Table of Contents
- The Russo's Next Cryptic Teaser
- Robert Downey Jr. is Doctor Doom
- Key Comic Plots That Will Be Changed
- The Fluidity of Filming
The Russo's Next Cryptic Teaser
The Russo brothers, known for their work on Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, have dropped another weird teaser for Avengers: Doomsday on their production company's social media. This one is far more revealing than their last, which was just a simple behind-the-scenes shot. The new video shows costumes for Sue Storm, Franklin Richards, and Doctor Doom all positioned together.
The immediate buzz is about what this means for the movie, but it seems to align with earlier concept art leaks. The Russos confirmed at Comic-Con 2023 that their films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will adapt elements from Jonathan Hickman's Time Runs Out and Secret Wars comic runs, but they won't be direct, page-for-page adaptations. The official trailer is rumoured to arrive in December.
Robert Downey Jr. is Doctor Doom
The appearance of Doctor Doom is tied directly to a familiar face: Robert Downey Jr. The actor only agreed to return to the MCU as Doctor Doom on the condition that the Russo brothers also came back to direct. The teaser even includes a playful nod to this fact by showing the Iron Man and Doctor Doom helmets in the same frame.
The big reveal in Avengers: Doomsday is reportedly going to be that Doctor Doom looks exactly like the late Tony Stark, completely shocking the other MCU heroes. He’s actually a different person from a different universe (the 828 universe, where the Fantastic Four film took place), but the resemblance is key to the plot. The theory suggests Franklin Richards is using his power cosmic to heal Doom's face, making him look more like Tony Stark with a heavy scar, rather than ultra disfigured like in the comics. It’s also important to know that the mask shown in the video is a simple toy replica, not the final, movie-accurate prop.
Key Comic Plots That Will Be Changed
The video subtly references some major comic book lore. The inclusion of Sue Storm and Franklin Richards near Doctor Doom hints at the God Emperor Doom and Battleworld plots from Secret Wars. In the comics, the power of the Beyonders created Battleworld, but the film is expected to replace this with a mix of Franklin Richards' power cosmic and TVA technology (The Void from Loki and Deadpool/Wolverine).
However, the directors are skipping some huge comic book subplots:
- No Doom-Sue Storm Romance: The classic comic storyline where Doctor Doom is secretly in love with Sue Storm will be completely avoided.
- No Altered Memories: The plot where Doctor Doom changes reality so that Sue Storm believes she has always been in love with him, and he is Franklin and Valeria's father, is also being cut.
In the film, the Franklin Richards subplot will be the most heavily modified. The current theory suggests Doctor Doom takes Franklin with him to prevent anyone from misusing his power cosmic to cause more incursions, and that Franklin believes he is helping Doom save the multiverse.
The Fluidity of Filming
The script for the new Avengers movies has been a moving target. The Russos, along with their previous writer from Infinity War and Endgame, were brought back and have been extensively rewriting the scripts. The first movie was reportedly shot without a finished script, and they are currently in the middle of reshoots for Doomsday.
This is partly due to Robert Downey Jr.'s unique style of filmmaking, where he prefers to improvise and use the script as a starting point. The Russos are known to work very well with this method. The production is also focused on cost-saving and visual effects: Doctor Doom's armour will likely be a mix of practical suits and CGI to balance quality and budget. Expect more cryptic teasers that reveal symbolic details instead of real footage as the marketing campaign continues.
