Robert Downey Jr.’s first Doctor Doom appearance has reportedly been revealed – and it’s not Avengers: Doomsday

Fantastic news for those who want to see RDJ return to the MCU even sooner than expected

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Robert Downey Jr.’s first Doctor Doom appearance has reportedly been revealed by a notable scooper – and it’s notAvengers: Doomsday.

According toJeff Sneider, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will first show up in a separate movie’s post-credits scene or mid-credits scene, with Sneider then going on to speculate that it could be during 2025’sFantastic Four.

The ex-Iron Man actor wasunveiled as part of the Avengers: Doomsday castduring theMarvel SDCC panel. The members of Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts were also confirmed to be part of what was previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

While it’s exciting news for those looking towards Marvel’s immediate future, we should exercise caution in this case. After all, Jeff Sneider’s track record has been good, yet inconsistent, in recent years.

He’s certainly called some major MCU news right – including thatHarrison Ford was being lined up to play ‘Thunderbolt’ Rossas well as beingamong the first to confirm Fantastic Four’s castingmonths before it was made official – but not all of his scoops in the past have been verified or proven correct. Let’s take this one with a Hulk-sized pinch of salt for now as there’s no reason for Marvel to come out to confirm or deny the news.

Plans can, of course, change. But we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Robert Downey Jr. shows up in Fantastic Four. The link between Reed and Doom is obvious, given their comic book history, but there’s the added eyebrow raise of Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman tellingColliderthat he’s had to keep the surprise casting under wraps “for a while.”

Was Marvel just keeping the director in the loop – or is it something more? We’ll find out when Fantastic Four (starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) flies into cinemas on July 25, 2025.

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I’m the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you’ll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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