a role in 2005’s Fantastic Four, before the part ultimately went to Charmed and Nip/Tuck star Julian McMahon. That movie, which starred future MCU Captain America Chris Evans, was a hit, but its sequel failed to spark with the audience and the franchise disappeared for almost a decade.

With almost everyone assuming Secret Wars would be loosely adapted from the Jonathan Hickman comic of the same title (as opposed to the 1980s version, which was more like a Mortal Kombat-type story), there had been speculation for years that Doom would prove to be the ultimate villain of the sixth Avengers movie. There had also been speculation that Downey might return to make a cameo as a variant of Iron Man — but we not too many predicting the two would be intertwined.

The Downey-as-Doom announcement really sucked up a lot of oxygen over the weekend, leaving all corners of the geek internet talking about the MCU again. We’ll see how much of that momentum can carry through to the release of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* next year, but between the huge box office Deadpool & Wolverine is soaking up and the hype from San Diego, it’s easy to feel more bullish about the studio’s future than we were a year ago.

Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters in May, 2026.

The post MCU Book Revealed in 2021 That Marvel Wanted Robert Downey Jr. for Doctor Doom Before appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Deadpool & Wolverine promised to be packed full of winks and nods to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s past, present, and potential future. The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman-led threequel regularly teased fans of what was to come in its promotional material, from featuring objects from yesteryear like Moon Knight‘s ice cream truck to hinting at what’s to come down the line in the form of a . One object that caught fans’ attention in early Deadpool & Wolverine trailers was Red Skull’s coupe, the vehicle of choice for Hugo Weaving’s Johann Schmidt in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Warning – The rest of this article contains light spoilers from Deadpool & Wolverine.

Deadpool & Wolverine Teased Robert Downey Jr.’s Evil Return

Unlike other objects in The Void, Red Skull coupe came with a twist.

As showcased in Deadpool & Wolverine marketing material, Red Skull’s coupe is missing its Hydra hood ornament. Instead, an Iron Man helmet emblem is in its place. The sides of the car have flames as well, a signature style of Tony Stark’s, indicating that this coupe belongs to the genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist.

The implications of this vehicle go deep. Red Skull’s signature car being remade in Tony Stark’s image and residing in The Void teases that there is a branch timeline out there where Red Skull’s villainous role is filled by Iron Man instead. There’s no telling whether this means Iron Man fully becomes the Red Skull or if he is just the leader of Hydra, but either way, the implication is that Stark is prone to going down dark paths.

This past Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. was revealed to be playing Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars films. Doomsday and Secret Wars directors Joe and Anthony Russo introduced Downey as playing Victor Von Doom, which emphasizes that he is playing the Doctor Doom character himself, not a Tony Stark variant. This could be a similar situation to that of Chris Evans’s, as he plays both Steve Rogers and Johnny Storm, but neither character is a variant of the other.

Even if Doom and Stark are not variants, their agendas run parallel. 

“New mask, same task,” Downey teased at SDCC.

It remains to be seen as to how Marvel Studios will explain Downey’s Doom and his connections to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Deadpool & Wolverine emphasized that dark sides of Tony Stark exist in the wide-reaching multiverse.

The post Deadpool & Wolverine Teased Robert Downey Jr.’s Evil MCU Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Blood Hunt #5. Continue reading at your own risk!

Doctor Doom is about to have a humongous presence in the Marvel Comics Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The big news coming out of the Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday night was that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Victor Von Doom is the central rival of the Fantastic Four, and they also have an MCU movie coming next year as well. The comics aren’t being left in the dust, however, as the end of Blood Hunt sets up an exciting new status quo for Doctor Doom as Marvel’s new Sorcerer Supreme.

Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski and a host of Marvel creators were on hand for the Next Big Thing Panel at SDCC Friday afternoon, where a bunch of big announcements were made. Along with the announcements of a West Coast Avengers series and Deadpool’s daughter Ellie replacing him after his death, we learned that Doctor Doom will be a part of Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness’ run on The Amazing Spider-Man. “The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man” picks up after events in this week’s Blood Hunt finale, which features Doctor Doom as the Sorcerer Supreme instead of Doctor Strange. Doom will gift Spider-Man a magically powered suit and eight extra lives to battle an evil god and his scions. This all leads to a big status quo shift for Doctor Doom in 2025.

Marvel announces One World Under Doom event for 2025

Another item Doctor Doom-related announced at San Diego Comic-Con was “One World Under Doom.” This may be more along the lines of a publishing initiative rather than a full-on event. The main idea is Doctor Doom will be a big part of Marvel’s plans for 2025 and beyond, and with Doom now being the Sorcerer Supreme, we can expect to see him pop up in more and more titles. Will Doctor Doom join the Avengers? 

“Discover why the Marvel Universe submits to DOCTOR DOOM next week in BLOOD HUNT #5 and stay tuned in the months ahead for more information on this startling development for the future of Marvel Comics,” the Marvel press release for “One World Under Doom” reads.

The promotional artwork by Ben Harvey features Doctor Doom standing before Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they submit to him. Heroes such as Spider-Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Hulk, Thing, Black Panther, and more are all bending to knee to Doom.

The post SDCC 2024: A Major Marvel Villain Replaces Doctor Strange as Sorcerer Supreme appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Composer Alan Silvestri appears to be warming up for another go at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The composer, best known for his work on Back to the Future and Forrest Gump first came to the MCU in Captain America: The First Avenger, then went on to score all four Avengers movies for Marvel Studios. While early Marvel was criticized for having fairly bland music in many of its films, Silvestri’s iconic Avengers theme was always an exception, and has been frequently sampled and riffed on in other Marvel movies since it originated back in 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers.

Silvestri is no stranger to the comic book space, having also scored Judge Dredd and RED 2. Following the Avengers: Doomsday announcements at San Diego Comic Con this weekend, he took to social media to say he “can’t wait,” and directors Joe and Anthony Russo responded with, “Let’s get started.”

Little is known about the plot of Avengers: Doomsday yet, except that it will feature Robert Downey, Jr. as Doctor Doom, introducing him as the key villain who will carry over between that movie and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. 

This weekend has been pretty electric for Marvel fans: Deadpool & Wolverine absolutely obliterated box office records, while Marvel’s Hall H presentation was the only thing anybody was talking about for the last day and a half of San Diego Comic Con.

With almost everyone assuming Secret Wars would be loosely adapted from the Jonathan Hickman comic of the same title (as opposed to the 1980s version, which was more like a Mortal Kombat-type story), there had been speculation for years that Doom would prove to be the ultimate villain of the sixth Avengers movie. There had also been speculation that Downey might return to make a cameo as a variant of Iron Man — but we don’t remember seeing anybody predicting the two would be intertwined.

The Downey-as-Doom announcement really sucked up a lot of oxygen last night, leaving all corners of the geek internet talking about the MCU again. We’ll see how much of that momentum can carry through to the release of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* next year, but between the huge box office Deadpool & Wolverine is soaking up and the hype from San Diego, it’s easy to feel more bullish about the studio’s future than we were a year ago.

Alan Silvestri will return in Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026.

The post Alan Silvestri Seemingly Returning for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As quickly as it arrived, San Diego Comic-Con wrapped its festivities as the biggest comic convention in the world. Although there have been bigger conventions in the past, at least from an announcement since, most Hollywood studios had their presence felt in some, shape, way, or form throughout the weekend.

With some of team ComicBook on the ground at the San Diego Convention Center, and others covering from the various ComicBook HQs across the country, we put our heads together to come up with our favorite announcements over the weekend. Keep scrolling to see which reveals Team ComicBook loved most!

Justice League Unlimited

There’s not a team in comics right now more exciting than Mark Waid and Dan Mora, so confirmation they’re going to continue working together at DC beyond World’s Finest and Batman and Robin: Year One was welcome. Not only are they back on a team book, they’re back on THE team book, classic Justice League stories with the biggest roster imaginable. It’s the kind of pedal-to-the-metal storytelling that comics thrive on and which we can’t get anywhere else so quickly. — Spencer Perry

Avengers: Doomsday

The returns of the Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr. instantly overshadowed anything else involving Marvel’s Avengers franchise and became the talk of the town. Set those aside (I honestly still don’t know how I feel about either) and you’ve got what is easily my favorite reveal from Hall H: Avengers: Doomsday. Regardless of who is directing or starring in the film, Doomsday shows Marvel making the right kind of choices to move on from existing issues.

Remember, this was supposed to be Avengers: Kang Dynasty. With Jonathan Majors so engrained in the MCU as Kang, recasting the character was too difficult, but you couldn’t keep him as the focal point of the franchise. Doctor Doom is a Marvel Comics icon, one of the best characters in the company’s entire roster, and a perfect choice to take over as the MCU’s next big bad. He’s also got the money and mind to help make sense of his multiversal takeover, as well as the bravado and showmanship that allow him to be the main character of a film series. It’s the perfect pivot from King that allows the MCU to continue barreling towards Secret Wars without changing too much, while also delivering a character that fans have been begging to see. — Charlie Ridgely

Harrison Ford Hulks Out

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“What is a Red Hulk?” That’s how Harrison Ford, who plays U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, responded when asked about his then-rumored Marvel role as Red Hulk in a 2023 interview with ComicBook. One year later, Ford hulked out onstage in Hall H after the film’s Comic-Con trailer showed the Red Hulk smashing through the White House before being engaged by Anthony Mackie’s vibranium-winged Captain America.

Ford, 82, takes over the late William Hurt’s role as the mustached Thaddeus Ross from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. “This is a character that’s based on a lot of history developed with Bill, who played the character previously,” Ford said. “But now, I am Thaddeus, and I’m delighted. And I’m proud to become a member of the Marvel universe. I’ve been watching fantastic actors — some of which are here tonight — have a really good time working in the Marvel universe, and I wanted a piece of the action.” — Cam Bonomolo

Creature Commandos Trailer

After months of teases, fans finally got their first look at the new DC Universe from DC Studios. While the studio itself wasn’t at Comic-Con, James Gunn sent Jim Lee the trailer for DC’s Creature Commandos and boy, it sure is a doozy. Even though the clip revealed was just a tease of the animated series, it has Gunn’s stamp all over it. Better yet, if the trailer is any indication on how the DC Universe is going to shape up, comic book fans have a lot of exciting things coming soon. — Adam Barnhardt

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Robert Downey Jr. is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having played Iron Man from the franchise’s inception in 2008 through Avengers: Endgame five years ago, most would have thought the actor was permanently done with the MCU. During Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con, however, that all changed. The studio revealed Downey was not only returning to the MCU, but he’d be playing one Victor Von Doom, a seismic announcement even by Hall H standards.

Downey’s inclusion in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars all but guarantees the studio is adapting the latest, most popular take of ˆ—the one crafted by architect Jonathan Hickman—rather than the original one that the Russo Brothers have credited with stoking their love of the comics medium.

What Secret Wars comic is the movie based on?

In 2020, Joe Russo said Secret Wars was his favorite comic book, doubling down on his live-action version of the film being the biggest movies ever made.

“You know, I read that when I was 10 or 11, and it was the scale of getting all of the heroes together. It was one of the first major books to do that — that was really event-storytelling to me at its finest. And what happens when you put all of those personalities together,” Joe Russo explained. “I also like the idea of villains having to team up with heroes. Anth and I like complicated relationships between heroes and villains, we like villains who believe they’re heroes in their own stories, so it’s all sort of built into this notion of Secret Wars. To execute something on the scale of Infinity War was directly related to the dream of Secret Wars, which is even larger in scale.”

His brother Anthony added, “It would be the biggest movie you could possibly imagine, so that’s what really excites us about the story — the ambition of it is even bigger than the ambition of the Infinity Saga.”

While the Hickman Secret Wars deals with the multiverse, incursions, and combining worlds into a singular universe, the original Secret Wars was more of a tournament of champions than anything else.

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com’s Comic-Con hub for the latest news and updates out of SDCC 2024.

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Robert Downey, Jr. will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this time as Victor Von Doom. Who knew he could play an armored narcissist? All joking aside, Downey and the Avengers team took Hall H by storm last night, and managed to deliver on a panel even when a lot of fans were speculating about wild possibilities like Avengers vs. X-Men or something equally bonkers after the release of Deadpool & Wolverine. After, Downey posted an image to his social media profiles that shows him sharing a moment with the Doctor Doom mask, once again comparing the character to his performance of Tony Stark.

“New mask, same task,” says the caption. Last night, Downey joked about how much he likes playing complicated characters, a motion at Iron Man but also a peek at the way the MCU hopes to depict Dr. Doom.

Downey’s casting raises a lot of questions; while it’s easy to imagine that Victor Von Doom will be a variant of Tony Stark from another universe, how did that come together? Was he Tony, but went another way when he got the armor? Did Latveria get involved with World War II and change the path of Tony’s parents? Only time will tell, but as far as San Diego Comic Con announcements go, that one was pretty impressive.

With almost everyone assuming Secret Wars would be loosely adapted from the Jonathan Hickman comic of the same title (as opposed to the 1980s version, which was more like a Mortal Kombat-type story), there had been speculation for years that Doom would prove to be the ultimate villain of the sixth Avengers movie. There had also been speculation that Downey might return to make a cameo as a variant of Iron Man — but we don’t remember seeing anybody predicting the two would be intertwined.

In 2016, writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev made Infamous Iron Man, a story that centered on the idea of Victor Von Doom taking on the Iron Man identity after Tony Stark seemingly died (don’t worry, he didn’t really) in Civil War II. Bendis has been having some fun with that, sharing his own Iron Man/Doom art on Instagram:

The Downey-as-Doom announcement really sucked up a lot of oxygen last night, leaving all corners of the geek internet talking about the MCU again. We’ll see how much of that momentum can carry through to the release of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* next year, but between the huge box office Deadpool & Wolverine is soaking up and the hype from San Diego, it’s easy to feel more bullish about the studio’s future than we were a year ago.

Downey’s Doom is expected to debut in Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026.

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Marvel Studios is getting the gang back together. The gang, that is, except for one familiar face. Shortly after the House of Ideas held its tentpole Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con Saturday night, it was revealed Stephen McFeely will be writing the scripts to both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Noticeably absent from the announcement was Christopher Markus, McFeely’s writing partner of the duo’s previous entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Together, Markus and McFeely wrote Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. The duo have been longtime collaborators with Joe and Anthony Russo, who are both returning to direct the next two Avengers flicks, even joining the brothers at their new AGBO banner in a post-Endgame world.

“That four-movie run was incredible, and it left us creatively spent with all our emotions on the floor,” Anthony Russo told Hall H on Saturday. “In the time since, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see a road forward with you all.”

Interestingly enough, Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom was seemingly spoiled earlier this month by Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider.

“Speaking of Doctor Doom, there’s still no word yet about his casting in Fantastic Four, as insiders denied my inquiry about Robert Downey Jr., who I was told might come back as an alternate-universe Tony Stark who becomes Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man,” Sneider wrote in his latest newsletter. “It seems far-fetched, yes, but I figured that if there was any hope of Downey coming back, there’d have to be a new wrinkle for him to play. So, for now, we continue to wait…” 

Earlier in the panel, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirmed the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be appearing in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, including Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Susan Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) 

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com’s Comic-Con hub for the latest news and updates out of SDCC 2024.

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Robert Downey Jr. is still Marvel’s Man in the Iron Mask — just not as Tony Stark/Iron Man. “New mask, same task,” Downey said during Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con presentation in Hall H, where the Iron Man star shockingly unmasked himself on stage as the MCU Doctor Doom. The Oppenheimer Oscar winner will play a multiverse version of the Fantastic Four’s arch-enemy in the newly-retitled Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which will be helmed by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame directing duo Anthony and Joe Russo in their return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige unveiled the new title treatments (below) for the fifth Avengers film (formerly titled The Kang Dynasty) and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. The two films remain dated for May 2026 and May 2027 and will cap off the Multiverse Saga  and Phase 6 of the MCU.

The Russo brothers directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019) — once the highest-grossing film of all time with a box office of $2.8 billion.

“That four-movie run was incredible, and it left us creatively spentwith all our emotions on the floor,” Anthony Russo told the packed 6,500-seat Hall H. “In the time since,through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see aroad forward with you all.” 

Plot details are being locked away on Battleworld, but the next phase-ending Avengers movies will draw inspiration from Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 multiverse-spanning Secret Wars storyline that saw Victor Von Doom rule all reality as God Emperor Doom after alternate dimensions collided during universe-destroying incursions. 

The Fantastic Four — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Susan Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) — are also confirmed for a crossover with Earth’s mightiest heroes in Doomsday and Secret Wars.

The Downey-fronted Avengers: Doomsday marks the actor’s first Marvel movie since 2019’s Endgame, which ended with his Tony Stark sacrificing himself to save the universe. Last month, Downey said he’s “become surprisingly open-minded to the idea” of returning to the MCU after portraying Iron Man across 10 movies between 2008 and 2019. “It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” Downey said of Stark.

Marvel Studios’ upcoming film slate includes Captain America: Brave New World (February 14th, 2025), Thunderbolts* (May 5th, 2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25th, 2025), Blade (November 7th, 2025), Avengers: Doomsday (May 1st, 2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7th, 2027).

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com’s Comic-Con hub for the latest news and updates out of SDCC 2024.

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Marvel’s Fantastic Four are making their big screen debut next year, but fans are going to be seeing a lot more of then in the years ahead. The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025. The next two summers will kick off with brand new Avengers movies directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. During the massive Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel Studios confirmed that the Fantastic Four would be appearing in both of the upcoming Avengers films.

Once the titles for the next Avengers movies were announced by Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios, the inclusion of the Fantastic Four made perfect sense. The fifth Avengers movie is titled Avengers: Doomsday, with Doctor Doom leading at the main antagonist. Doom will have a prominent role in Avengers: Secret Wars, which arrives in May 2027. 

Marvel’s Doctor Doom

Speaking of Doctor Doom, the iconic Marvel villain delivered not just the biggest shock of the Marvel Studios Hall H panel this year, but his reveal was possibly the biggest shock in the history of Marvel’s SDCC presentations.

Doctor Doom was unmasked live on stage and revealed to be none other than Robert Downey Jr. After kicking off the entire MCU back in 2008, and starring as the lead of the entire franchise for a decade, Downey is back at Marvel playing an entirely different character. 

There’s little information about this version of Victor Von Doom, including what universe he might be from and if he will be the definitive version of the character in the MCU. But Marvel’s favorite son coming back to play the villain is certainly a surprise no one saw coming.

Fantastic Four Cast

The Fantastic Four is one of the very next movies set to be released in the MCU. The film, directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman, is set to arrive in theaters in just over a year, hitting the big screen on July 25, 2025.

The film is focusing on an all-new version of Marvel’s First Family, with Pedro Pascal set to play Reed Richards. Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn are playing siblings Sue and Johnny Storm, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach will be playing Ben Grimm, aka The Thing. The cast also includes Ralph Inseson as legendary Marvel villain Galactus, and Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer. 

The core cast of The Fantastic Four is rounded out with Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich. None of their roles have been confirmed at this time.

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Robert Downey Jr. has officially made his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but instead of playing Iron Man, he will be portraying the iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom. The announcement was made Saturday night at the Marvel Studios Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who are also making a return to the Marvel fold. The Russo Bros. will be directing Downey Jr. in the fifth Avengers movie, officially renamed from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday. There also came word that the Russos will be directing not only Avengers: Doomsday but also Avengers: Secret Wars.

The Marvel Studios panel closed out with Kevin Feige and the Russo Bros. being surrounded by several figures dressed as Doctor Doom on stage. Joe Russo stated that they needed “the greatest actor in the world” to play Doctor Doom. As the rest of the Dooms moved aside, one lone figure stepped forward, took off his hood and helmet, with the crowd cheering once they saw it was Robert Downey Jr. 

Is Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom the Infamous Iron Man?

Earlier this month, insider Jeff Sneider revealed that he’d heard Downey could play a multiversal version of Doctor Doom in one of the next two projects.

“Speaking of Doctor Doom, there’s still no word yet about his casting in Fantastic Four, as insiders denied my inquiry about Robert Downey Jr., who I was told might come back as an alternate-universe Tony Stark who becomes Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man,” Sneider wrote in his latest newsletter. “It seems far-fetched, yes, but I figured that if there was any hope of Downey coming back, there’d have to be a new wrinkle for him to play. So, for now, we continue to wait…”

If Robert Downey Jr. is playing an evil version of Tony Stark from the multiverse, it would be similar to how Doctor Doom took on the mantle of the Infamous Iron Man in the comics.

Infamous Iron Man launched as a part of All-New, All-Different Marvel in 2016. From Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the series follows Victor von Doom as he gets his hand on Stark Tech, turning himself into his own Latverian version of the Invincible Iron Man. Instead of donning the scarlet and gold armor, however, Doom’s take on the technology is a sheer silver, complete with green accents and his iconic green hood.

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It has been five years since the Avengers had their final fight against Thanos in Avengers Endgame and while Marvel fans still have to wait for the superheroes’ return, they made sure to have a presence at San Diego Comic-Con. Thanks to the popularity of Deadpool & Wolverine and the wild cameos that were a part of it, Disney has been hyping up fans with the idea that anything can now happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios has once again proven this fact thanks to the major announcement that the Russo brothers will return for Avengers 5 and 6. 

The next Avengers movie was originally titled Avengers: Kang Dynasty but it’s clear that Marvel Studios is looking to take Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in a different direction. Not only did the Russos confirm that they will helm the two upcoming movies, but the Fantastic Four will also be appearing in the movies. Considering that Kevin Feige has confirmed that the movie will feature quite a few actors, Marvel’s first family meeting the Avengers makes a lot of sense. 

The Russos Return

We here at ComicBook had the chance earlier to sit down with Marvel Studios’ head Kevin Feige, who discussed the possibility of an eventual crossover film featuring the Avengers facing the X-Men, “The frustration is when you don’t have access to all of your characters, so when we were doing [Captain America: Civil War] for instance, or even [Avengers: Infinity War], there were just dozens of characters that we had to take out of those comic stories because we didn’t have access to them. Now as we choose upcoming storylines, we don’t have to do that, and we have access to all of them.”

In a previous interview, the Russos had addressed returning to Marvel Studios, “We just always answer truthfully when we’re asked, ‘Would you work with them [Marvel Studios]?’ ‘Of course we would, we adore them.’ ‘What would you like to do?’ ‘Secret Wars, it was our favorite series growing up.'” Russo shared. “And then I think it always gets turned into a bigger story. But to be clear: there is no story… We haven’t had conversations with those guys about anything that they’re up to because we’ve been intensely busy with our own schedule.”

Want all the latest updates on Marvel Studios’ big announcements at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con? Follow along with ComicBook for all the latest updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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The Russo Brothers are still involved in the second season of Citadel despite reports of the filmmaking duo returning to the Marvel fold. Joe and Anthony Russo are two of the executive producers behind Citadel, a Prime Video global original series that’s looking to become a shared connected universe. Citadel: Diana is the second installment in the franchise, and recently released a teaser trailer setting up the spy-thriller action. Of course, the Russo Bros. are more well-known for directing Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which capped off Marvel’s Infinity Saga. After last week’s report that the Russos are in talks to direct Avengers 5 and 6, Amazon is reassuring fans that the Russos continue to work on Citadel.

Variety spoke to Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke and head of TV Vernon Sanders shortly after Emmy nominations were announced, where the topic of conversation veered to Citadel and Citadel: Diana. When asked if the Russo Bros. will continue to be a part of the Citadel team amid those Marvel reports, they responded positively.

“They’re definitely involved in the second season, and directing and producing, and we are moving ahead and excited about that,” said Salke. “So that’s in the works. And Italy’s Citadel: Diana, I think it really just delivers in so many ways. It’s a really cool character. It’s very thrilling, obviously, in the spy genre, but it’s really grounded and really well-execute, and kind of edge of your seat. And the star of it is absolutely great. And then we also have a show called Honey Bunny that’s coming out of India. Our biggest producers, most successful Amazon creators, Raj & DK [Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.], are presenting this show that’s a bit of a prequel that sort of further takes you into the world of Citadel.”

Sanders added, “The Diana piece coming from Italy, Honey Bunny coming from India, each of them has some flavor that’s very specific to the region, but there is still global storytelling. And there’ll be news in the not too distant future about Season 2 of Citadel, the mothership, which is about to go into production soon, and the cast that’s coming to that franchise we’re very excited about.”

What is Citadel: Diana about?

Set in 2030 Milan, Citadel: Diana picks up eight years after Citadel’s fall. Since then, Diana Cavalieri, an undercover Citadel agent, is alone, trapped behind enemy lines as a mole in Manticore. When she finally sees a way out and the chance to disappear forever, the only way to do so is trusting the most unexpected ally, Edo Zani (Lorenzo Cervasio), the heir of Manticore Italy and son of the head of the Italian organization, Ettore Zani (Maurizio Lombardi), who’s vying for leadership against the other European families.

All six episodes of Citadel: Diana will debut exclusively on Prime Video globally on October 10th.

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It wasn’t all too long ago when Marvel’s film rights were in disarray. Disney owned a solid chunk of the publisher’s stable while 20th Century Fox owned another chunk, and Sony owned (and still owns) all things Spider-Man. Now, Disney has purchased Fox and those characters in the X-Men and Fantastic Four families are once again owned by the House of Ideas. It’s a move that could inevitably lead to a live-action adaptation of Avengers vs. X-Men, according to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.

“The frustration is when you don’t have access to all of your characters,” Feige tells ComicBook. “So when we were doing [Captain America: Civil War] for instance, or even [Avengers: Infinity War], there were just dozens of characters that we had to take out of those comic stories because we didn’t have access to them. Now as we choose upcoming storylines, we don’t have to do that, and we have access to all of them.”

There’s been growing speculation online that Avengers 5, the film previously known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, could be reframed as Avengers vs. X-Men now that Kang no longer appears to be a part of the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What’s Deadpool & Wolverine about?

In Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The film also stars Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, with the return of Deadpool alums Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapičić as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Lewis Tan as Shatterstar. Aaron Stanford is returning as Pyro from the X-Men film series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios. 

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy. Deadpool & Wolverine will be released exclusively in theaters on July 26th.

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Deadpool & Wolverine is finally heading to theaters next week, and Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige has been dropping some huge details about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the threequel’s press tour. Avengers 5 (formally Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) is on the way, and some fans have wondered how Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) might fit into the story. While very few characters have been confirmed for the project, it’s expected to feature 60 returning MCU stars. While that may or may not include Deadpool, ComicBook recently asked Feige how the notoriously R-rated character would fit into a PG-13 story. 

“Well, I mean, yes,” Feige replied when asked if he’s thought about how Marvel Studios would go about fitting Deadpool into a PG-13 setting. “And what’s fun obviously about the comics is anybody pops up anywhere. But also what’s fun about the team-ups and a Marvel team-up is it’s almost always characters that don’t belong together.”

“I remember sitting in interviews like this when we were, I think, promoting Iron Man 2, and people knew that we had Thor in production and we had announced that we were going to make an Avengers movie, and people were going, ‘How in the world is Thor, this Norse mythological god, going to be able to be in a scene with Tony Stark? How’s that going to work?’ And my answer was, ‘Well, that’s kind of the movie.’ That’s kind of the whole idea, is to take these people that shouldn’t be together and put ’em together.”

What Is Deadpool & Wolverine About?

In Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The film also stars Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, with the return of Deadpool alums Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapičić as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Lewis Tan as Shatterstar. Aaron Stanford is returning as Pyro from the X-Men film series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios. 

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.

Deadpool & Wolverine will be released exclusively in theaters on July 26th. Stay tuned for more from our interview with Kevin Feige. 

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The next two Avengers movies continue to be in the pop culture conversation, as Marvel Studios is currently trying to find directors to helm the highly-anticipated projects. Recent reports have hinted at everyone from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy to former Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo being eyed for the job — and now, we may know two additional names who were briefly in contention. According to a new report from Puck News, Greg Berlanti (Fly Me to the Moon, Love, Simon) and Noah Hawley (Fargo, Alien: Earth) were two names suggested by the talent agency CAA to direct the next Avengers movies. Ultimately, according to the report, Berlanti and Hawley were both turned down for the job by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

While Berlanti and Hawley have not really been previously associated with the MCU, both have various histories within the superhero adaptation space. Berlanti is regarded to be one of the architects of The CW’s Arrowverse of DC shows, executive producing almost every DC television series of the 2010s. Hawley, meanwhile, created FX’s X-Men spinoff series Legion, and had been developing a Doctor Doom solo movie before the character’s rights reverted back to Marvel Studios.

What Is Avengers 5 About?

Formerly titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the fifth Avengers movie has undergone a bit of a creative overhaul in recent years. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was previously lined up to helm the project, before stepping away in November of 2023. Additionally, Marvel Studios has parted ways with Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors following his guilty verdict in a recent assault case, with reports indicating that the franchise might pivot away from the character of Kang altogether.

“Not every film in the Infinity Saga focused on the Infinity Stones or Thanos, and it’ll be the same across 5 and 6,” Feige previously said. “But we’re gearing up. People will get a taste of this in a big way in Quantumania as we lead to Avengers: Secret Wars, which I’m extremely excited for. You know, I’m coming up on 23 years at Marvel. That’s a long time. It’s not quite half my life, but it’s almost half my life. [Laughs] Many of us have been together for a decade or more. And we only do it because we are so excited and in love with the potential for what we can do ahead. The storylines that weave together through Phase 5 and 6 into Secret Wars and the opportunities that the multiverse brings storytelling-wise, it’s a whole new aspect to the MCU. “

Avengers 5 is currently scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

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The ComicBook Nation crew reacts to the final Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer and breaks down the finales of The Boys Season 4 and Star Wars: The Acolyte. Breaking news reactions include The Russo Bros. returning to Avengers movies; Halo being canceled by Paramount, new trailers for Beetlejuice 2, Dune: Prophecy, and Alien: Romulus – and so much more with San Diego Comic-Con 2024 on the horizon! 

ComicBook Nation LIVE Show (Video) 

Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer 

Alien: Romulus Final Trailer 

Dune: Prophecy Trailer 2 

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Deadpool & Wolverine is only one week away from hitting theaters, which means Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, is in the midst of a press tour and revealing some interesting facts about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Last month, it was reported that the now-untitled fifth Avengers movie could bring back as many as 60 characters from the franchise. While that may seem like a lot, there are way more characters who have appeared in the franchise since its inception in 2008, which means some fan favorites may not be appearing in the next team-up film. In fact, Feige just confirmed that not every Phase 4 character will be in Avengers 5.

“I rarely speak in absolutes like that, right?” Feige explained to io9 when asked about the many characters who debuted in Phase 4. “The notion of never ever seeing somebody again, we’ve got Tim Blake Nelson in a movie coming up next year, right? So I never talk in absolutes like that. But the truth is, you know, we’re going to tell a story in these Avengers movies, and there won’t be room for 100,000 characters in it. So choices will have to be made, that’s for sure. But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever see anybody ever again.”

Which Characters Debuted in Phase 4?

There are many major characters who made their MCU debut in Phase 4 including Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), the entire cast of Eternals, and much more. It’s hard to say who will make the cut in Avengers 5, especially since details about the film’s plot are unknown. 

What We Know About Avengers 5:

Avengers 5 will hopefully be getting a new title at San Diego Comic-Con next week. The previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is no longer expected to feature Kang the Conqueror as a main threat. Currently, it is unclear who will be helming Avengers 5, but rumors suggest Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame directors, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, are in talks to return to the franchise.  As for the supposed 60 returning characters, only on actor has confirmed their involvement in the film, and that’s Doctor Strange star, Benedict Cumberbatch.

 “It’s been a very lovely relationship with that company,” Cumberbatch told Netflix. “I’m very much looking forward to Avengers [5] next year.” 

Stay tuned for more updates about Avengers 5 and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

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Development on the next two Avengers films is well underway, with Marvel Studios finding itself in talks with a pair of familiar faces to join the projects as directors. Wednesday, it was revealed Joe and Anthony Russo are gearing up to board Avengers 5—which used to be called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty—and Avengers: Secret Wars. Now, another rumor is gaining some traction online pointing to the return of Robert Downey Jr. as a surprising character. The latest comes from Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider, who says he’s heard Downey could play a multiversal version of Dr. Doom in one of the next two projects.

“Speaking of Doctor Doom, there’s still no word yet about his casting in Fantastic Four, as insiders denied my inquiry about Robert Downey Jr., who I was told might come back as an alternate-universe Tony Stark who becomes Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man,” Sneider wrote in his latest newsletter. “It seems far-fetched, yes, but I figured that if there was any hope of Downey coming back, there’d have to be a new wrinkle for him to play. So, for now, we continue to wait…”

Should there be some truth to the rumor, perhaps Stark would return and play Doom or perhaps more interesting, the version of the villain that took on the mantle of Infamous Iron Man.

Who is Infamous Iron Man?

Infamous Iron Man launched as a part of All-New, All-Different Marvel in 2016. From Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the series follows Victor von Doom as he gets his hand on Stark Tech, turning himself into his own Latverian version of the Invincible Iron Man. Instead of donning the scarlet and gold armor, however, Doom’s take on the technology is a sheer silver, complete with green accents and his iconic green hood.

The series ended up running for 12 issues.

Will Robert Downey Jr. return to the MCU?

Even though some have suggested Downey has moved on from the role of Tony Stark, something he played for nearly two decades, Downey himself has said he’d return should the story warrant it.

“Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role [Iron Man] chose me,” the actor said in a chat with Esquire earlier this year. “I always say: Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

Avengers 5 is currently scheduled for a May 1, 2026 release and Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled for a May 7, 2027 release.

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