We are nine months away from what is quite possibly going to be the biggest movie of the year. You know I'm talking about Avengers: Doomsday, which looks to bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Multiverse Saga to a conclusion. Or, well, at least start that process, as this will commence a larger-than-life two-part finale that will see heroes from across the Marvel Multiverse assemble to stop the nefarious Doctor Doom.
As with all major MCU movies, a multitude of rumors and reports have circulated since the film began production about what might go down in it. We know that Robert Downey Jr. is headlining as Doctor Doom, making a change from his previous Avengers appearances as the heroic Iron Man and a number of these apparent leaks have attempted to give us more of an insight into what kind of role the villain could play. One recent report, however, has left Marvel fans a little divided.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom won't unmask in Avengers: Doomsday, reports say
According to veteran industry insider John Campea, Avengers: Doomsday won't reveal Robert Downey Jr.'s face as Doctor Doom. That means that the silver mask likely won't be coming off (at least not in the daylight), even though Downey will be playing the role. As Campea said:
"One of the rumors about Doomsday that we did confirm for people is that they do not reveal Robert Downey Jr.’s face as Doctor Doom… in Doomsday, and that the repercussions of that and the reasons for that and all that kind of stuff is something they’re saving for Secret Wars."
With that in mind, it seems that Marvel Studios is planning to continue building Doom's aura, much like they did with his cameo appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (when he unmasked for baby Franklin Richards without showing us, the viewers, his face). Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm also didn't see his face in that particular appearance.
As his Fantastic Four appearance was indeed portrayed by Downey (even though we didn't see his face), there's no reason that anyone would question the star's involvement in Avengers: Doomsday even if we don't see the Oscar-winning actor's face on our screens. That said, the report has received a rather divided response from fans.
Some have argued that Marvel wouldn't cast an actor the calibre of Robert Downey Jr. just to obscure his face for a whole movie while others have claimed that holding the reveal until a later stage in the franchise would be underwhelming since we all already know Victor von Doom's true identity. One, however, pointed out that Campea was simply saying that RDJ's face will not be shown to the other characters in the movie, but that we - the audience - will get to see it. And honestly, that sounds like the most feasible outcome.
While Downey Jr is an exceptional actor, Marvel's decision to cast him has added a complete new emotional depth to Avengers: Doomsday. Doctor Doom was always going to be a powerful villain, but the fact that he now looks identical to Tony Stark - the beloved original Avenger that was loved by so many - will undoubtedly make the Avengers' attempt to defeat him that much more uphill of a battle. So, even now before the move comes out, we know that RDJ is playing Doctor Doom, but the Avengers don't know that their newest archenemy looks like their original leader. And that will make the eventual reveal hit that much harder.
As for when that reveal might happen, the clear answer is indeed Avengers: Secret Wars. The 2027 sequel will act as the second part of the Multiverse Saga's conclusion, meaning that the Avengers' big final showdown with Doom will take place then. And that will most likely lead to a reveal, stunning the heroes as they realize that the man they are fighting bears the same face as the man who helped them win the last high-stakes war.
Considering this will be the grand finale of the Multiverse Saga, that's pretty apt indeed.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.